{"id":5110,"date":"2015-04-21T08:49:54","date_gmt":"2015-04-21T08:49:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/flatmate.com\/blog\/?p=5110"},"modified":"2026-04-06T04:36:30","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T04:36:30","slug":"living-with-families-or-couples","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/flatmate.com\/blog\/living-with-families-or-couples\/","title":{"rendered":"Why More Couples and Families Are Getting a Flatmate (And Why It&#8217;s Actually a Great Idea)"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"5110\" class=\"elementor elementor-5110\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f538d1a e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"f538d1a\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-593d016 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"593d016\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"529\" src=\"https:\/\/flatmate.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/dreamstime_s_11296526.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-5152\" alt=\"Living with a family\" srcset=\"https:\/\/flatmate.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/dreamstime_s_11296526.jpg 800w, https:\/\/flatmate.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/dreamstime_s_11296526-300x198.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4d33e3d0 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"4d33e3d0\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-33eaad2f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"33eaad2f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">Picture the scene. You and your partner have just bought a place together. You&#8217;ve done the hard yards: saved the deposit, survived the auction, high-fived the conveyancer. Then the first mortgage statement arrives, and suddenly you&#8217;re having a very adult conversation about whether you really need to keep the heating on.<\/p><p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">Welcome to homeownership in Australia in 2025.<\/p><p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">Almost half of all Australian households with a mortgage are spending more than 30% of their disposable income on housing costs <span class=\"inline-flex\" data-state=\"closed\"><a class=\"group\/tag relative h-[18px] rounded-full inline-flex items-center overflow-hidden -translate-y-px cursor-pointer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aihw.gov.au\/reports\/australias-welfare\/housing-affordability\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"relative transition-colors h-full max-w-[180px] overflow-hidden px-1.5 inline-flex items-center font-small rounded-full border-0.5 border-border-300 bg-bg-200 group-hover\/tag:bg-accent-900 group-hover\/tag:border-accent-100\/60\"><span class=\"text-nowrap text-text-300 break-all truncate font-normal group-hover\/tag:text-text-200\">Australian Institute of Health and Welfare<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span> \u2014 the threshold that officially tips you into &#8220;mortgage stress&#8221; territory. In Sydney specifically, average monthly mortgage repayments now sit around $7,275, compared to $3,211 for rent <span class=\"inline-flex\" data-state=\"closed\"><a class=\"group\/tag relative h-[18px] rounded-full inline-flex items-center overflow-hidden -translate-y-px cursor-pointer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.finder.com.au\/insights\/mortgage-vs-rent\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"relative transition-colors h-full max-w-[180px] overflow-hidden px-1.5 inline-flex items-center font-small rounded-full border-0.5 border-border-300 bg-bg-200 group-hover\/tag:bg-accent-900 group-hover\/tag:border-accent-100\/60\"><span class=\"text-nowrap text-text-300 break-all truncate font-normal group-hover\/tag:text-text-200\">Finder<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span> \u2014 a gap that makes your former rental feel like a bargain in hindsight.<\/p><p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">So what do you do? You could refinance, cut the subscriptions, eat at home more. Or \u2014 and here&#8217;s the option more couples are choosing \u2014 you could just get a flatmate.<\/p><p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"><strong>It&#8217;s not a new idea. It&#8217;s just an idea whose time has come back around.<\/strong><\/p><p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">This is not a new concept. Back in 2015, Domain was already reporting on married couples taking in housemates to help pay the mortgage \u2014 you can read that piece <a class=\"underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current\/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current\" href=\"https:\/\/www.domain.com.au\/news\/married-couples-take-on-housemates-to-help-pay-the-mortgage-20150418-1mnc87\/\">here<\/a>. What&#8217;s changed is the scale of the problem. Average loan sizes have grown significantly, with the average mortgage in NSW now sitting at $828,000 \u2014 up $49k in a single year <span class=\"inline-flex\" data-state=\"closed\"><a class=\"group\/tag relative h-[18px] rounded-full inline-flex items-center overflow-hidden -translate-y-px cursor-pointer\" href=\"https:\/\/wisebuygroup.com.au\/home-loan-mortgage-statistics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"relative transition-colors h-full max-w-[180px] overflow-hidden px-1.5 inline-flex items-center font-small rounded-full border-0.5 border-border-300 bg-bg-200 group-hover\/tag:bg-accent-900 group-hover\/tag:border-accent-100\/60\"><span class=\"text-nowrap text-text-300 break-all truncate font-normal group-hover\/tag:text-text-200\">Wisebuy Home Loans<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span>. The couple in that 2015 story was dealing with a tough market. Today&#8217;s couples are dealing with a genuinely brutal one.<\/p><p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">Which is why the spare room strategy is having a major moment.<\/p><p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"><strong>The maths are hard to argue with.<\/strong><\/p><p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">There are an estimated 13.5 million spare bedrooms sitting empty across 10 million Australian homes, each potentially worth between $10,000 and $12,000 annually in rental income. <span class=\"inline-flex\" data-state=\"closed\"><a class=\"group\/tag relative h-[18px] rounded-full inline-flex items-center overflow-hidden -translate-y-px cursor-pointer\" href=\"https:\/\/lifesherpa.com.au\/articles\/could-your-spare-bedroom-help-pay-off-your-mortgage-or-free-up-your-time\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"relative transition-colors h-full max-w-[180px] overflow-hidden px-1.5 inline-flex items-center font-small rounded-full border-0.5 border-border-300 bg-bg-200 group-hover\/tag:bg-accent-900 group-hover\/tag:border-accent-100\/60\"><span class=\"text-nowrap text-text-300 break-all truncate font-normal group-hover\/tag:text-text-200\">Lifesherpa<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span> That&#8217;s not nothing. For a couple in Sydney carrying a $800,000 mortgage, even $250 a week from a flatmate could knock a meaningful chunk off the monthly repayments.<\/p><p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">Some lenders have even started baking this into their calculations. CommBank, for example, is currently the only lender that allows eligible first-home buyers to include up to $150 per week from a flatmate in their loan assessment \u2014 effectively boosting your borrowing power before you&#8217;ve even moved in. <span class=\"inline-flex\" data-state=\"closed\"><a class=\"group\/tag relative h-[18px] rounded-full inline-flex items-center overflow-hidden -translate-y-px cursor-pointer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.commbank.com.au\/brighter\/home-and-lifestyle\/a-room-to-spare.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"relative transition-colors h-full max-w-[180px] overflow-hidden px-1.5 inline-flex items-center font-small rounded-full border-0.5 border-border-300 bg-bg-200 group-hover\/tag:bg-accent-900 group-hover\/tag:border-accent-100\/60\"><span class=\"text-nowrap text-text-300 break-all truncate font-normal group-hover\/tag:text-text-200\">CommBank<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p><p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"><strong>But wait, do I have to tell my lender?<\/strong><\/p><p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">Good news. If you have a mortgage, there&#8217;s generally no requirement to notify your lender that you&#8217;re renting out a room. Renting a room in your own home doesn&#8217;t mean you need an investment property loan <span class=\"inline-flex\" data-state=\"closed\"><a class=\"group\/tag relative h-[18px] rounded-full inline-flex items-center overflow-hidden -translate-y-px cursor-pointer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yourmortgage.com.au\/refinancing-home-loans\/use-your-spare-room-to-help-pay-off-your-mortgage\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"relative transition-colors h-full max-w-[180px] overflow-hidden px-1.5 inline-flex items-center font-small rounded-full border-0.5 border-border-300 bg-bg-200 group-hover\/tag:bg-accent-900 group-hover\/tag:border-accent-100\/60\"><span class=\"text-nowrap text-text-300 break-all truncate font-normal group-hover\/tag:text-text-200\">Your Mortgage<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span> \u2014 a detail that surprises a lot of people. You will, however, want to look into the tax side of things, since rental income is generally assessable. Talk to your accountant.<\/p><p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"><strong>Okay but what about, you know&#8230; us?<\/strong><\/p><p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">Fair question. You&#8217;ve built a life together. Now you&#8217;re voluntarily introducing a third person into it. Is this actually a good idea, or a very efficient way to create relationship friction?<\/p><p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">Honestly? It depends entirely on how you set it up.<\/p><p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">Sydney&#8217;s Emily, who shared a home with her now-husband and his best friend to cut costs, says the arrangement had real highs \u2014 and a few lows. The final straw came when she realised their flatmate was using the living room as his floordrobe. Her advice: &#8220;Make sure both your partner and your flatmate are house-trained.&#8221; <span class=\"inline-flex\" data-state=\"closed\"><a class=\"group\/tag relative h-[18px] rounded-full inline-flex items-center overflow-hidden -translate-y-px cursor-pointer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.commbank.com.au\/brighter\/home-and-lifestyle\/a-room-to-spare.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"relative transition-colors h-full max-w-[180px] overflow-hidden px-1.5 inline-flex items-center font-small rounded-full border-0.5 border-border-300 bg-bg-200 group-hover\/tag:bg-accent-900 group-hover\/tag:border-accent-100\/60\"><span class=\"text-nowrap text-text-300 break-all truncate font-normal group-hover\/tag:text-text-200\">CommBank<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p><p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">Solid advice. Here&#8217;s a bit more of it.<\/p><p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"><strong>Talk to each other before you list the room.<\/strong> You and your partner need to be aligned before a stranger is. Whose friends are off-limits as candidates? What&#8217;s the quiet hours expectation? Is the flatmate included in the occasional Sunday dinner or strictly a separate household? Sort this out first, or you&#8217;ll be sorting it out at 11pm in a heated whisper.<\/p><p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"><strong>Be honest in your listing.<\/strong> If you two are homebodies who like early nights and cooking elaborate meals together, don&#8217;t write &#8220;laid-back household, love a social flatmate.&#8221; You will get someone who invites people over on Wednesdays, and no one wins.<\/p><p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"><strong>Set clear expectations upfront.<\/strong> Money, mess and privacy are the three biggest tension points in shared homes \u2014 a shared expense tracker or direct debit arrangement keeps bills fair, and early agreement on cleaning duties avoids the slow-burn resentment that tends to build around who last cleaned the bathroom. <span class=\"inline-flex\" data-state=\"closed\"><a class=\"group\/tag relative h-[18px] rounded-full inline-flex items-center overflow-hidden -translate-y-px cursor-pointer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yourmortgage.com.au\/refinancing-home-loans\/use-your-spare-room-to-help-pay-off-your-mortgage\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"relative transition-colors h-full max-w-[180px] overflow-hidden px-1.5 inline-flex items-center font-small rounded-full border-0.5 border-border-300 bg-bg-200 group-hover\/tag:bg-accent-900 group-hover\/tag:border-accent-100\/60\"><span class=\"text-nowrap text-text-300 break-all truncate font-normal group-hover\/tag:text-text-200\">Your Mortgage<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p><p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"><strong>Consider a short-term lease first.<\/strong> A three- or six-month initial agreement gives everyone an exit ramp if the fit isn&#8217;t right. Much easier than an awkward conversation eighteen months in.<\/p><p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"><strong>The right flatmate is actually a net positive.<\/strong><\/p><p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">Here&#8217;s the thing people don&#8217;t say enough: a good flatmate isn&#8217;t just a financial arrangement. They&#8217;re company. They&#8217;re someone who feeds the cat when you&#8217;re away. They&#8217;re an extra vote against the dodgy electrical work quote from the tradie your landlord \u2014 sorry, you \u2014 are now responsible for.<\/p><p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">Done right, the flatmate-plus-couple configuration works. The financial logic is obvious. The social upside is underrated.<\/p><p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">And given that in 2024\u201325, an estimated 1.26 million low-income households in Australia were in financial housing stress <span class=\"inline-flex\" data-state=\"closed\"><a class=\"group\/tag relative h-[18px] rounded-full inline-flex items-center overflow-hidden -translate-y-px cursor-pointer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aihw.gov.au\/reports\/australias-welfare\/housing-affordability\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"relative transition-colors h-full max-w-[180px] overflow-hidden px-1.5 inline-flex items-center font-small rounded-full border-0.5 border-border-300 bg-bg-200 group-hover\/tag:bg-accent-900 group-hover\/tag:border-accent-100\/60\"><span class=\"text-nowrap text-text-300 break-all truncate font-normal group-hover\/tag:text-text-200\">Australian Institute of Health and Welfare<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span>, finding creative ways to make the numbers work isn&#8217;t a sign of struggle. It&#8217;s a sign of sense.<\/p><p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">Your spare room is sitting there. Your mortgage isn&#8217;t going anywhere. Might be time to introduce them.<\/p><p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"><strong>Ready to find the right flatmate?<\/strong> <a class=\"underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current\/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flatmate.com\">Search for flatmates on flatmate.com<\/a> \u2014 Australia&#8217;s original share accommodation platform.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Picture the scene. You and your partner have just bought a place together. You&#8217;ve done the hard yards: saved the deposit, survived the auction, high-fived the conveyancer. Then the first mortgage statement arrives, and suddenly you&#8217;re having a very adult [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5152,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"disabled","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[479],"tags":[563,120,124,125,13,151],"class_list":["post-5110","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-how-to-find-a-flatmate","tag-couples","tag-domain-com-au","tag-families","tag-finances","tag-looking-for-a-flatmate","tag-press"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.4 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Are you living with families or couples? 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