Rising rents taking its toll on couples

Data from easyroommate.co.uk also said that one in nine renters looking to flatshare will be living with a partner and that the demand for rooms for couples has increased four times since a year ago.

The market has responded to match the demand with 198% more rooms available for couple than a year ago.

The easyroommate data reveals that couples typically pay a premium for sharing a room with the average couple paying £426 per month which is 6% more than what a single occupant would pay.

This is still 38% cheaper than having a whole place to themselves with the monthly rent for the average UK property at £687. The region with the lowest monthly rents was the North East region averaging at £511 while London was on the opposite end of the spectrum at £978.

Commenting, Jonathan Moore, director of easyroommate.co.uk, said: “The boom in rental prices is taking its toll on couples as much as it is individual tenants. Thousands of couples are finding that even when they pool their monthly income, renting a whole property of their own is currently out of reach. For many the idea of sharing an intimate flat with their partner has had to be placed on the backburner and sharing with flatmates has become a financial necessity.

“Live-in landlords are starting to wake up to the growing appetite for rooms from flatsharing couples. But the market is still highly competitive for renting pairs. Many landlords still don’t want to feel outnumbered in their own homes by lodgers and tend to ban couples where just one in six landlords will accept them.

“For the limited number of rooms, couples are competing against single tenants who are often preferred. But landlords who will tolerate couples get a welcome extra boost by sharing monthly bills among more people.”