How to find a gay flatmate or flatshare in London

Where LGBTQ+ flatshares are advertised

The housing charity Shelter keeps a list of places to look for an LGBTQ+ friendly room, last updated in May 2026 (Shelter). We've checked each one, and added our own.

• SpareRoom has an LGBT flatshare search. Households can mark their ad "LGBT household" and "LGBT preferred", so they're quick to spot in a list.
• Roomies is free to list, search and message, and people can tag their profile "LGBTQ+ friendly".
• My Gay Flatmate is built for LGBTQ+ households. Listing is free, but sending messages needs a paid plan.
• Facebook groups. Shelter mentions Homes for Queers, which has groups covering many parts of the UK. Rooms there are posted by members, so make the same checks you'd make anywhere else.
• Among Our People, which runs this site. UK rooms there are listed by LGBTQ+ members, and the newest ones show on our home page.
• Friends, and friends of friends. Tell people you're looking, and ask them to pass it on.

Each place shows you different rooms, so check two or three of them rather than just one.

Post a "room wanted" ad

Searching only finds the rooms that are up today. A "room wanted" ad works the other way round, because a household with a room coming up can find you before they've advertised it. SpareRoom's are free to post, and Shelter suggests a profile that says what you need in a home.

Keep it short and specific. Put the facts people filter on first, then say who you are.

Give your budget with bills included, so nobody has to guess. How to write a room advert is written for people with a room to fill, but the idea works both ways: the more specific you are, the faster the wrong households scroll past.

What to say about yourself, and when

How much you share, and when, is up to you. Shelter notes that many LGBTQ+ renters put it in their profile, which saves a wasted viewing. Some people would rather get a feel for a household first, and that's fine too.

Plenty of people prefer to know early, and with reason. In a 2022 survey by Generation Rent and the LGBTQ+ homelessness charity akt, 19% of the LGBTQ+ private renters who responded said they'd felt discriminated against because of their sexual orientation or gender identity (Generation Rent, 2022). The survey had 254 voluntary responses, so it can't tell us how common that is among all LGBTQ+ renters. But it's a good reason to check a household is comfortable living with you before you arrange a viewing.

Landlords and letting agents shouldn't ask about your sexual orientation or gender identity, Shelter says. And if a partner will be staying over, mention it early. It's a practical question, like guests or working from home, and the reply tells you a lot.

How to tell a flatshare is LGBTQ+-friendly before the viewing

Start with the ad. Pronouns, a line about who already lives there, or a label like "LGBT household" are good signs. So is detail about ordinary life in the flat, such as who works from home or whether people eat together. Households that have thought about who they'd like to live with usually write it down.

Then ask, by message, before you cross London for a viewing. Shelter suggests asking whether they've lived with an LGBTQ+ flatmate before, and how they felt about it. You could also ask:

• "Would my partner be welcome to stay over?"
• "Who lives here now, and how long have they been here?"
• "Why is the room free?"
• "Could we have a quick video call before I come round?"

Notice how they answer, as well as what they say. A straightforward reply about who lives there, guests and everyday life tells you more than a general promise that everyone's welcome. If an answer leaves you uncomfortable, you don't have to arrange a viewing. Questions to ask potential flatmates has more on reading a household.

Before you say yes

Once you've found a household you like, the usual checks still apply. Each has its own guide.

1. See the room and meet the people before you pay anything. How to spot a rental scam covers the warning signs.
2. Find out whether you'd be a tenant or a lodger, because it changes your rights. Tenant, lodger or permitted occupier explains the difference.
3. Ask what the rent includes and work out the monthly total, as in how much a room in London really costs.
4. Take the room-viewing checklist with you.

Or find your flatmate first

Some people would rather choose who they'll live with and then find a flat together. If that's you, look for another LGBTQ+ person who's also searching, and rent a two-bed between you. You choose your flatmate, rather than fitting into a household that's already settled.

Agree two things before you start: your joint budget and areas, and what happens if one of you wants to leave. If you both sign the same agreement, you'll usually be joint tenants. That normally makes each of you responsible for the whole rent if the other stops paying, not just your half, so read the agreement before you sign.

Find a flatmate on Among Our People

Among Our People is where this site's rooms come from, and there are two ways to use it in London. You can browse rooms in London, where each room can say who it welcomes. Once your gender and orientation are on your profile, you can filter for rooms that welcome you, and rooms that haven't said still appear. Or you can put up an "I'm looking" card, which works like a room wanted ad: people with a room can find you, and so can others who'd like to team up and look for a flat together. You can say on it whether you'd also be open to a live-in homeshare. Messages about a room open once you've both shown interest.