Many Australians who decide to share the rent end up sharing their heart

THESE Aussies signed up to share rent together and got a lot more than they bargained for. They reveal what really goes on behind closed doors.

Flatemates to family: Mat and Madeleine Gray met in a share house and were married last year. Now they have a toddler, Theodore.

There is a silver lining to Australia’s growing affordability crisis cloud - more young people are making great friends, and even finding love, with their housemates.

More than just sharing an address with like-minded folk, 60 per cent of young Australians (18 to 34 year olds) who move in with a flatmate become friends with them, but of those who really get to know each other a further 24 per cent have admitted to being romantically involved with a housemate according to a realestate.com.au/share survey.

Of those surveyed, 6 per cent are still together and about 2 per cent have actually tied the knot.

Maddie Rosenthal and Alcino Pereira met in their share house on Sydney’s northern beaches. Picture: Bradley Hunter

New beginnings in Sydney

Maddie Rosenthal (26) and Alcino Pereira (35) share a house on the northern beaches and after just a few months under the same roof knew there was a spark.

She said meeting a romantic partner through house sharing made more sense than meeting online, or as a result of drunken nights out.

“It might seem like a ‘convenient’ way to find a partner, but really it takes a lot of work.

She said “no make-up mornings” and coming home cranky after a hard day’s work can show them your less flattering side.

Love is in the air: Maddie and Alcino outside the love nest that they share with four other people. Picture: Bradley Hunter

“And knowing they still like you like that - it’s a really refreshing way to develop a relationship,” she said.

The other online dating: Tim Benstead and Tracy Schweitzer fell for each other after Tracy advertised online for a third flatmate. Picture: Steve Pohlner

Brisbane love birds

Tracy Schweitzer (34) and Tim Benstead (31) were not supposed to fall for each other, but a great inner city address and the possibility to share the bills got in the way.

“I wasn’t looking for a boyfriend at the time,” Ms Sweitzer said.

She was sharing a property in Paddington with her best friend and the two young women decided to get in a third flatmate.

“We thought we’d advertise for a guy, to get the balance right,” she said.

But among the guidelines for finding the right person to share an address with, the girls had an unwritten rule.

“My blanket rule was, we really like this guy as a flatmate so no one, not even our friends, can date him,” she said.

“I broke my own rule!” she said.

Three months after Mr Benstead moved in, sparks were flying but the pair were still hesitant to let the cat out of the bag. When they did, it was a huge relief.

“We told our other flatmate and she just said ‘Thank God, you two should have gotten together months ago’,” Mr Schweitzer said.

Flatemates to family: Mat and Madeleine Gray met in a share house and were married last year. Now they have a toddler, Theodore.

Married in Melbourne

Melbourne love birds Mat and Madeleine Gray met when Madeleine advertised for a new housemate about three years ago.

It worked out well. They are now married and have a 22-month-old son, Theodore.

The living arrangement sparked a friendship first, which grew into a deeper relationship, Mr Gray said.

A healthy start to love

Psychologist and relationship expert, Jo Lamble, said a romance which is born from a flatmate friendship could lead to a great success story.

“I think it's a perfect base for beginning a relationship,” she said.

“You’re more likely to be accepting of each other’s faults because you get used to seeing them every day,” she said.

Ms Lamble said with a more traditional dating relationship someone’s true colours could remain hidden for quite some time.

“You might be dating for a while and then it wouldn’t be until a trip away together that you see them in reality,” she said.

“As flatmates you get to know each other a lot quicker, but at the same time you’re able to build up a tolerance for each other,” she said.

According to a realestate.com.au study, 24 per cent of flatmates have admitted to being romantically involved with a housemate. Picture: Bradley Hunter

She said that the platonic nature of being flatmates means people tend to enter into a situation with no big expectations, unlike many first dates.

“You go in not even considering them as a romantic interest so you’re open to them just as human beings,” she said.

While dating a housemate could throw out the dynamic of a share house, Ms Lamble said that a little mystery could be the best bet for new couples in the early days of a flatmate fling.

“It’s very normal to hide it from others, in fact I’d recommend it. Besides waiting to be sure about things it’s fun to keep in a bit secret,” she said.

Henry Ruiz, chief product officer, REA Group said the property portal’s realestate.com.au/share tab was set up specifically so househunters cannot only find a place to live, but get an online overview of who they might want to live with.”

“There’s a lot more to finding the right share accommodation than the location and features of the property,” he said.

He said that young people today want to find out more about who their potential new housemates are.

“With 24 per cent of housemates getting romantically involved, not only does our share site help you find your perfect housemate but it could also help you find your soulmate,” he said.