Data from flatshare website SpareRoom points to flat-sharers migrating further out of major cities. It found that not a single city features in the top 50 areas for increased rental interest.
In the past, the relative affordability of shared living meant renters had the option to live in major cities.
Where are renters moving to?
According to SpareRoom, Mortlake in suburban London saw an 85% rise in renter searches in 2024 compared to 2023. A train from Mortlake to Waterloo takes as little as 23 minutes, and average room rents stand at £825 per month – £157 below the average for London.
Searches for Ashton-under-Lyne, a well-connected Manchester commuter town near the M60, were up 73%. Average room rents here are £637 per month, compared to £695 per month in Manchester.
The number of renters looking to live in Chadwell Heath, in the London suburbs, were up 54%; those for Saffron Walden, a market town in Essex, were up 53%.
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Also in the top 50 were Seven Kings, Harrow Weald, Rainham, Caversham, Beaconsfield, Hoddesdon and Harpenden, which all serve as commuter hubs into London.
Several coastal towns also made the list – including Lowestoft, Morecambe, Barry, Exmouth, South Shields, Leigh-on-Sea, and Shoreham-by-Sea.
A March 2025 survey by SpareRoom of 6,524 flat-sharers found three-quarters are now spending more than 30% of their take-home pay on rent, and 26% are spending more than half.
Matt Hutchinson, director of SpareRoom, said: “Area search increases are a good gauge of where the rental market is heading. What these are signalling is a migration from city centres to market towns, commuter hubs, suburbs and the seaside. This is partly enabled by hybrid and remote working, but is also being driven by a lack of affordable rented accommodation in cities.
“Although average room rents in some parts of the UK are showing signs of stabilisation, rents are still a very long way from being affordable. The price tag on city living is moving further out of reach.”
