Fee hikes will price us out of canals, say houseboaters in England and Wales

Toby Osmond, an actor, says canal boats are a means for artists to live in cities such as London. Photograph: Sean Smith/The Guardian

Finding an affordable place to live on land is hard enough. Now, those who call canals and rivers home face being priced out of the water after plans came into effect to start increasing licence fees by up to 75%.

Houseboats have long been the reserve of those living alternative lifestyles, but in recent years young people and families have flocked to them as rents across the country, especially in London, have soared.