The rise of LATER-LIFE FLATSHARING

Think sharing your home is just for students? There's a growing number of over-55s proving otherwise

- 

Imagine a typical flatshare, and you might picture students or young professionals. But a quiet shift is taking place at the other end of the age spectrum, as an increasing number of older people turn to shared living. Only a decade ago, just 2.7% of SpareRoom users were aged over 55 – but by 2024, the number had risen to 7.1%, and has continued to increase since. Divorce, bereavement, limited pension incomes and the rising cost of living are some of the reasons why later-life housing is changing. For some, flatsharing is an affordable, flexible and even liberating option. We speak to a woman who embraced flatsharing in her 60s, and found a whole new lease of life.

‘SPEND YOUR MONEY ENJOYING LIFE’

Debbie Herring, 65, is retired and lives in a house share in London with three people who are all in their 20s.

My retirement doesn’t come with an elegant garden or cocktails on my own private terrace. Instead, my daily reality involves sharing a kitchen with strangers and waiting for 20-somethings to finish using the washing machine. After raising my five children, I’m perfectly at ease living with younger people and, more importantly, I’m far more interested in the freedom this lifestyle gives me than any traditional idea of how a retiree ‘should’ live.