The Death of the Living Room

Half of UK renters live in apartments without living rooms — largely because landlords are opting to turn what would be common spaces into extra bedrooms that can be rented to more tenants.

According to an article by Olivia Petter in The Independent, this trend, along with the growing privatization of public spaces, is contributing to a loss of socialization and the opportunity to form relationships with roommates and neighbors.

“Even just having a conversation feels easier when you’re doing it in an area that all of you have equal ownership of: it puts you on an even playing field, where everyone is free to say and behave as they wish,” Petter explains. But “Almost half (46 per cent) of those without living rooms surveyed by SpareRoom said they never socialised with their housemates.”

Not having a living room means the prospect of inviting other friends and family members over can become difficult; catching up with someone while sitting awkwardly together on an unmade bed, holding cups of tea, isn’t exactly the easiest of dynamics.

Experts say there are mental health impacts to blurring the lines between where we sleep, eat, relax, and work. “The importance of having communal spaces should not be underestimated, particularly not when so many of us (a quarter of adults, according to the ONS) regularly feel lonely.”