"If we’ve reached the point where people are turning down job opportunities and career progression for fear of having to re-enter the rental market, our politicians are letting people down in a major way and have been for years"
- Matt Hutchinson - SpareRoom
ver half of UK renters (56%) are ‘flathugging’, choosing to remain in their current properties even though they want to move.
The main barriers are clear: housing that fits their budget is scarce, rental supply is limited, and competition from other renters is intense.
Almost half (45%) of tenants have avoided contact with landlords or agents in the past year, often because they fear rent increases. This reluctance can leave serious issues unchecked, including fire alarms, mould, and other safety hazards. In fact, 14% of tenants avoided reporting a major repair in the past year.
Older renters are more likely to be flathugging. According to SpareRoom data, 61% of flatsharers aged 40+ are staying put despite wanting to move, compared with 52% of those under 40.
The most common reason renters are staying is affordability, with 73% citing that available housing is beyond their budget. Over the past five years, average room rents in the UK have risen by 28% to £753 per month, and in London by 37% to £995 per month.
Other obstacles include a shortage of rental properties (44%) and high competition for rooms (32%). In Q3 2025, four people were searching for every room available in the UK.
|
Why have you decided to stay put? Select all that apply |
Respondent % |
| Available housing is out of my budget | 73.0 |
| Lack of rooms/properties available to rent | 44.5 |
| Competition for rooms is too high | 32.2 |
| I’d have to move to another area to afford it | 30.1 |
| Available rooms are of a lower standard | 29.1 |
| Suitable rooms are let too quickly to get a viewing | 24.7 |
| Suitable rooms are let too quickly to get a viewing | 24.5 |
| Suitable rooms are let too quickly to get a viewing | 22.6 |
Reluctance to report issues
Avoiding landlords or agents has practical consequences for renters’ safety and comfort. Over the past 12 months:
14% avoided reporting a major repair
32% avoided reporting a minor repair
25% avoided reporting fixtures or appliances that needed repairs
16% avoided reporting mould
8% avoided reporting a safety-related issue, such as faulty alarms
Fear of rent increases was the top reason for avoiding contact (58%), followed by a belief that the landlord would not help (42%), wanting to avoid confrontation (35%), and fear of eviction (31%).
Impact on careers and the economy
Flathugging is also affecting careers. More than six in 10 renters (61%) agreed that the rental market has negatively influenced their career progression. Nearly a fifth (19%) have turned down job offers in the past two years to avoid having to move, with consequences including:
51% forgoing higher pay
40% missing out on better work-life balance
35% declining promotions or career advancement opportunities
“A healthy economy relies on a flexible workforce, which we won’t have if people can’t move," comments Matt Hutchinson, director of flatshare site SpareRoom. "With UK room rents now at record highs, and household affordability stretched, many tenants simply have no choice but to stay put and hope their rent doesn’t get any higher."
"Even for those who could afford to move, avoiding the stress of the rental market is taking priority over career progression and opportunities.
“Home is supposed to be a solid platform that lets people go out and build happy, productive lives, yet clearly, for many people, this simply isn’t the case. If we’ve reached the point where people are turning down job opportunities and career progression for fear of having to re-enter the rental market, our politicians are letting people down in a major way and have been for years."
“The upside is that the Renters' Rights Act addresses some of the key problems tenants face. The end of no-fault evictions, a once-per-year limit on rent increases, and an end to bidding wars and fixed-term tenancies will adjust the balance of fairness for renters and hopefully remove some of the fear and uncertainty around reporting issues.”
