Is There A Market For Multi-Let HMO Properties?

Since Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) provide much needed affordable housing, particularly for younger people, there is a strong market for such accommodation. I can only see this market growing further.

As property prices increase, first time buyers are also getting older. 5 years ago, it was common for a sub-30 year old to purchase a property. However, because of the current house price/income ratio, it’s uncommon for anyone below the age of 30 to be able to afford a decent property without raising a huge deposit.

Therefore, people are ‘forced’ to rent. Those that can afford to, will rent out a single bedroom flat. Otherwise, it is more common for groups of friends to live together in 2+ bedroom houses and flats.

A tenant will often think to himself, why pay £700 per month on a mortgage when you can rent a single room from £200 per month depending on where you live. This has created a huge demand for HMO landlords who need to fill rooms in their multi-let properties.

The type of people that would want to live in such accommodation include, but are not limited to:

• Students
• Nurses
• Doctors
• IT contractors
• Shop workers
• Airport workers
• Newly qualified graduates
• Asylum Seekers
• Housing Benefit tenants
• Recently divorced tenants
• Foreign (non-uk) citizens
• Etc.

In fact anyone, who enjoys living with other people. I get several calls a day from the above types of potential tenant looking for individual rooms to let in a property.

So if you are looking to purchase an investment property to let out to sharers it may be worthwhile to determine where these sorts of people would like to live. Once you have shortlisted several such areas, you can focus your efforts accordingly.