"While there are a lot of factors to take in, I think it’s fair to say that housemates deserve better, and that there’s no overriding reason for so few HMOs providing their tenants with outdoor space"
- Vann Vogstad - COHO
Fewer than half of England’s house share listings offer access to a usable garden, with some regions falling as low as 22%, according to new analysis by HMO management platform COHO.
The findings, based on live listings across England, suggest that garden access remains limited for many living in houses in multiple occupation (HMOs), despite the rising demand for outdoor space during the warmer months.
Nationally, just 48.9% of available rooms in HMOs are in properties with a usable garden. Regional differences are pronounced: in the North East, only 22.3% of listings include access to a garden. The North West (30.3%), East Midlands (36.7%) and Yorkshire & Humber (44.4%) also fall below the national average.
In contrast, garden access is more common in other areas. The East of England leads, with 67% of house share listings offering a usable garden. This is followed by the South West (65.4%), South East (63.7%) and West Midlands (53.2%). Even in London, where space is typically limited, 51.9% of listings include a usable outdoor area.
“It goes without saying that, given the choice, the vast majority of us would choose a home with a usable garden rather than one without,” said Vann Vogstad, founder and CEO of COHO. “It’s not that we’ve all got a passion for horticulture, it’s just nice to know that, when the weather allows, we’ve got a little patch in which to enjoy some fresh air, even more humbly still, somewhere to hang our washing out.”
Vogstad added, “Given that 88% of homes in England have a garden, it seems unfair that when it comes to HMO, the proportion of usable garden properties falls as low as 22% in some areas. While there are a lot of factors to take in, I think it’s fair to say that housemates deserve better, and that there’s no overriding reason for so few HMOs providing their tenants with outdoor space.
“However, I’m optimistic that this will change over the coming years. The standard of HMOs is rapidly increasing, driven by rising tenant expectations and the co-living revolution which is pushing standards up and seeing a new era of shared houses that give far more consideration to the housemate experience.”
Garden access is not the only concern for tenants. COHO’s analysis also found that only 46.5% of current listings come with private parking. Even in the most parking-friendly region — the South West, just 56.8% of listings offer parking facilities.
Pet-friendly HMOs remain scarce. Only 2.5% of England’s current listings accommodate pets. London is the most accommodating region in this respect, though just 4.3% of listings in the capital accept animals.
One area where availability is stronger is all-inclusive bills. COHO found that 66.6% of listings across England are advertised as ‘bills included’. The figure reaches its highest level in the North West at 77.2%, and does not fall below 62% in any region.
The findings suggest that, while some aspects of shared housing are improving, key lifestyle features such as outdoor space, parking, and pet acceptance remain limited for many renters in HMOs.
