"For decades, HMOs have been associated with young people who are looking for an affordable home while they find their way in the world, or those who simply can’t let go of the hedonistic days of university. Today, this simply isn’t true"
- Vann Vogstad - COHO
New data from HMO management platform, COHO has revealed that 11.5% of people living in shared housing in the UK are aged 40 or older. Southampton emerges as the leading city for over-40 house sharing.
House sharing is often linked with younger groups, such as students or early-career professionals. However, COHO’s internal data challenges this view by revealing a more varied demographic. The platform surveyed 4,500 people who described their current living arrangement as house-sharing, finding that 11.5% were aged 40 and above.
Of those over-40 housemates, 55.7% identify as male, while 44.1% identify as female.
Geographically, Southampton accounts for the largest share of over-40s in shared accommodation, making up 20.2% of this group nationally. London follows closely with 19.8%, while Leeds (4.9%), Manchester (4.5%), Portsmouth (4.1%), Coventry (3.5%), Birmingham (3.1%), Plymouth (3.1%), Reading (2.9%), and Oxford (2.7%) represent smaller proportions.
“Modern co-living is a world apart from what it used to be," comments COHO CEO and founder, Vann Vogstad. "For decades, HMOs have been associated with young people who are looking for an affordable home while they find their way in the world, or those who simply can’t let go of the hedonistic days of university. Today, this simply isn’t true."
"Co-living has evolved into a lifestyle choice rather than an economic necessity, and we’re seeing more and more people in their 30s, 40s, and even 50s actively choosing to live with housemates. Back in the day, any over-40 choosing to live in a shared house ran the very real risk of ending up with housemates half their age who assigned them the nickname of ‘Father Time’ or referred to them as ‘my second mum’."
He added, "But today, COHO places housemate compatibility at the heart of everything, giving people deep insight into their prospective housemates, from basic things like age and professions all the way through to more nuanced stuff like interests and lifestyles. Therefore, any slightly more mature house sharer can make sure they’re moving into a property with people they are well-suited to live with.
"Trust me, it won’t be long at all before house sharing for over 40 is considered an absolute norm. It’s the modern way.”
