Unemployment and loss of purchasing power has forced young and not so young people to use housing alternatives that allow them to live with some autonomy to lease or buy a home alone.

Shared flats, one room flats or a group of several people house sharing is what’s imposed among workers whose salary is not enough to live on their own.

These are the most common alternatives:

Rent a room

Is the most popular choice to have a home at an affordable price. The number of houses that offer rooms for rent has increased by 150 % over the past few months according to the real estate portal idealista.com.

For years this model was the solution most used by young people eager to leave the family home that could not find any other way to move out due to their economic situation. The price is usually between 150 and 300 euros per month, depending on the location.

The disadvantages of living in a rented room are the limitation of space or sharing rooms and the kitchen services, access to internet and having to live with other tenants.

Micro-pisos

These apartments from 15 to 25 square meters are an increasingly popular and affordable solution. The main drawback is they are small in size and usually suitable for only one person, making micro-pisos a temporary alternative until the tenant finds a better place to live.

Flat-share

Several people, usually acquaintances or friends come together to join forces and flat-share, until the beginning of the economic crisis it tended to be young students or people with their first job that would flat-share but now increasing numbers of divorced people, the unemployed  and people on low-wages are now flat-sharing.

Flat sharing can be a cost effective option (photo:Idealista.com)