Jacob, a 22-year-old hospitality worker earning £15 an hour, found himself subsidising the rent of his flatmate Lucy, whose wealthy parents paid a year's rent upfront. Lucy's parents handed over £12,000 in September 2024, covering her share for the entire year, leaving her with no rental costs and little incentive to find a job.
Unequal Arrangement from the Start
Jacob and a third housemate rented a three-bedroom flat in Dalston, with Lucy taking the largest room for £1,000 per month. The other two split the remaining £1,700 rent directly to the landlord. However, upon receiving the keys, Lucy claimed the agreement was meant to be £1,000 including bills, not excluding them, and demanded a reduction to £900 per month.
Unwilling to find a new flatmate so early in the tenancy, Jacob and his friend reluctantly agreed to split the £100 difference, each paying an extra £50 per month. Each month, they received snarky reminders to transfer the money to Lucy, whom they had found through a friend of a friend.
“£50 is quite a lot of money when half of your salary is going on rent,” Jacob said. “It was a really jarring thing. It was hard to say no, because we didn’t want to cause immediate upset with a flatmate we didn’t know that well.”
Broader Wage Gap in UK Flatshares
According to new data from SpareRoom, nearly half of UK flatsharers earn less than £30,000, while about one in six earn more than £50,000. This wage gap has sparked conflict in 43% of households over issues like energy usage and cleaners. A fifth of flatmates estimate the pay difference between the highest and lowest earner exceeds £20,000, and 9% say it's more than £30,000.
The leading causes of tension include energy and heating usage (77%), contributions to bills (52%), communal supplies like toilet roll (48%), and rent (39%). While 20% split communal costs evenly, 21% take turns buying supplies. In Jacob's household, Lucy often bought expensive brands out of his price range.
Privilege and Detachment
Lucy claimed she “really wanted a job” but refused bar work or similar roles. “Earning money wasn’t a necessity, but it was more of a luxury,” Jacob said. “It was a real punch in the gut. We were earning £1,800 a month, and half of that was going on rent, and then suddenly there’s £50 extra to our other flatmate who was just dotting around, not having to worry about money.”
Months into the tenancy, the household faced a large council tax bill due to Lucy's failure to register the household. She remained unbothered, while Jacob worried about finding the money. Lucy moved out after a year, and Jacob and his friend rented the room to someone else. “Her lifestyle was something that I found quite hard to live with. That privilege and detachment from reality all came out in a lot of different ways, which left a sour taste,” he said.
Broken Rental Market
Matt Hutchinson, SpareRoom’s director, said tensions over salary differences are an inevitability of a broken rental market. “It used to be the case that a good salary would get you onto the housing ladder, or else renting alone or with a partner. But the cost of renting and living is now so high, sharing makes sense for people on higher incomes too.”
Across the UK, the average room in a flatshare costs £747 per month, while a one-bedroom flat costs £1,123. In London, the gap is even starker, with sharing saving around £4,500 annually. Hutchinson advises having an open conversation about money before signing a lease. “There’s no right way to do things, it’s just about finding the best way for your household.”
