To understand the real drivers of tenant decision making, it helps to hear directly from the people living it.
Jamilah is one of thousands of tenants across the UK choosing to live in shared housing, not just as a necessity, but as a deliberate lifestyle choice.
In this piece, she reflects on what she looks for in a home, why compatibility matters, and how landlords can create spaces that feel genuinely liveable. It is a reminder that behind every stat is a story. And behind every good shared home is a landlord who understands what tenants really want.
Guest article from Jamilah, a shared living tenant living in London.
It’s more than a room: why shared living works for me
Sharing a house with eight other people sounds like a nightmare, right?
Wrong. It is one of the best decisions I have made in my 20s.
I did not go down the conventional route of going to university when I left school. Instead, at 18, I started an apprenticeship, but I could not help feeling an enormous amount of FOMO (fear of missing out) from my friends who moved out of London.
I stayed living with my parents until I was 22, after which it felt like the right time for me to tackle “adult life” on my own.
I moved in with two of my friends, and even though it was only a 45-minute drive from my parents, the independence felt amazing.
After two years of living with friends, I still felt like something was missing. I had not truly experienced the shared living lifestyle like my friends did when they moved into student accommodation.
In 2023, I moved into a six-person house share in Wimbledon. Everyone was in their mid-20s (which was the only deal breaker I had when searching for a shared house).
Living my own “Friends” moment
Like most people in their 20s, I took up running, and it was actually a Park Run on a random Saturday morning that was the defining bonding moment for us. After that, it really did feel like I was living my own real-life season of Friends.
We did a lot of things together: gym classes, movie nights, wine DMCs (deep meaningful chats) and even had an early Christmas dinner all sat around our dining table.
Shared living works for me because I love meeting new people. I have been quite lucky to move into two house shares where I met people who I now consider friends for life.
What works well in shared living
- Watching reality TV together
- Working from home together
- Planning holidays together
- Being each other’s cheerleaders when we reach major life milestones
- Having a shoulder to cry on when I am going through a tough time
- Always having someone around for a chat, but no pressure to socialise when my social battery needs recharging
The list goes on.
I used to think compatibility only mattered for romantic relationships. However, I’ve now learnt that being compatible with the people you spend the most time with is truly important.
Having housemates I get on with has been life changing. It’s opened my eyes to new opportunities, boosted my confidence, and made life recently a whole lot brighter.
To understand the real drivers of tenant decision making, it helps to hear directly from the people living it.
Jamilah is one of thousands of tenants across the UK choosing to live in shared housing, not just as a necessity, but as a deliberate lifestyle choice.
In this piece, she reflects on what she looks for in a home, why compatibility matters, and how landlords can create spaces that feel genuinely liveable. It is a reminder that behind every stat is a story. And behind every good shared home is a landlord who understands what tenants really want.
Guest article from Jamilah, a shared living tenant living in London.
It’s more than a room: why shared living works for me
Sharing a house with eight other people sounds like a nightmare, right?
Wrong. It is one of the best decisions I have made in my 20s.
I did not go down the conventional route of going to university when I left school. Instead, at 18, I started an apprenticeship, but I could not help feeling an enormous amount of FOMO (fear of missing out) from my friends who moved out of London.
I stayed living with my parents until I was 22, after which it felt like the right time for me to tackle “adult life” on my own.
I moved in with two of my friends, and even though it was only a 45-minute drive from my parents, the independence felt amazing.
After two years of living with friends, I still felt like something was missing. I had not truly experienced the shared living lifestyle like my friends did when they moved into student accommodation.
In 2023, I moved into a six-person house share in Wimbledon. Everyone was in their mid-20s (which was the only deal breaker I had when searching for a shared house).
Living my own “Friends” moment
Like most people in their 20s, I took up running, and it was actually a Park Run on a random Saturday morning that was the defining bonding moment for us. After that, it really did feel like I was living my own real-life season of Friends.
We did a lot of things together: gym classes, movie nights, wine DMCs (deep meaningful chats) and even had an early Christmas dinner all sat around our dining table.
Shared living works for me because I love meeting new people. I have been quite lucky to move into two house shares where I met people who I now consider friends for life.
What works well in shared living
- Watching reality TV together
- Working from home together
- Planning holidays together
- Being each other’s cheerleaders when we reach major life milestones
- Having a shoulder to cry on when I am going through a tough time
- Always having someone around for a chat, but no pressure to socialise when my social battery needs recharging
The list goes on.
I used to think compatibility only mattered for romantic relationships. However, I’ve now learnt that being compatible with the people you spend the most time with is truly important.
Having housemates I get on with has been life changing. It’s opened my eyes to new opportunities, boosted my confidence, and made life recently a whole lot brighter.
