Flatmates' 2022 National Share Accommodation Survey Results
Monday December 12 2022
Every year Flatmates.com.au asks our fab Flatmates Community what’s happening in the world of share housing in our National Share Accommodation Survey.
The last few years were definitely more tumultuous than most; first Covid had average rents dropping across capital cities – before rising steeply only a year later. And then 2022 has brought with it a rental crisis , rising rents due to interest rate increases and the cost of living has also gone up.
So we’re checking in on everyone in the share accommodation world. We asked 9649 of you who have used Flatmates in the last 12 months to tell us who you are and how you’re faring. We want to know all the grimy and shiny details of share house life.
Here are the results from our 2022 National Share Accommodation Survey.
Why people use Flatmates
Flatmates.com.au is made up of both members looking for somewhere to live, and members who want to find someone to join their share house. But we know you have a choice when starting your share house search and we’re glad you chose us (thank you so much) – but if you’re wondering why other people chose Flatmates, take a peek at the results below.
Who lists properties on Flatmates?
The majority of people listing a property on Flatmates are renters looking for people to join their share house. This makes up almost 44% of listers who responded to our National Share Accommodation Survey. There’s also a lot of people, 38% of respondents, who are owners looking for someone to share their home with. Another 8% own the home, but don’t live in it and are looking for tenants, while others manage the share house on behalf of the owner. Just over 2% of people are moving out of their home and are looking for someone to take over the lease or look after it while they are away.
Where do people prefer to find housemates?
We asked people listing properties on Flatmates.com.au ‘if you had to choose one way to advertise your room/property next time, which way would you choose?” and we’re pretty chuffed to say that Flatmates came out on top with 76%, followed by our closest competitor at 5.6% and word of mouth at 4.7%. Social media groups and marketplaces were way down the list at 3.5% and 3.8%.
It was a similar story for those searching for a home with 60% preferring Flatmates.com.au as their number one preferred way to find a home - you guys! Making us emotional! Our friends at realestate.com.au were second with 13%, and social media at 6%. Our closest competitor came in at just under 6% with social media groups and marketplaces only being the preferred option with 4% of the vote each.
For both listers and searchers, ease of use was the most important aspect.
Sharehouse setups
OK now we’re getting to the juicy deets on how other people live in their share houses, why they share, what they’re looking for and how they manage their share houses.
Why do people share their homes?
Life is all about that money honey so there is no surprise that the number one reason why people live in share houses is due to financial reasons. 45% of you share to cover the rent and 23% do it to help cover your mortgage. Another 18% say they share to make additional income. 4% of people say the main reason they share their home is for friendship and company (which gives us all of the warm fuzzies – shout out to all the housemates that have become family).
People searching for rooms were also doing so for financial reasons, with 45% choosing to look for a share house because they couldn’t afford a property on their own, with another 10% saying the competition was too steep in the traditional rental market. Almost 8% of people chose share houses because they offer short-term accommodation compared to signing a traditional lease and 9% found it easier than a standard lease. 9% of people searching for rooms were predominantly sharing for the social aspect, and 12% of people were doing it to save money for other fun activities - get it sis.
What sorts of share houses are people looking for?
86% of people who responded to our survey were looking for a private room. 38% of people were looking for a one-bedroom apartment, granny flat or studio, and 19% of people were looking for a multi-bedroom property that they could turn into a share house. 11% of people were open to a shared room (college dorm vibes, we love!), and 15% of people were looking to “Team Up” and find some new friends to lease a house with.
If you’re thinking, “hang on Flatmates, that adds up to 170%, what gives?” then you’re spot on. Many people aren’t just searching for one option, with lots of users exploring multiple ways to live.
What agreements and contracts do people have with their housemates?
At Flatmates, we always recommend that you have a written agreement with your housemates, and luckily, 32% of you do. Another 21% are popping your housemates on your lease and 7% of them are setting up an official subletting agreement. For the 24% of people with a verbal agreement or the 4% with no agreement, it might be time to take a look at our Flatmate Agreement template and get something on paper - everyone needs to be safe in their share home and on the same page about expectations. If you flatmate doesn’t want a written agreement, even an informal one, that’s a red flag.
Money and Finances
Money makes the world go around and we’re here to talk about it honey! Suss all the info on how far money is going in other share houses and how many fellow flatmates are feeling the pinch.
Rising rents in share houses
In our survey, 46% of respondents said that their rent had increased over the last year. Of those, 53% of people said their rent had increased more than expected. 52% of rent increases were due to inflation, and 15% were expected annual increases. 20% of people were not given a reason for why their rent increased. These increases have left 49% of respondents either struggling to pay rent or their flatmates struggling to pay.
Dealing with the rising cost of living in share houses
Aside from housing costs, the overall cost of living rose this year. To combat this, the majority (52%) of sharers have teamed up with their housemates to help keep costs down - and honestly, werk. The most common option was to start cooking meals together (23%) and implementing restrictions around when the heater or energy-chugging gadgets could go on (23%). 15% of people found another flatmate to fill their spare room or had their or their flatmate’s partner move in to help with housing costs. 10% of people said their household chose to work or study away from home given the choice so that they weren’t using extra energy during the day.
Difficulties finding homes during the rental crisis
It’s not just rising costs that are making life for sharers difficult at the moment. The rental crisis has meant it’s taking longer to find a place to live. Previously, sharers most commonly said it would take then 1-2 weeks to find a place to live (22%), whereas the most common answer now is 1-2 months (18%).
How often are bonds fully refunded in share houses?
We asked our listers how often they refund the bond to tenants in their share house, and only 6% of listers had had to hold on to a bond in full, with 11% holding onto a portion of the bond. The most common reason for bonds not being refunded was damage to property (60%), outstanding rental payments (30%) and outstanding bills (26%). Check out our guide for more information on bonds and security deposits.
Share house relationships
While you might be looking for an aesthetic house, it’s the people that you live with who can really make or break your share house experience. We give you the 411 on flatmate relationships below and like, spill! Did you hook up with your flatmate?
Do people get along with their housemates
While there are lots of stories in the media about horror housemates, thankfully our survey found that 49% of you have “great” relationships with your housemates, we love to see it! Another 37% said they had “good” relationships with housemates, and 9% said they had an “average” relationship. Only 3% of people who responded said they have a poor relationship and 2% said they had a shitty flatmate. If your relationship with your housemate isn’t as great as it could be, check out our list of unspoken rules of share homes or if you really do have a housemate from hell maybe it’s time to give them the flick.
Do people prefer living with friends or strangers?
Given the choice, most people would prefer to live with strangers (47%) compared with friends (37%) or friends of friends (16%). Weighing up which would be right for you? Read more about whether you should live with friends or strangers.
What’s the worst part about living in a share house?
Living in share houses can be tiresome if you have a flatmate who annoys the shit out of you, but you don’t feel comfortable enough to let them know. Sweetie, it’s 2022 and time to work on that, open communication with your flatmates is key. Here are the worst bits about share house living as ranked by you.
- Messy housemates
- Lack of privacy
- No one taking responsibility for mess or things breaking
- Waiting for the bathroom
- Housemates not paying their bills on time
- Housemates’ friends are always over
- People stealing food
- Housemates having loud sex
If you’re guilty of any of the above, maybe keep this list in mind and check out our guide to being a good housemate.
Romantic relationships in share houses
The general consensus is that it’s not a great idea to sleep with your housemate but our National Share Accommodation Survey found some interesting insights.
Only 11% of you have ever hooked up with your flatmate, and only 7% of you have dated your housemate – but for those that did take the plunge, 64% of you said it was worth it (although that leaves another 36% who thought it was a mistake, snap!) So if you’re thinking of getting it on with your housemate, make sure you’re sure and that it is, of course, consensual.
Sharehouse Demographics in Australia
Out of the 9649 people surveyed who used Flatmates.com.au in the last 12 months, here are the demographics for those who chose to answer.
Age
| Age | Percentage |
|---|---|
| 18 to 24 | 21.01% |
| 25 to 34 | 39.85% |
| 35 to 44 | 15.22% |
| 45 to 54 | 11% |
| 55 to 64 | 8.92% |
| 65 to 74 | 3.27% |
| 75 or older | 0.73% |
State
| State | Percentage |
|---|---|
| ACT | 2.82% |
| NSW | 30.96% |
| NT | 1.25% |
| QLD | 26.76% |
| SA | 6.38% |
| TAS | 2.16% |
| VIC | 21.56% |
| WA | 7.25% |
| Other | 0.87% |
Cities and regions
| City or Region | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Adelaide | 6.22% |
| Brisbane | 13.11% |
| Cairns | 1.61% |
| Canberra | 2.84% |
| Darwin | 1.17% |
| Geelong | 1.12% |
| Gold Coast | 6.35% |
| Hobart | 1.63% |
| Melbourne | 18.6% |
| Newcastle | 2.42% |
| Perth | 6.81% |
| Rockhampton | 0.33% |
| Sunshine Coast | 3.11% |
| Sydney | 22.59% |
| Other city/town/region | 11.16% |
| I don’t live in Aus | 0.93% |
Gender
| Gender Diverse | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Male | 37.65% |
| Female | 57.84% |
| Non Binary | 1.3% |
| Gender Diverse | 0.82% |
| I’d prefer not to say | 1.98% |
| Not listed | 0.41% |
Employment
| Work status | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Working full time | 45% |
| Working part time | 10% |
| Studying and working part time | 20% |
| Studying full time | 9% |
| Working holiday | 4% |
| Travelling (not working) | 0% |
| Not currently employed | 4% |
| Receiving other welfare benefits | 3% |
| Other | 4% |
Income
| Income | Percentage |
|---|---|
| $1 - $9999 | 9.5% |
| $10,000 - $24,999 | 12.32% |
| $25,000 - $49,999 | 18.47% |
| $50,000 - 74,999 | 22.59% |
| $75 000 to $99,999 | 14.28% |
| $100,000 - $149,999 | 7.71% |
| Greater than $150,000 | 1.7% |
| I prefer not to say | 13.43% |
Employment industries
| Industry | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Retail | 8.15% |
| Construction | 5.18% |
| I work for myself | 4.87% |
| STEMM | 3.65% |
| Finance and Insurance | 3.6% |
| Public Servant | 3.59% |
| Administration | 3.23% |
| Transport | 2.52% |
| Manufacturing | 2.48% |
| Marketing | 2.46% |
| The Arts | 2% |
| Hospitality | 14.22% |
| Healthcare | 12.84% |
| Personal Services | 1.35% |
| Real estate | 1.18% |
| Agriculture | 1.16% |
| Media | 1.04% |
| Other | 18.34% |
How big are share houses in Australia
| Number of flatmates | Percentage |
|---|---|
| 2 | 39.89% |
| 3 | 28.63% |
| 4 | 16.59% |
| 5 | 6.75% |
| 6 | 3.62% |
| 7+ | 4.52% |
Residency Status
| Residency Status | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Australian Citizen | 64.78% |
| Permanent Resident | 6.82% |
| International Student | 13.08% |
| Backpacker/holiday maker | 3.18% |
| Skilled Migrant | 3.35% |
| Other visa holder | 5.02% |
| New Zealander | 2.66% |
| Other | 1.12% |
