What renters want to see in room ads

We recently surveyed renters to find out what really matters to them and what they want to see in a room ad. Nearly 3,000 people took the survey, giving us valuable insight into renters’ preferences.

Here’s what we learnt…

SpareRoom has ads from landlords and agents, but also from homeowners and existing groups of flatmates. We thought it would be interesting to see who renters preferred to deal with when they’re responding to ads.

• 68% would rather deal with / see adverts from the landlord and
• 49% would rather deal with the homeowner / lodger landlord
• Only 30% would rather see adverts from a lettings agent

Flatmate or lodger?

We presumed that most renters would rather live with flatmates than share as a lodger. But you never really know till you ask. The results of this one surprised us a bit.

• 43% of renters would rather share with flatmates than be a lodger, but….
• A further 39% said they had no preference

What renters want to see in a room ad

This is probably the most useful bit if you’re going to be advertising a room. You might think you know what’s most important, but what do renters really want to know from your ad?

The top 5 most important things in a room ad are...

• Price of the room (87%)
• Bills being included (85%)
• Details about the room (84%)
• Details about the property (73%)
• Information about existing flatmates (61%)

After that, these were also important...

• Quality of the photos (58%)
• Whether it's free to contact (54%)
• Information about the area (45%)
• Who's advertising it (45%)
• Information about public transport (34%)

So there you have it. If you want some tips on how to go about placing your ad (now you’re armed with the facts), check out our room advertising tips.