What is Shared Living?

As property prices continue to rise as well as day to day living costs from utilities to food, we have to take a serious look at spend – For sure things do not look like they are going to cool down anytime soon. So with such financial demand on us relentlessly we tend to look at alternatives that will help to reduce our weekly spend and especially for those looking to get on to the property market.

Average house prices in the UK have increased over £100,0000 in just over ten years.

What is shared living? Simply put, it means a larger shared living (also known as purpose build shared living) area that not only includes apartments with all amenities provided, but also social spaces from kitchens to gyms or even cinemas and working spaces that residents can take advantage of as part of their tenancy. Rental contracts can be as short as three months to twelve months and beyond. The shared spaces allow for you to network and socialise with other people in the building such as by enjoying cooking as a group or having a wine tasting evening which is just some of the benefits of shared living – All your bills are compacted in to one from rental to electricity. There will be security and maintenance along with added options of room cleaning.

The concept which is popular in some countries abroad such as Denmark, is slowly entering the UK scene. It gives consumers an economical and social living accommodation option. Ideal for all ages. Key benefits include:

  • Convenience
  • Economical
  • Modern
  • Social

What is Build to Rent? Build to Rent are new build developments designed specifically for renting. They come with a range of perks from longer tenancies to a dedicated on-site manager and purpose built communal spaces, as well as a premium price tag. source hoa.org.uk

Build to rent schemes are what provide the shared living accommodation which is highlighted in the video below:

 

You will own nothing and be happy is the concern for many especially when they hear the likes of Klaus Schwab telling the world where it will be by 2030, so is shared living gearing us up exactly for that? Home ownership seems to be for the select few these days especially with property price hikes, so is shared living / build to rent the new way forward where selected property owners control the lives, via well designed and functioning internal communities, of the many?

Watching the video above I can certainly see the allure for such living options, tempting indeed and for certain people highly recommended, but will this lead to much lower home ownership?

Here is our interview with Tom Janson from Jansons Property Investors & Developers on the subject of Build to Rent:

 

I personally see shared living as a great way to live your life, invaluable for those with busy lifestyles or even those wanting a better social life and it seems they have catered for all our day to day living needs. What money you haven’t tied up in a property purchase can be spent on the quality of your lifestyle or invested elsewhere, but are we really ready yet to ditch the owning of those four brick walls?

Unlike the Germans, who are a nation of renters, the desire to be a homeowner is firmly rooted in the British psyche. In 2003, the proportion of UK households owning their own home reached a peak of almost 71%.” source theconversation

Christopher Walkey

Founder of Estate Agent Networking. Internationally invited speaker on how to build online target audiences using Social Media. Writes about UK property prices, housing, politics and affordable homes.

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

Breaking Property News 20/8/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   Why Angela Rayner Housing Secretary is in the wrong job – again   A smile, bluster and vague soundbites will not solve the UK housing crisis  Thought Leadership by Andrew Stanton – CEO Proptech-PR  ‘I have been involved in the UK property industry since the mid 1980’s…
Read More
Breaking News

Buyers Looking Beyond London

London new-build demand plummets behind commuter belt as buyers look beyond the capital   Demand for new-build homes in Essex more than three times higher than in London, while Hertfordshire faces supply squeeze amid growing buyer appetite   The latest research by UK Property Development has revealed a growing divide between London’s new-build market and…
Read More
Finance

Top six tips for first-time buyers

Independent mortgage broker, Flagstone Financial, has outlined key advice for first-time buyers, pointing to flexible options as signs of an improving mortgage market.   With high loan-to-value lending (80–95%) becoming more widely available, the property ladder is more accessible than in recent years, and experts at Flagstone Financial, partner of the Beresfords Group, are advising…
Read More
to let sign 2025
Breaking News

England’s rental stock surges by as much as 86.6% in a year

Rental listings have almost doubled in Tyne and Wear since August 2025, with Greater Manchester and a host of other markets also recording double-digit growth   The latest research from Propoly has revealed that England’s rental listings have climbed by an average of 7.4% in the past year, led by an 86.6% increase in Tyne and…
Read More
Breaking News

One in five homebuyers have been ‘catfished’

The latest research from House Buyer Bureau has found that, with the rise of A.I, “homebuyer catfishing” is becoming an increasingly familiar experience for UK buyers, with one in five saying they viewed a property where the listing photos had been digitally enhanced to make the home appear better than it actually was. However, while the…
Read More
Letting Agent Talk

Only 31% of letting agents confident their onboarding process protects against tenancy fraud

The latest research from Propoly has revealed that just 31% of UK letting agents are absolutely confident that their tenant onboarding process protects against tenancy fraud, as lengthy onboarding times and delays with referencing continue to create challenges for the industry.   Propoly surveyed UK letting agents to understand how long tenant onboarding currently takes,…
Read More