How landlords are abolishing dwelling rooms to go away leases ‘crowded and miserable’ | EUROtoday

Millions of renters are caught in shared houses with out dwelling rooms as a creeping development begins to grasp the housing market, new analysis has discovered.

Fewer and fewer tenants now discover themselves with a spot to socialize of their houses as landlords convert these shared areas into additional bedrooms in a bid to spice up the variety of paying occupants.

The analysis from SpareRoom finds that nearly half of the UK’s flatsharers are actually dwelling in a property with out a lounge. This quantities to over 400,000 households, in accordance the newest information.

And with the typical flatshare now occupied by 3.9 folks, SpareRoom information exhibits, this might imply as many as 1.5 million persons are affected.

At the identical time, rental costs proceed to spiral, with many renters making compromises on what they need from their houses to have the ability to afford the asking value. Since April 2020, rental costs have gone up 29 per cent, sitting at a median £1,326 in March.

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Hannah Carney, 26, lives in North London with two flatmates who all share a small kitchen, however no lounge. Together, the three of them pay £2,400 of them in hire, typically managing to socialize within the kitchen.

Hannah advised The Independent: “It would definitely benefit us all to have a living room. When my friends come to stay it would be nice if I could chat with them on a sofa, and it would also encourage me and my flatmates to socialise more. Ideally I’d like my bedroom to be a place for just switching off and sleeping.

“I think communal spaces are important for mental health and that rents should reflect the amount of space you have. I’d love to say that all properties should have a communal area. I wish that was the norm, but I know it’s not realistic. I’d say I live in a decent location so that’s reflective of the rent I pay.”

In its survey of over 2,000 flatsharers, SpareRoom discovered that just about half of all flatsharers had been swayed in direction of a property with no lounge to safe extra inexpensive hire. However, the flatshare web site additionally discovered that 43 per cent of them felt their hire wasn’t any cheaper than it might be if that they had a lounge.

Additionally, over half thought that not having a lounge has negatively affected their relationship with their housemates, whereas 44 per cent really feel the arrange has affected their psychological well being.

Matt Hutchinson, director of SpareRoom, stated: “One of the top benefits of shared living is how sociable it is. People meet their friends and partners and make life-changing connections through flatsharing. But take away the communal spaces, and those moments may never happen.

“As for the savings, sacrificing a living room for lower rent may end up being a false economy. Some sharers told us that, by having to go out to socialise with their housemates instead of doing it at home, they were in fact spending more money each month.

“And then there’s the impact on mental health. Not being able to invite guests over for a meal can leave people feeling isolated and lonely. In shared homes where living rooms are now bedrooms, there isn’t always dining space in the kitchen, which means people end up eating their meals in their bedrooms, often alone. People also told us they can struggle to switch off, because they don’t have a separate space in which to wind down. No one wants to feel as though they live in a bedroom instead of a home.”

A spokesperson for the National Residential Landlords Association stated: “In our experience, the majority of genuine shared houses incorporate shared space and communal facilities.

“Houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) are subject to strict management and standards regulations, including minimum space and amenity standards.

“In cases where tenants have limited access to other parts of a property, it is likely that they are renting from a householder as a lodger, which does not necessarily afford the same rights or obligations.”

The findings come at a time when the UK rental market is confronted with a ‘mass exodus’ of landlords in response to Labour’s Renters’ Rights invoice, with over two-thirds saying they may seemingly depart the sector or cut back their portfolios in 2025.

Industry figures have criticised a few of the measures within the invoice, such because the abolition of Section 21 eviction notices and better threat within the sector.

Chris Norris, coverage director of the National Residential Landlords’ Association, advised The Independent in January that many property homeowners getting ready to “price in” extra prices to the month-to-month rents they cost. This will seemingly see many introduce “a fairly significant increase above [headline inflation]”, he stated.