The UK’s shared living sector took centre stage on Friday, as over 350 property professionals gathered at Stowe House in Buckinghamshire for the HMO Summit 2025.
Hosted by COHO and co-sponsored by Octane Capital a key moment of the day was the unveiling of The State of Shared Living 2025, the most extensive tenant-led survey of the UK’s Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) and co-living market to date.
Drawing on feedback from more than 6,000 tenants, the report sheds new light on what modern renters want and what landlords must change to meet rising expectations.
Among its most striking findings: two-thirds of tenants said knowing who their housemates are before moving in is a priority, and nearly half would pay 10% more in rent for guaranteed compatibility, suggesting hundreds of millions in untapped annual rental value.
CLEANLINESS AND MAINTENANCE
Meanwhile, cleanliness and response to maintenance ranked higher than amenities, with 87% of respondents saying slow repairs would push them to leave.
While shared living is still widely associated with students and twenty-somethings, the data reveals it’s increasingly cross-generational: more than 10% of tenants are aged over 40, with cities like Southampton reporting even higher numbers.
ANTIDOTE TO ISOLATION
Vann Vogstad, founder of COHO, said: “Shared living isn’t just an affordable housing solution – it’s a powerful antidote to isolation and disconnection. But for the sector to thrive, we must move past outdated assumptions and prove its value through data, design, and community.”
The summit featured a standout speaker line-up, including investor Simon Zutshi, NRLA CEO Ben Beadle and Propenomix podcast host Adam Lawrence.
A live panel hosted by Girls in Property explored the often-unseen realities of co-living and the digital systems reshaping it.
WINNERS
The event also celebrated excellence across the sector. Urbanshare won Best Agency, while Ox Living collected three awards, including Best Manager of Professional Houseshares. Medshare scooped two accolades for Best Community and Best Residential-to-HMO Conversion.
COHO’s report is available to download for free, offering the sector a data-rich roadmap to a more inclusive, sustainable future.
