What is “Flathugging”?

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*More than half of UK renters are “flathuggers” - could you be one of them? We explain the phenomenon and its impact on the lives of renters.
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“Flathugging” is a situation that more and more renters are finding themselves in, where they’d like to move elsewhere but have decided to stay put in their current home - mainly because they feel available housing is out of their budget, according to a recent SpareRoom survey.

Some of the other barriers to moving that renters mentioned were a shortage of places available and the competition being too high. With four people searching for every room available to rent in the UK* and three quarters of renters spending more than 30% of their income on rent, it’s a very legitimate concern.

How else does this impact the lives of renters?

Nearly half of renters said they’ve actively avoided communicating with landlords or agents in the past year about issues with their rental properties, largely for fear of triggering rent increases, and meaning potentially dangerous issues are going unchecked.

Another knock-on effect has been on renters' careers; 61% either strongly agreed or agreed that the rental market has had a negative effect on their career progression, and close to a fifth said they'd turned down a job offer to avoid having to look for a new place to rent in the past two years. This has led to people missing out on higher pay, a better work-life balance, and even career progression opportunities.

What does this mean for renters?

With UK room rents at record highs and the cost of living stretching renters' budgets more than ever, many tenants simply have no choice but to stay put and hope their rent doesn't get any higher. Even for those who can afford to move, avoiding the stress of the rental market is taking priority over career progression and opportunities.

On a positive note, the recently announced Renters' Rights Act will address some of the key issues renters are facing, such as the end of no-fault evictions, fairer rules on rent increases, and an end to bidding wars and fixed-term tenancies. These new protections go a long way towards adjusting the balance of fairness and remove some of the fear and uncertainty around reporting issues to their landlords and agents.

**References **
Data based on a 2025 SpareRoom survey of 2,571 UK flatsharers, with responses collected between 6-10 October 2025. https://www.spareroom.co.uk/statistics/renters-flathugging