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Our newsletter hand-delivers the best bits to your inbox. Sign up to unlock our digital magazines and also receive the latest news, events, offers and partner promotions. The usual next steps applied. Ask around, maybe post an Instagram story, then the inevitable: advertising the room online. The messages ranged from the standard fare β something girls who worked in marketing and enjoyed exercising β to those where the desperation was palpable.
Demand for rentals has surged across the country in recent years, but its effects are being felt more acutely in the capital. The census confirmed that London has a higher proportion of private renters 29 percent compared to the rest of England 17 percent. According to the campaign group Renters Reform Coalition, an average of 25 people are competing for every available London dwelling β which makes finding a liveable room in a well-trodden location, all for a reasonable price, almost impossible.
After the huge demand for their room, Mia and Rachel thought that there had to be a better way of finding housemates than wading through endless DMs. One hundred people showed up for the last housemate meet-up and the girls receive regular DMs on socials from girls who have met, made friends and moved in with people at their events.
The phenomenon is gradually spreading across the capital via Facebook groups such as Matesplace, which tries to match up potential housemates through mutual connections, and other online communities like the London Lonely Girls club. Of course, the concept depends on there actually being a handful of rooms available.
