THE PROPERTY FILTER TAKE
Around one in seven (14%) landlords in England who let to flatsharers say they have changed to room-only tenancies since the Renters' Rights Act came into effect (SpareRoom, September 2026 survey).
With a room-only let, one departure leaves one empty room, but 71% of room renters who had seen housemates leave say their landlord did not let them choose the replacement.
Consider checking your HMO licence conditions with your council and offering existing tenants a say on new housemates before you switch contract type.
Around one in seven (14%) landlords in England who let to flatsharers said they had changed to offering room-only tenancies since the Renters' Rights Act came into effect. That is from a September 2026 SpareRoom survey reported by Letting Agent Today on 4 November 2026. A further 12% said they were considering it. For shared houses, the question now is who picks the next housemate.
Why are landlords switching to room-only tenancies?
Letting Agent Today reported the rule behind it. Under the Renters' Rights Act in England, valid notice from one person named on a joint assured tenancy will usually end it for everyone named on the agreement. The government's Renters' Rights Act implementation roadmap set 1 May 2026 as the date the new tenancy system applied to new and existing private tenancies. The GOV.UK guide to the Act says a tenant can end a tenancy by giving 2 months' notice.
Letting Agent Today noted reports of some landlords using that rule to get existing tenants out and re-list at a higher price. But SpareRoom data shows it has also prompted more landlords to offer room-only tenancies, to reduce their risk of expensive void periods (time when a property earns no rent). Our free property investor resources cover the wider tenancy changes.
Matt Hutchinson, director of SpareRoom, said landlords know void periods are costly. In his words, one empty room is "a far smaller financial hit than an empty house or flat". If voids are part of your planning, our free buy-to-let stress test calculator shows the rental cover lenders look for.
What does SpareRoom's room data show?
The survey is backed by listing data. SpareRoom user data shows that, in the third quarter of 2026, rooms advertised by existing and outgoing flatmates made up 26% of total rooms available to rent. That is down from 30% the previous year. Over the same comparison, rooms advertised by landlords and agents rose from 42% to 44%.
In a separate SpareRoom survey of 3,928 tenants in England, almost three times as many renters said they were now renting by the room as renting in a joint tenancy. 39.3% said they rent by the room on individual agreements, against 14.1% on a joint contract.
Of those renting by the room who had seen housemates leave, 71% said their landlord had not let them choose the replacement housemate, according to SpareRoom.
What does this mean for HMO landlords?
Licensing still governs shared houses. GOV.UK defines an HMO (house in multiple occupation) as a property rented out by at least 3 people who are not from 1 household. Those tenants share facilities like the bathroom and kitchen. GOV.UK's HMO licence guidance says a licence is mandatory in England and Wales for a large HMO. That means 5 or more people forming more than 1 household who share facilities. Smaller properties may still need one depending on the area, so the council's own scheme is the one to check.
If you are weighing up a shared house on room rents, our free HMO valuation calculator applies the commercial valuation method used for refinancing.
The bigger risk is the household itself. Hutchinson pointed out that under the Act a problem tenant cannot be made to leave over a personality clash with housemates. If one person's behaviour prompts the others to give notice, he said, it defeats the object of a room-only let. His view is that landlords should find turnover falls if existing flatmates get a say in who moves in. You may wish to build that step into your re-letting process, alongside the shared-house approaches covered in our property investment strategies guides.
Key takeaways
14% of landlords in England who let to flatsharers said they had changed to room-only tenancies since the Renters' Rights Act came into effect, and a further 12% were considering it (SpareRoom, September 2026 survey).
Under the Act in England, one joint tenant giving valid notice will usually end the tenancy for everyone on the agreement, which is the risk room-only lets avoid.
Rooms advertised by flatmates fell to 26% of rooms available on SpareRoom in the third quarter of 2026, from 30% a year earlier, while landlord and agent listings rose from 42% to 44%.
71% of room renters who had seen housemates leave said their landlord had not let them choose the replacement.
In England and Wales, a large HMO rented to 5 or more people forming more than 1 household needs a mandatory licence, and councils can license smaller ones.
Frequently asked questions
What is a room-only tenancy?
What happens to a joint tenancy if one tenant gives notice?
When did the new tenancy rules start in England?
Does a room-only let change whether I need an HMO licence?
