Living in harmony with housemates

As the number of people living with flatmates shoots up by 300% among 45-54 year olds, serial renter Alice Wilkinson reveals her tried-and-tested tips for a happy shared home

- CHARLOTTE HEATHCOTE

Living in shared accommodation used to be a short-term rite of passage between student life or entry-level jobs and getting on the housing ladder.

But as house prices spiral further out of reach, increasing numbers are having to spend longer periods living with other people - whether friends or strangers - with all the problems and personality clashes they entail.

Research by rental website SpareRoom found there was a 400% spike in people living in flatshares between 2008 and 2019.

There was a 186% increase in the number aged between 35 and 44, and a 300% rise in the 45-54 age range.

Today, 7.2 million people are renting, up from 5.4 million in 2015. More than half of adults under 40 will be renting by the end of this year.

Happily, help is at hand from Alice Wilkinson, author of How To Stay Sane In A House Share, a practical, supportive guide to making the most of living in shared spaces.

Renters' lack of control and stability means they are twice as likely to experience anxiety as non-renters. And Alice has plenty of horror stories, from the housemate whose friends had sex in her bed, leaving used condoms in her bin, to the flatmate whose alcoholic boyfriend stole money from her.

Now on to her eighth flatshare, she knows how to make this situation work. Here she reveals her hard-won tips on finding the perfect housemate, and not falling out.

Take your time

Give the searching process the time and head space it warrants. Lodging in a friend's spare room, sofa surfing, and staying with my mum in between house shares meant I didn't rush into signing up to a contract.

Know your non-negotiables

Decide how you want to live and be intentional with your choices. For example, I wanted to live with someone who was dating intentionally, not going out and bringing people back a lot. That was something I'd found stressful in other house shares.