Revealed: the most lucrative shared living postcodes

New research from COHO, the HMO management platform, reveals that the shared living market in England & Wales generates an estimated monthly rental income of £1.4bn. But which postcode areas are creating the most income from shared living?

How much are HMOs making in your postcode? Find out here

COHO has analysed the estimated number of licensed HMO properties in England & Wales*, and the average monthly HMO rental income per room* to calculate the overall value of the shared living market based on an average property having five bedrooms.

The average monthly rent price of a room in a shared living property in England & Wales sits at an estimated £711. For a property with five bedrooms, this equates to a total estimated monthly income of £3,557 per property.

Further analysis shows that there are 394,945 licenced HMOs in England & Wales, which means the sector’s total monthly rental income surpasses £1.4bn.

London’s HMO market alone generates monthly income of £918.4m, followed by the South East (£140.5m), the South West (£106.8m), North West (£60), and Yorkshire & Humber (£56.4).

Where are the most lucrative HMO postcode areas?

With by far the nation’s largest and most lucrative shared living market, it’s no surprise that London dominates when it comes to the list of most valuable postcodes.

At the top of the list is NW1, where 9,681 shared living properties charge an average monthly rent of £1,220 per room, creating a total monthly income of more than £59m.

East London’s E5 postcode is the busiest house share postcode in the country, with an estimated total of more than 12,061 licenced HMOs. At an average monthly rent of £949 per room, E5’s total shared living income sits at more than £57.2m per month.

Other leading London postcodes include SE1 (£42.7m), N15 (£37.3m), IG1 (£36.1m), EN3 (£30m), N17 (£28.5m), and IG3 (£27.6m).

Outside the capital, the most lucrative HMO market is found in Bristol, where the BS16 postcode area houses 6,908 shared living properties combining for a total monthly income of over £25m.

Other leading non-London postcodes include York’s YO10 (£10.6m), Brighton’s BN2 (£8.7m), Bath’s BA2 (£8.5m), Cardiff’s CF24 (£8.2m), Oxford’s OX4 (£6.8m), Leeds’ LS6 (£6.4m), and Manchester’s M14 (£5.7m).

COHO Founder and CEO, Vann Vogstad, commented:

“The numbers speak for themselves: over £1.4bn in monthly rental income from nearly 400,000 licenced HMOs across England and Wales the shared living sector is a housing market heavyweight. What was once seen as the preserve of students and transient renters has evolved into one of the most lucrative and dynamic sectors of the UK market.

This evolution is being driven by a new generation of renters, most notably young professionals at the beginning of their careers who are showing a great appetite for the social and community benefits provided by shared living, while also craving a high quality, sophisticated home.

As the shared living demographic broadens and becomes more discerning, the sector’s revenue potential goes through the roof. Our own previous research has already proven that tenants will pay more to live in good quality homes with well-matched housemates, and the future scope for further value is limited only by the landlord’s creativity and ability to provide a rental experience above and beyond the rest of the market.”

EAN Breaking News

Breaking News from the team at Estate Agent Networking. Have a new story to share with us? Then please get in contact today! When and where we can we will refer to third party websites with a 'live link back' where news was released first.

You May Also Enjoy

Overseas Property

Why 2026 is the Best Year to Invest in Dominican Republic Land

If you’re eyeing Caribbean real estate, 2026 offers an exceptional window to invest in Dominican Republic land. The country has emerged as the fastest-growing Caribbean economy, creating ideal conditions for land investors. Tax incentives, infrastructure projects, and rising international interest are converging at just the right moment. Whether you’re searching for beach land for sale…
Read More
Breaking News

Property expert on how to bag the BEST mortgage deal in today’s market

Finding a good mortgage deal in today’s market demands more than just comparing rates. While the average 2-year and 5-year fixed mortgage rates have gone down this year, they’re still higher than rates pre-pandemic. This means those in their current homes will have to pay more than they once were each month, and new buyers…
Read More
Breaking News

Halloween Named the UK’s Most Popular Moving Day of 2025

Halloween was the most popular day to move house in 2025, breaking the long-standing trend of summer being the busiest time for home moves. We analysed the data and spoke to industry experts to understand why the peak moving day has shifted and why it fell on an international holiday.  Compare My Move reviewed more than 170,000 house moves made in 2025 and…
Read More
for sale sign london
Breaking News

Industry Response to Halifax House Price Index

Industry response to the Halifax House Price Index December 2025 The latest index shows that: – On a monthly basis, house prices fell by 0.6% between November and December of last year. Annually, house prices were up 0.3% versus this time last year, although this annual rate of growth had slowed from 0.7% the previous…
Read More
Breaking News

Halifax House Price Index December 2025

House prices in December 2025 were 0.3% higher compared to the same month a year earlier. UK house prices dipped in December • House prices dipped by -0.6% in December, following a -0.1% fall in November • Average property price is now £297,755, the lowest since June • Annual growth slowed to +0.3%, down from…
Read More
Breaking News

Homebuyer demand returns following Autumn Budget

New research from Property DriveBuy reveals that Bristol, Tyne & Wear, and South Yorkshire emerged as the UK’s most in-demand areas of the housing market following the Autumn Budget, with as many as 61% of homes listed for sale successfully securing a buyer in Q4 2025. Property Drivebuy analysed residential listings data across the nation…
Read More