A new report indicates that four in 10 HMO tenants are prepared to pay more in rent to live with housemates they believe would be a good fit. Some tenants also stated they would extend their tenancy if they had a say in who moved into the room next door.
The findings come from the State of Shared Living Report by shared living platform COHO, which gathered responses from 5,145 UK HMO tenants. The research found that 16% of tenants would rent their home for longer if they were consulted about new occupants.
Vann Vogstad, COHO's chief executive and founder, highlighted a gap in the current shared living model, noting that tenants often receive little or no information about prospective housemates. More than half of respondents desired greater input into household members, while 42% moved in with limited information.
The report also revealed that 21% of tenants had felt unsafe at some point during their tenancy due because of a housemate. This figure rose to 27% among tenants aged 45 and over.
The research challenged the perception of HMOs as solely student housing or a last resort, with over 40% of respondents aged 30 or over, and 89% of that group in paid work. Additionally, 55% viewed shared living as a lifestyle choice.