1. UK & England – Record rents but slower demand
According to Rightmove, in the UK the national average asking rent reached £1,385 per month in October 2025, up ≈ 3.1 % from October 2024; in Greater London the average was around £2,736 pcm.
The supply of rental homes listed was +9 % vs October 2024, but still down about 23 % compared to 2019.
Tenant demand, however, is down ~14 % vs October 2024, indicating that while prices are high, the growth momentum may be easing.
Implication: A very tight UK rental market with high asking rents, but signs of moderation—important for investors and platforms facilitating shared housing.
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2. United States – Single-family rentals gaining strength
In the U.S., the single-family rental (SFR) sector shows renewed operational strength in October 2025: higher occupancy rates and improved tenant retention even as home‐prices softened mid-year.
Example: UDR, a major U.S. REIT operating over 60,000 apartment homes, lifted its full-year AFFO (Adjusted Funds From Operations) forecast (to $2.53–2.55/share) citing strong rental growth, constrained supply.
Implication: The rental sector, particularly SFR and large-scale rental portfolios, remains attractive in the U.S. — supply constraints are supporting rental income growth.
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3. Canada – Rental market beginning to cool
In Canada, new data show the rental market is softening: slower immigration levels and shifting inter-provincial migration are reducing rental pressure nationwide.
Implication: For markets reliant on high immigration and population inflows, rental growth may moderate – important for shared housing operators and investors.
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4. Europe & Supply Shortage – Housing shortage bolsters rental appeal
According to a piece by J.P. Morgan (via Chase), there is a shortage of housing supply globally and many buyers are sidelined; this dynamic is boosting the appeal of the rental market.
The rental market size globally is also expected to grow significantly: one report projects the real estate rental market growing from about USD 2.91 trillion in 2025 to ~USD 3.87 trillion by 2029 (CAGR ~7.4 %).
Implication: With supply constraints and many households unable/refusing to buy, rentals (including shared arrangements) are likely to stay key – especially in dense markets and major cities.
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5. Shared housing / Coliving – Emerging but regulatory headwinds
In Europe, the European Commission (via its housing commissioner) is preparing to propose new rules on short-term rentals (e.g., via platforms such as Airbnb / Booking.com) to counter a “social crisis” of rising rents and displacement in city centres. The upcoming policy plan (expected December 2025) may affect how shared/short-term and coliving models operate.
Implication: Operators of shared-housing or multi-tenant units need to monitor evolving regulatory risks in Europe. While coliving/house-shares remain viable, regulatory tightening (especially around short-term/shared formats) could impact business models.
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Key Takeaways for Shared / Multi-Tenant Housing (relevant to your interest)
Rental markets remain strong globally (especially in supply-tight markets) which favours shared-housing setups that make big cities more affordable.
However:
In some markets (Canada) growth is easing → shared-housing options may need to emphasise value and flexibility.
Regulatory risks are increasing (especially in Europe) for non‐traditional rental formats (short-term, coliving, multi-tenant units) → need compliance and flexibility.
The growth of institutional rental models (SFR in U.S., large REITs) means competitive pressure may increase for shared-housing operators.
For your digital/real-estate ecosystem: emphasis on shared housing as a category remains timely (given affordability crunch + rental growth), but keep regional nuance (UK vs Canada vs U.S.) and regulation in mind.
