What Is a House Share?

Last updated: January 2026

You might be thinking about living in a house share to save money and split expensive bills, but what is house sharing, and who is it for?

What is a house share?

A house share is just a group of people who live in the same property. Although the name implies it has to be a house, flat shares are super common too. Typically, these people aren’t related; usually, they’ll be friends or even strangers who connected online.

You might associate this with student house shares, and while it’s true that the majority of students live in a house of multiple occupancy, there are also plenty of house shares designed for young professionals. Not sure of the difference between student and young professional housing? Check out our guide for the full breakdown.

Now, we’ll talk you through the pros and cons of living in a house share, so you can decide if it’s the right vibe for you.

Benefits of living in a house share 

Save money 

The biggest benefit of house sharing compared to renting a property on your own is the significantly lower cost. You only pay your own share of the total rent and bills, so it’s ideal if you’re on a tighter budget.  

Sharing is caring   

Shared accommodation doesn’t just mean you get to share the rent and bills; you’ll also share the boring stuff like chores. If you’re organised, you can create a cleaning rota to make sure everyone’s pulling their weight!

Live with your friends 

In most house shares, especially student ones, you’ll be living with a group of friends, so the living experience can be a lot of fun! You’ll always have people to watch a movie with or go for a night out with. Of course, if you want a bit of privacy, you can also hang out in your room.

Make new friends 

If you’re living with strangers or people you don’t know very well, a house share is one of the simplest ways to make new friends, especially if you’ve just moved to a new area and don’t know that many people. Your housemates are essentially built-in friends, so there’ll always be someone around for a chat! If you’re lucky, they might even turn into lifelong mates.  

Live in the best location  

Often, city centre locations can be wildly expensive and out of your budget. Living in a house share means you can live somewhere you might never be able to afford if you lived by yourself. Whether you want to live near the city centre, your university, or your job, a house share means you can live in the best location for you.

Less scary than living alone 

If you’re moving out of your family house and you’re living alone for the first time, the idea of being left to your own devices might sound a bit intimidating. Living in a house share is a great first step; you’ll get to share the responsibility of bills and cleaning, and you’ll always have other people around to turn to and socialise with. 

No need to buy furniture 

The majority of house shares are fully furnished, meaning you don’t need to shell out for expensive furniture and home essentials. This makes it easier to save money and makes moving in (and out) much less of a hassle.  

Disadvantages of living in a house share 

Lack of privacy 

If you’re a very private person, shared living might not be your absolute ideal option. Of course, a great way to get around this is to live with people who you know will respect your personal space and won’t mind when you retreat to your room for some much-needed alone time.

Noise levels 

If you and your housemates have different schedules, there might be some unwanted noise at annoying times. All you can do is try your best to be understanding of your housemates and try to be as respectful as possible, especially if you know someone else is trying to sleep or study. Pro-tip: invest in a decent pair of noise-cancelling headphones and some earplugs, too!

Arguments

Sometimes, whether you’re living with strangers or close friends, there’ll be times when people don’t get on. From clashing lifestyles to dirty dishes in the sink to late bill payments, things in the house can start to feel pretty awkward when people stop talking.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom. There are a few things you can do to stop major arguments and keep your shared house a great place to live:

  • Have a chat with your future housemates about their lifestyles before moving in. If you’re a clean and tidy person who has to be up early for work, you might not get along with someone who’s messy, disorganised and likes to go out most nights.  
  • Create a cleaning rota and stick to it. If everyone knows what’s expected of them, there’ll be way fewer arguments about whose turn it is to scrub the kitchen, bathroom and other communal areas.
  • Opt for a bill-splitting service. Living with other people means you have to work out how to split the household bills. Sometimes this means one person has to take on all the responsibility of creating utility accounts, setting up direct debits and making sure everyone pays their share of the bills. A bill-splitting service is a total no-brainer to guarantee there’ll be no arguments about missed or late payments!  

Read more about how to get along with your housemates. 

How Split The Bills can help your house share

Let’s face it – one of the biggest pain points with living in a shared house is working out how to handle the household bills. The good news is that there’s a simple solution… 

Split The Bills offers students and young professionals up and down the country an easy way to split their utility bills. We’ll do the hard work of ringing suppliers, setting up utility accounts and direct debits, and dealing with the boring admin.  

We’ll divide everything among everyone living in the house, and you just need to pay your portion each month. There’s no need to worry about chasing up late payments from your housemates – everyone is only responsible for their own monthly payment! 

You can customise your bill package. It even includes uncapped energy and water, so if your housemate has a habit of leaving the lights on, there’s no need to stress.

Find out more about how we work, or grab a quote to get started.

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15th May 2026 No Comments