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Singles face higher living costs, so some buy homes with friends

The extra cost estimates range from hundreds of pounds to 10,000 a year, driven by items like rent, bills, and discounts that favor couples.

Reported · Written up by our desk · Residential

BBC Business highlights that many people living alone face extra housing and day-to-day expenses, including rent or mortgage costs, household bills, food, and holidays that cannot be shared.

It cites estimates that the so-called singles tax could add anything from hundreds of pounds to 10,000 on average external a year, noting that discounts often require pairing up and that single people pay 25.0% less council tax than couples rather than half.

The piece also points to the scale of the issue in the UK, saying 18.5 million people had never been married or in a civil partnership in 2024, and 8.6 million people were estimated to be living alone last year.

In one example, Leanne and Sarah, both singles, bought a home together after consulting a mortgage adviser, agreeing on a minimum period to live together, setting out what happens if one leaves, and splitting mortgage payments proportionally while using a joint account to manage shared bills.

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