‘My housemate is a pensioner of 92’

Lodging with a person from a different generation is on the rise – and rent can be just £150 a month, finds Ben Aitken

During 2020, I moved in with a widow 50 years my senior. To be clear, my arrangement with Winnie, 85, was strictly platonic. I was motivated by two things: a belief that an older person is no more likely to be unbearable than a younger one and, crucially, the prospect of paying £150 a month in rent in London.

Winnie and I were matched by Share and Care, part of the Homeshare UK network, which pairs up younger lodgers looking for affordable housing with an older homeowner in need of help around the house.

Typically, the lodger does about 10 hours a week of household chores.

In return, the lodger will pay just £150 a month in rent – which is about £1,000 less than the UK average. This figure increased by 8.3pc last year, according to Zoopla.

For that small amount of rent, I took over the top rooms of a sevenbedroom Victorian house near Wimbledon Common, south London. Homesharing can provide the lodger with some financial breathing space, and give the householder some practical support – plus the benefit of knowing that another person is in the house.

Lodgers share not just a living space with the homeowner, but often have meals together and socialise.

My time living with Winnie was nourishing. She taught me about the paintings of Joseph Wright and how to make marmalade.

In return, I showed her how to order a new recycling bin. It was a mutually beneficial set- up that resulted in a strong friendship.

While this set-up remains far from mainstream, the number of people from different generations becoming housemates climbed 5pc in the last year.

Here, we meet three older homeowners and their younger lodgers to learn what it’s like to share your home with a stranger from a different generation.

She says: “It all happened at once: new home, new job, new living set up. One of the reasons I’ve coped is because it’s comforting having another person around.”

The financial side of the arrangement has been far less significant for Michael than for Gemma. “For me it’s far more about the social gain than the financial gain,” says Michael. “It makes sense to share. To share the heat, to share the food, to share a home. We collaborated on a vegan moussaka. My recipe, Gemma’s tweaks. It was a triumph.”

For Gemma, though, the money-saving element has been undeniably significant.

“I work part-time as an estate agent. I see the prices,” she says. “You’re looking at £800 for a one-bed studio in Swindon, before any bills. Living with Michael has allowed me to study as well as work. It’s been a life-changer.”