"Today, unaffordably high rents are shifting household dynamics as well as changing the geography of flatsharing too. The youngest are being priced out of the rental market altogether, as older renters are priced out of home ownership or renting solo"
- Matt Hutchinson - SpareRoom
Prohibitively high rents are changing the make-up of the flatsharing market, with fewer under-25s leaving the family home and more older renters remaining in shared accommodation for longer. New data from flatshare platform SpareRoom shows that under-35s are declining as a proportion of flatsharers, while those aged 35 and over continue to grow.
SpareRoom’s analysis highlights a clear shift over the past decade:
under 25s now account for 26% of the flatshare market, down from 32% in 2015
renters aged 45+ make up 16%, up from 10% a decade ago
the proportion of flatsharers aged 65+ has tripled
almost 4 in 10 flatmates now live in multi-generational households with a 20-year age gap or more
Steep increases in UK room rents are eroding savings and keeping older renters in shared homes, while also creating a barrier to entry for younger people. Over the past five years, average rents have risen 29% to £749 per month, reaching a record £753 in Q3 2025. With the average gross salary needed to rent a room affordably now close to £30,000, many people at the start of their careers are delaying moving out of the family home.
As a result, under-25s now represent just over a quarter of the flatshare market. A decade earlier, they made up almost a third. The 25 to 34 age group remains the largest segment at 42%, but this too has declined from 45% in 2015.
At the same time, older age groups are becoming more prominent. Renters aged 45 and over now account for 16% of flatsharers, compared with 10% a decade ago. Growth has been strongest among the oldest users. Although people aged over 65 still represent only 2.4% of flatsharers, that share has tripled from 0.8%. The proportion of those aged 55 to 64 has more than doubled, rising from 2.6% to 5.3%.
Alongside this, more older homeowners and renters approaching retirement are sharing their homes with lodgers. SpareRoom recorded a 38% increase over the past two years in over-65s taking in flatmates.
A January 2026 survey of 3,564 flatmates by SpareRoom found that 38% now live in multi-generational households, where the age gap between the oldest and youngest adult is at least 20 years. Almost a quarter, 23%, reported living with someone at least 30 years older or younger than themselves.
“It used to be the case that multi-generational households were a rarity in flatsharing,” said Matt Hutchinson, director of flatshare site SpareRoom. “The market was dominated by groups of twenty and thirty-somethings chasing jobs and opportunities in cities and major towns.
“Today, unaffordably high rents are shifting household dynamics as well as changing the geography of flatsharing too. The youngest are being priced out of the rental market altogether, as older renters are priced out of home ownership or renting solo. Meanwhile, those priced out of cities are migrating to more affordable suburban towns.
“The market adapts but the long-term picture is concerning, as the UK is not a country that’s geared towards renting for life. Those who haven’t built equity in property could be much worse off in their retirement years unless something changes dramatically.”
