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Millions of tenants are stuck in shared homes without living rooms, as a creeping trend begins to seize the housing market, new research has found.
Fewer and fewer tenants now find themselves a place to socialize in their homes, as landlords transform these shared spaces into extra bedrooms to increase the number of paying residents.
The research of spareroom finds that nearly half of the British Plathaarers now live in a property without a living room. According to the latest data, it is more than 400,000 households.
And with the average flatshare now occupied by 3.9 people, the savings data shows, that could mean that as many as 1.5 million people are affected.
At the same time, rental prices remain constantly, while many tenants compromise on what they want from their homes to afford the asking price. Since April 2020, rental prices have risen by 29 percent and sitting an average of £ 1.326 in March.
Hannah Carney, 26, lives in North London with two flatmates who all share a small kitchenette, but no living room. Together, the three of them pay £ 2400 of them in rent, and sometimes manage to visit the kitchen.
Hannah tells The independent: ‘It will definitely benefit us to have a living room. If my friends come to stay, it would be nice if I could talk to them on a couch, and it would also encourage me and my apartment mates to visit more. Ideally, I want my bedroom to be a place to just turn off and sleep.
‘I think that common spaces are important for mental health and that rental should reflect the amount of space you have. I would like to say that all properties should have a common area. I wish it was the norm, but I know it’s not realistic. I would say that I live in a decent place, so that reflects the rent I pay. ‘
In the survey of more than 2000 Plathaarers, spareroom found that almost half of all Plathaarers were thrown to a property with no lounge to obtain more affordable rent. However, the Flathare site also found that 43 percent of them believe their rent is not cheaper than it would be if they have a living room.
In addition, more than half thought that the fact that they did not have a living room negatively affected their relationship with their housemates, while 44 percent felt that the setup had affected their mental health.
The findings come at a time when the British rental market faces a ‘mass exodus’ of landlords in response to the bill of renting the tenants of labor, with more than two-thirds saying that they are likely to leave the sector or reduce their portfolios in 2025.
Industry figures have criticized some of the measures in the bill, such as the abolition of notices of Article 21 and a higher risk in the sector.
Chris Norris, policy director of the National Residential Landsords’ Association, said The independent In January, many property owners have prepared to price additional costs for the monthly rent they charge. It will probably see that many introduce a fairly significant increase above [headline inflation]’, He said.
Spareroom director Matt Hutchinson said: ‘One of the most important benefits of shared life is how cozy it is. People meet their friends and partners and make life -changing connections through flat storage. But take away the common spaces, and those moments can never happen.
‘As far as saving is concerned, the sacrifice of a living room for lower rental can be a false economy. Some participants told us that, by visiting their housemates instead of doing it at home, they actually spend more money every month.
‘And then there is the impact on mental health. Not being able to invite guests for a meal can make people feel isolated and lonely. In shared homes where living rooms are now bedrooms, there is not always a place to eat in the kitchen, which means that people eventually eat their meals in their bedrooms, often alone. People also said they could struggle to turn off because they did not have a separate space.
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