More than two out of five tenants in houses in multiple occupation move into shared accommodation with little or no information about their future housemates, according to new research from shared living platform COHO.
The study, based on responses from 5,145 UK HMO tenants, found that 21% have felt unsafe at some point because of a housemate. The figure rises to 27% among tenants aged 45 and above, whilst men reported feeling unsafe at a slightly higher rate (22%) than women (21%).
Transparency gaps in the sector
The findings highlight a disconnect between current practices and tenant expectations in the shared living sector. According to the State of Shared Living Report, 60% of respondents wished they had known more about their prospective housemates before moving in, whilst 53% wanted greater input about who joins their household.
The data suggests compatibility is valued highly by tenants, with 40% stating they would be willing to pay more in rent to live with housemates they knew would be a good fit.
There are currently 482,788 HMOs across England and Wales, according to the National HMO Register, housing more than 2 million people.
Market implications for landlords
The research indicates that shared living is increasingly becoming a long-term housing solution rather than a temporary arrangement. More than 40% of HMO tenants are aged 30 or over, of which 89% are in paid work. Additionally, 55% say shared living is a lifestyle choice rather than a last resort.
The findings come as buy-to-let yields reach their highest level since 2011, with HMOs typically offering higher returns than single-let properties. However, rising rents and a shortage of affordable housing continue to shape the rental market landscape.
Vann Vogstad, Chief Executive of COHO, said: “Our research exposes a major gap in the way shared living works today. We ask people to share their homes with complete strangers, yet in many cases they are given little or no information about who they are going to live with. Tenants feeling unsafe in their own home, even once, is not something the sector can ignore.”
He added: “As shared living becomes a bigger part of the housing market, landlords and operators must move away from treating housemates as anonymous occupants and instead recognise compatibility as an important part of creating successful shared homes.”
Conclusion
The research suggests that HMO landlords and operators may need to reconsider their tenant placement processes to address safety concerns and compatibility issues. With the sector housing over 2 million people and the demographic shifting towards older, working professionals, the findings point to a potential need for greater transparency in housemate selection procedures.
