When it comes to renting, you can choose between renting an entire property or renting a room in a property and sharing facilities with other tenants. This article will explain what a house/flat share is, how we advertise them and how to exclude them from your search results.



What is a house/flat share?

Your bedroom is your own personal space and the only part of the property that isn't shared with other tenants. Some properties will have bedrooms with an ensuite so you don't have to share the bathroom but if not, the bathroom, kitchen and living room area will be shared with other tenants in the property. 


Are they the same as HMO's?

Although some agents and landlords will describe House of Multiple Occupation (HMO's) as house shares, they're not quite the same. 


A HMO is a property rented by at least 3 people that aren't from the same household, for example, 3 friends. They're often referred to as house/flat shares because the bathroom, kitchen and living room are still shared but the difference is, the tenants all have a relationship before renting the property.


The landlord will need to get a HMO licence granted by the local council in order for 3 or more people from different households to rent a property.


How do house/flat shares appear on site?

Our 'Must Haves: House Share' filter will detect properties that have been uploaded by the agent with the specific property type of 'House share' or, 'Flat share'. Not only does it look at the property type, but also when the keywords 'House share' and 'Flat share' have been mentioned in the property description. See the example screenshots below.


'House share' as the property type:


'Flat share' mentioned in the description:


Don't show house/flat shares

When you apply the filter 'Don't Show: House share', your search results will exclude all listings with the specific property types of 'House share' or 'Flat share' and also exclude those that have the keywords within the property description.


Take a look at our Must Have & Don't Show article for more information on these filters.