"If you’re moving to a new city or find your life circumstances suddenly and unexpectedly changed, a shared house can be a lifeline and, I genuinely believe, a transformational experience"
- Vann Vogstad - COHO
With half of British adults reporting feelings of loneliness, new research by HMO management platform COHO has highlighted the areas of the UK where shared living is most available — and called on councils to stop treating HMOs as problem properties.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that 50% of UK adults experience loneliness, with 27% saying it affects them often, always or some of the time. For many, moving into a house share can be a way to feel connected, particularly during major life changes or when relocating.
However, COHO’s analysis of the rental market shows that only 10.8% of current listings across Britain are shared living properties, around 14,926 out of a total of 125,677.
Some regions stand out for having more sociable housing markets. In Yorkshire & Humber, 21.3% of listings are house shares, the highest in Britain. The East Midlands follows with 19.7%, while Wales comes in at 14%.
Other regions with above-average shared living stock include the South West (13.6%), West Midlands (13.4%), North West (12.7%), East of England (12.3%) and North East (11%).
In contrast, shared homes are rare in some parts of the country. Just 2.3% of Scotland’s rental listings are HMOs. And in London, often assumed to be a hub of co-living due to its high rents, the figure is only 3.4%.
“We believe that shared living should be a genuinely enriching experience where lasting friendships are formed and people have others around to help shape the inevitable ups and downs of life," explained COHO founder and CEO, Vann Vogstad.
"This is a particularly powerful concept when you consider how prevalent feelings of loneliness and isolation have become in our society, not least among young people. COHO is not here to diagnose the state of the nation nor place blame at anyone’s door; only to provide a platform on which renters can find like-minded people to share their home and life with for a brief or long period of time.
"If you’re moving to a new city or find your life circumstances suddenly and unexpectedly changed, a shared house can be a lifeline and, I genuinely believe, a transformational experience."
He added, "It’s concerning, therefore, to see shared living opportunities so few and far between in some parts of Britain. The more we can do as a society to promote community and connection – big or small – the better chance we have of reducing the levels of loneliness that are currently affecting too many people."
"That’s why we urge the government and local councils to do more to support and promote shared living within their communities. In particular, we urge councils to stop seeing all HMOs as ‘problem houses’ and instead embrace shared living when it is being delivered by honest, caring professional investors and expert agencies. It’s far too common for councils to use Article 4 to block new HMOs at the planning stage without properly considering the benefits of well-managed shared living.”
