Josephine Wright is one of the 70 young women who spent nearly $10 to participate in an event, hoping to find the ideal roommate in the notoriously expensive city of London.
“I’m a software engineer,” Wright shares, holding a cocktail as she introduces herself to another woman at a bar in West London.
More than 70 women, all in their 20s and 30s, paid $9.70 each to attend the “speed-friending” event organized by Girlies Guide, with the goal of finding a compatible housemate. For them, it’s a small price to pay to fast-track the process of finding a suitable roommate in a city where rent is sky-high and options are limited.
In a span of two hours, they seized every minute to exchange questions about careers, family backgrounds, hobbies, and preferred living areas with as many people as possible. Despite the time constraints, the atmosphere remained relaxed. Conversations blended with laughter, accompanied by the sound of cocktail shakers behind the bar.
Wright, 25, listed her top three preferred neighborhoods as “Greenwich, Walthamstow, and Lewisham,” while another woman stood by a sign reading “East” for those looking to rent in East London.
Both women wore navy blue wristbands, indicating they were first looking for a roommate before securing a place to live. A few others wore purple bands, signifying that they had already found a home and were seeking someone to share it with.
I think London is unique in that people in their 30s and 40s still share homes. I don’t think it’s by choice, but rather because they’re left with no other option,” says Rachel Moore, co-founder of Girlies Guide.
Many participants simply cannot afford to rent a place on their own in London, even with budgets reaching $1,900 per month.
“If you want a nice flat to yourself, you’re looking at around £1,500 to £1,800 or £2,000 ($1,900-2,500) a month,” says Ioanna, 22, from Greece.
Sharing a home means renters pay less than £1,000. With London’s rental prices soaring, more and more young people are opting for shared housing rather than living alone. This is a new phenomenon,” comments Antonio Mele, an associate professor of economics at the London School of Economics.
High interest rates are pressuring landlords to either hike up rents or sell their properties. The result? Fewer available rentals and even higher prices. The UK’s new government has pledged to tackle the crisis by loosening planning restrictions to build more housing, though this may take years to materialize.
Mele notes that on average, people spend 35-40% of their income on rent, a percentage that is only expected to rise. As a result, finding a roommate has become an urgent necessity, though it’s not easy. “People send out tons of messages looking for a roommate, but they get very few responses,” says Megan Brewer, 35, who moved from Sydney to London.
Taking advantage of the situation, some landlords have converted living rooms into two bedrooms or split a single bedroom into two.
“What’s advertised as a bedroom here would be nothing more than a storage room in other European countries,” Mele says. “No windows, barely enough room for a bed, and the price is outrageous.”
Moore and her co-founder Mia Gomes experienced the difficulties of London’s rental market firsthand, leading them to organize “speed-friending” events to help people find suitable roommates.
“When we went to viewings, landlords would say, ‘I’ve shown this place to 30 groups today, and I only posted the listing 1-2 days ago,’” Gomes recalls. “You get caught up in the frenzy and end up paying more than the flat is worth.”
But for many, the chance to live in London—with its vibrant job market and rich cultural life—is worth the struggle.
“I’ve had to cut back on savings, but I think it’s a worthy trade-off,” Wright says. “I’m in my 20s. I want to enjoy life on my own terms.
