Remember the good old days when it was largely possible to avoid housemates you didn’t get along with? Once you became familiar with their schedule, you could build your life around theirs – planning your gym sessions for when they’d be making their dinner and spending time with friends when you knew their boyfriend would be visiting for the weekend. It wasn’t ideal but it worked. Unfortunately, the pandemic has put an end to this and for many renters, avoiding noisy or passive aggressive housemates has become a thing of the past.
So is it any wonder that many renters have sought other ways to make their living situation as bearable as possible? Research from SpareRoom suggests the pandemic has changed what we look for in a rented home and the qualities we seek in our housemates.
The findings reveal that the majority of sharers want evidence of kindness, empathy and thinking of others in the people they live with. 48% of sharers admit the qualities they look for in a flatmate have changed as a result of the pandemic and 71% say they’re more cautious when choosing who to live with.
There are certain flatmate qualities that many sharers have prioritised for years, such as wanting people to watch TV with (36%), share meals with (32%), and have drinks with in the evening (31%). But the pandemic has brought with it new priorities too, with many insisting the people they live with respect coronavirus rules.
In fact, 44% said that observing the government’s guidance plays a huge role in whether they get along with those they live with or not. 55% admit that tensions have arisen between housemates as a result of rule breaches.
Not only has the pandemic changed what we look for in our housemates, it’s also reassessed the type of house or flat we want to live in. 38% want to live in a spacious property (unsurprising considering how hard it can be to escape those we live with), 30% want a garden or balcony, 53% want large green spaces to be less than 10 minutes away, 22% want to be half an hour from the open countryside and 53% want to be within 10 minutes of a supermarket.
In a blog post unveiling the findings, SpareRoom writer Charlea Glanville says: ‘Amidst accusations that young people are ignoring social distancing rules, our research interestingly suggests the opposite. A huge number of flat sharers, many of whom are in their twenties, said observing coronavirus rules was a make or break quality in a potential flatmate – showing that this group are a highly conscientious bunch.’
I spoke to renters to find out how their priorities have changed since the pandemic began.
Leah: ‘I didn’t want to be stuck working from home in my bedroom if flat sharing so I moved into my own (tiny because I’m in London) flat.’
Hannah: ‘Space, natural light, gardens are rare where I am so being near to green spaces is key!’
Poppy: ‘Outdoor space and an office.’
Susan: ‘Heat included in rent, walking distance to amenities and a dishwasher’.
Keira: ‘If I see a furnished room advertised and it doesn’t have a desk in there, it’s an instant no. Rent would have to be cheap for me to consider buying a desk for it myself.’
