‘Sorry, no couples’. This is the dreaded yet all-too-often default response falling on the ears of partners far and wide looking for shared rental opportunities. It’s a particular problem for those seeking to live in cities where competition is fierce and prices seem to be on an infinite upward curve. We’ll explore how this phenomenon has come around, what it means for decisions around living arrangements for couples and the implications of skipping renting altogether.
Is the UK rental market unfit for couples?
Before we dive in, let’s acknowledge the tiny violin in the room. Yes, couples are fortunate enough to bind finances, live together and potentially save on household bills. When we’re interrogating whether the UK market is failing couples, we’re referring to the lack of enthusiasm for their presence in house shares (or the premium they have to pay to join one) in particular. It seems, on the whole, people just don’t want to live with the coupled-up. And that’s their prerogative!
However, the Spareroom and social media platform posting trends seem to show that there’s a definite preference for single people. Other preferences that emerge more frequently include buzzwords like ‘creative’, cite dietary choices and different lifestyles – and even preferred working schedules. It’s hard enough to be a single person that fits the bill, let alone including a whole other person to hold up for scrutiny alongside you. We wonder whether it’s just got a bit too competitive, where the gap for a 9-5 regular Joe is and how it’s come to a full-blown interview marathon just for a room?
The simple answer is that the competition is rife, cities are chock a-block and rooms are being shoehorned out of apparent cupboards much of the time. And yet you may still end up forking out more for rent than a mortgage each month. Thanks to this stark reality, a number of couples are foregoing a test of the waters with renting as a pair and jumping hand-in-hand straight on to the housing ladder rather than throwing equivalent amounts of money on rent.
It could feel logical to invest the money that would have been your rental payments in a more permanent living arrangement but there are important considerations to make before signing on the dotted line. We unpack what you need to know before taking the next step.
