Renters now believe they will only join the property ladder in their forties, due to the cost-of-living crisis, according to a poll.
However, one-quarter of current renters think they will be in their fifties before they are able to buy a house.
And 13 per cent believe they could even be on their way to collecting their pension before leaving behind their renter status.
The survey of 2,000 adults who are currently or have previously rented also found 48 per cent of renters cannot currently afford to put down a deposit.
One-third of respondents blamed the rising cost of living as the reason it had become even more difficult to secure their own home.
Another one in 10 (11 per cent) found it easier to rent in the area they wanted to live in, but could not afford to buy there.
It also emerged 67 per cent of renters had been cutting their spending due to the rising cost of living, including 52 per cent who had been eating out less.
Others had been taking fewer holidays, cycling more to destinations or selling personal belongings they no longer needed.
The study, commissioned by NatWest’s bill-splitting app, Housemate, also found 16 per cent of renters found it stressful living with other people.
And 17 per cent had experienced living with “difficult” housemates – with one-quarter even having had to ask their landlord to intervene.
Leaving dirty dishes lying around topped the list of irritating housemate habits, followed by not doing the cleaning and having to be chased for their share of bills.
As a result, the key qualities renters looked for in a housemate were cleanliness (61 per cent), respectfulness (58 per cent) and responsibility (52 per cent).
However, it was not just incompatible housemates that meant renters aspired to get on the property ladder – as seven in 10 wanted to have a place they could call “home”.
Of those wanting to buy, 54 per cent felt it would be financially better than renting in the long run, while 31 per cent simply wanted more space, according to the survey carried out by OnePoll.
