Young teachers in London are struggling to work and live in the city because of rising living costs, a new survey revealed.

Findings by the National Union of Teachers (NUT) showed the average cost of renting a one-bed flat to be £1,100 a month - but the average newly qualified teacher takes away £1,600 a month.

Soaring housing costs saw teachers widely agree on the city no longer being a sustainable, long term option for teachers, despite their being a demand for more teachers to apply to schools in more challenging areas of London.

From the young teachers surveyed, 60% said they could not see themselves staying in London in five years, putting the city at risk of a shortage of teachers.

Out of those, nearly two thirds specifically pointed out rent costs as the reason for their leaving.

A spokesperson for the union said: "Salaries are little more than they were seven years ago but rent has doubled.

“Salaries are little more than they were seven years ago but rent has doubled.”

“Teaching, yes. In London, no. They just can’t afford to live here.”

The survey also revealed how many have little expectation of getting on the property ladder.

A young teacher in response to the survey anonymously wrote: “We are five people sharing a three bedroom flat. This is the only way we can keep the costs down.”

“Landlords frequently increase rent, forcing us to move, or they sell property and force eviction.”

“It’s noisy, horrible and with holes in the walls but it’s all that I can afford.”

In a recent survey carried out by Savills home across the world, London was crowned the most expensive city in the world to live in.

NUT call on the next Mayor to push for more rent control in new manifesto

Ahead of the Mayoral elections, the NUT launched its manifesto on Monday (March 7), calling on the next Mayor and the London Assembly to push for rent controls and more affordable housing in London.

NUT said the City Hall must take urgent action to provide affordable housing so London schools can keep the teachers they need.

Christine Blower, General Secretary of the NUT, the largest teachers’ union, said: “It cannot be rational to allow new teachers to be squeezed out of London, while at the same time, the city needs 100,000 extra school places before 2020.

"There is a huge need for teachers.

"This government is consistently failing to recruit the numbers we need and too many of those we have are leaving.

"The next Mayor and London Assembly must urgently tackle housing costs, support the building of new schools, and not only value teachers but fight their corner.

"For too long, teachers have been underpaid and undervalued.”

Ahead of the May election, candidates have referred to it as "a referendum on housing", with both Labour's Sadiq Khan and Tory's Zac Goldsmith admitting it is the primary concern of those living in the city.

Martin Powell-Davies, London regional secretary for the NUT, added: “Unaffordable housing in London is causing a great deal of distress and hardship for many families and individuals.

"It is resulting in people having to up-root and move miles away from their work places, schools and families.

"It is quite clear that if teachers cannot afford to live in London they will take their skills elsewhere.

This is potentially a huge problem for the capital. The NUT’s manifesto for the London elections urges the next Major and London Assembly to address this significant and growing problem.

"If they don’t there will be detrimental consequences for London’s children and young people’s education.”