Renters stuck sharing with housemates from hell as buying first home feels out of reach

• UK’s average monthly private rent now at £1,344 according to recent ONS data, leaving young adults in shared accommodation for longer than they planned
• Four in five UK adults aged 18-40 have lived with housemates, with a third admitting they didn’t enjoy the experience
• The most common frustrations include lack of privacy, noise and messy housemates

With the average cost of rent in the UK now at £1,344 a month, according to recent ONS data, many young adults are staying in shared accommodation far longer than they intended. Saving for a deposit, and the dream of buying a home can feel increasingly out of reach.

While flat sharing can be more affordable than renting alone, research from lifetime ISA provider OneFamily highlights the downsides. In the survey of 3,000 UK adults aged 18-40, four in five have lived with housemates, and a third say they didn’t enjoy the experience.

Among the top frustrations were lack of privacy (37%), noise (32%), and messy housemates (29%), with some respondents sharing stories of sinks overflowing with mouldy dishes, wannabe DJs practising all night, and even Tupperware boxes of frozen mice stored next to shared food.

Saving money is the main reason people like living with flatmates, over a third say it’s cheaper than living alone (36%).

Lucy Laing, a 42-year-old creative freelancer based in Brighton, shares her experience of renting in London.

“You have a limited choice of where you’re going to live, due to high rent costs. You’re forced to move into places that are meant to feel like home, but don’t, and you can end up with housemates who have no respect for privacy or personal space.

“I was spending around £700 a month on rent split across a few people. Friends would say, ‘Why don’t you just buy somewhere?’ But how can you save for a deposit when rent costs were so high?”

Her experience is far from unique. Many young adults are trapped in house shares due to the rising cost of rent, unable to afford the leap to buy their first home.

Jim Islam, CEO of OneFamily, said, “We’re seeing a generation stuck in shared homes they’ve long outgrown, not out of choice, but because high rents make it nearly impossible to move on. Everyone deserves independence and peace of mind, but for many young people these things now feel like luxuries.

“Owning your own place used to be a milestone of adulthood. Today, it’s increasingly out of reach for those trying to balance everyday rent with saving for a deposit”