London houseboat residents fear rise in mooring fees will price them out

The Canal and River Trust has increased fees at Ice Wharf Marina by more than 50% in the past nine years

Despite their low-cost, bohemian image, houseboats can cost a pretty penny and often rival the price of a property on land. Now, those living on rivers and canals in London fear they will be priced out of the water for good as soaring mooring fees threaten their way of life.

The Canal and River Trust (CRT) has raised mooring fees at some sites it owns by 10% for two years in a row. A 300m cut in government funding to the trust, due from 2027, was previously announced by Rishi Sunak's Conservative government. As a result, fees have risen for those living on rivers and canals in England and Wales. For many of those permanently moored in centrally-located marinas, fees have shot up by thousands of pounds.