Landlord and tenant news: Landlords looking to rent out spare rooms

A growing number of landlords are looking to rent out their properties by room rather than as a whole house or flat, according to one expert.

Matt Hutchinson, director at SpareRoom, said that the yields are generally higher if properties are divided into rooms, although it is more effort on the part of the landlord.

And it seems that renting out a single room is also becoming an increasingly popular option among tenants.

Newly-introduced housing benefits changes mean a lot of people only get enough to cover one room rather than a single bed flat and more and more people are looking to flatshare and pay less rent each month as well as sharing bills.

"If you looked at flatsharers ten years ago then the bulk of them were in their early to mid-20s, but now there are people in their early 30s – people who have been in relationships, split up and have come back into shared accommodation because it is the only affordable option," Mr Hutchinson added.

This month, data from easyroommate.co.uk showed that the average number of potential tenants competing for each rental room on the market is now 3.4.

Landlord and Tenant News