Architecture and design firm Corgan has published Residency Reshaped: London, a report examining how affordability, access to housing and changing work patterns are shaping what renters in the capital want from their homes. Corgan said the report drew on responses from 420 renters across London, alongside separate market analysis, secondary research, and a programme of interviews with renters, developers and property managers.
The firm said renters are not simply chasing the lowest price. Instead, according to Corgan, they weigh several elements together, such as cost, location, amenities, safety and the broader quality of their living experience. Among renters who intend to stay in their current home, satisfaction with unit size, affordability, location and design were the reasons most often given for staying, the study found.
The research also pointed to the influence of remote working on housing preferences. Corgan said roughly two in three of those surveyed work from home on a full-time or part-time basis, which it said has increased the importance renters place on reliable internet access, quiet surroundings and dedicated or adaptable workspaces within the home. Practical amenities that support day-to-day living, including gyms, wireless internet, on-site laundry, coworking areas and parking provision, were also highlighted as particularly valued by renters, according to the firm.
Maurice O’Neill, Principal and Regional Practice Leader at Corgan, said in the report: “Excellent design begins with understanding people, and the most successful residential communities are designed around how people actually live.”
Melissa Hoelting, Assistant Director of Corgan’s research and innovation group, Corgan Hugo, said: “We believe that research is most valuable when it leads to better design decisions.”
A wider research programme
Corgan’s first Residency Reshaped report, published in 2025, covered six US cities, Atlanta, Austin, Dallas, Denver, Nashville and Phoenix, surveying 1,480 renters in total. The firm then expanded the programme during 2026 with a report on Dublin, before publishing the London findings, as part of what it described as a broader look at how renter priorities are evolving across global housing markets.