In London, a “speed dating” to find the ideal shared accommodation

“I am a computer engineer”. Leaning on a high table , cocktail in hand, Josephine Wright cheerfully responds to her interlocutor in a bar in west London. The goal of the meeting is very serious: to find the ideal roommate.

Not a single man in sight : this event brings together around sixty participants who paid 7.50 pounds (nearly 9 euros) in the hope of solving the headache that finding accommodation in the British capital often constitutes.

In groups or one-on-one, each person takes part in the question-and-answer game. No frills or wasted time, we discuss favorite neighborhoods, professions, origins, and hobbies. You have to be efficient, talk to as many people as possible in two hours.

Young women meet in a bar in London looking for flatmates, in the style of speed dating, on May 11, 2024 © AFP – HENRY NICHOLLS

Despite the pressure of time, the mood is relaxed, and laughter erupts as the shakers churn at the bar.

Josephine Wright, 25, lists her three priority neighbourhoods, “Greenwich, Walthamstow and Lewisham”, to another participant near a sign for “East”, for East London, where she wants to live.

Both are wearing blue wristbands: they are looking for flatmates, rather than a place to live.

Fewer are wearing purple wristbands indicating that they are already renting a place and looking to share it.

– Young professionals –

“It's very specific to London to have thirty-somethings and forty-somethings sharing flats. It's a situation that people have found themselves in by force of circumstance,” Rachel Moore, 26, co-founder of Girlies Guide, told AFP.

A “London rental guide” leaflet at a meeting of young women looking for flatmates, on May 11, 2024 in a bar in London © AFP – HENRY NICHOLLS

This community of young women on social networks is at the origin of this event, while some are more comfortable in female “shared accommodation”.

Many participants cannot afford to rent an apartment in London on their own, even with seemingly comfortable budgets of 1,500 pounds per month (1,750 euros).

“If you want an entire apartment, it's roughly between 1,500 and 1,800, or even 2,000 pounds per month”, or between 1,750 and 2,300 euros, notes Ioanna, a 22-year-old Greek intern.

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In shared accommodation, you can find rooms for under 1,000 books.

Result: this lifestyle once associated with students has won over young workers, many more of whom are resorting to it than 15 years ago, notes Antonio Mele, professor at the London School of Economics.

Young women meet in a bar in London looking for flatmates, in the style of speed dating, on May 11, 2024 © AFP – HENRY NICHOLLS

“This phenomenon is new,” explains this expert, blaming the lack of housing which is causing rents to soar.

This crisis is explained in particular by strict standards applying to the construction of new buildings, which the new Labor government wants to relax, as well as by the development of tourist rentals.

– “Compromise” –

On average, households already spend nearly 40% of their income on their rent, according to Antonio Mele, who expects further increases in the coming years.

The housing crisis is partly due to strict standards for new construction, which the new Labour government wants to ease © AFP – JUSTIN TALLIS

Sharing costs is becoming the only solution. This can lead to a rush to find shared accommodation that can turn into a nightmare.

“You send a lot of messages and you don't get many replies,” says Megan Brewer, 35.

Taking advantage of the craze, some landlords are turning living rooms into bedrooms or dividing bedrooms into multiple rooms.

“What is presented as a room would be considered a storage room in any other European country,” says Antonio Mele. “We end up with rooms without windows, where only the bed can fit, and offered for crazy amounts of money.”

Rachel Moore and Mia Gomes, the founders of Girlies Guide, went through this before launching their “speed dating” for flatmates.

Young women meet in a bar in London looking for flatmates, in the style of speed dating, on 11 May 2024 © AFP – HENRY NICHOLLS

“When we visited properties, the owners told us that they had 30 other groups on the same day, even though the ad had only been up for a day or two,” says Mia. “We find ourselves trapped in bidding wars.”

But for many, living in London, with its job opportunities and liveliness, is worth some sacrifices.

“I'm going to have to cut back on my savings, but I think it's a good compromise,” admits Josephine, “I'm in my twenties, I want to live my best life.”

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