The most sought-after city for shared living revealed

Cardiff has emerged as the UK’s leading city for shared living, with 16.9% of its listed Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) already secured by tenants, a study reveals.

According to COHO, an HMO management platform, the Welsh capital outpaces other major cities, with London trailing at 13.1% and Brighton at 12.2%.

The research, which examined demand for shared accommodation across Britain, shows that 10.4% of all HMO listings nationwide are already occupied.

Plus, a need to avoid loneliness in a world of working from home is also driving tenant demand.

Most expensive rent markets

The firm’s founder and chief executive, Vann Vogstad, said: “It’s no surprise that shared living demand is at its highest in the likes of London, Brighton and Bristol.

“These cities are home to some of Britain’s most expensive rental markets which means lots of tenants are searching for a more cost-effective way of finding a great home in a prime location.

“But shared living is about so much more than saving money.”

Cities with strong HMO demand

Other cities with strong demand include Bristol at 12%, Bradford at 11.4%, and Liverpool at 11%.

Newcastle (7.6%), Manchester (7.2%), Edinburgh (6.9%) and Birmingham (6.1%) complete the top 10.

The rise of remote working has further amplified the need for communal living, the firm says, as traditional workplace interactions diminish.

Mr Vogstad said: “While it used to be a given that you could, for example, arrive in a new city to start a new job and rely on the office for forming new friendships, many people now find themselves working from home for much, if not all of the week.

“Suddenly, one of our most direct and trustworthy routes to connection and kinship has been taken away from us, making it all the more important to find those things at home.”