Oxford has been identified as the United Kingdom’s second most active centre for applications concerning shared residential property licences.

The academic city processed 2,458 requests annually for houses in multiple occupation permits, according to figures compiled by landlord insurance specialist Just Landlords.

Edinburgh topped all British cities with 5,158 yearly submissions.

Bristol recorded 1,491, Southwark 1,412, and Tower Hamlets 1,394, completing the leading five locations.

The study analysed data from more than 300 local authorities nationwide, highlighting a notable trend of investors moving toward rental accommodation housing several tenants.

The shared housing market has expanded by 40 percent since 2018, with the growing requirement for affordable living spaces prompting landlords to move away from traditional single-occupancy arrangements.

This shift is reflected in the surge of permit applications, which rose from 41,162 in 2018 to 57,725 in the most recent period examined.

The growth rate differs substantially across the country.

Certain areas, among them Sandwell and West Lancashire, experienced application increases of almost 1,000 percent.

As the sector has developed, regulatory monitoring has strengthened correspondingly.

Property examinations have grown by 83 percent since 2018, while enforcement measures have surged by 180 percent.

Just Landlords managing director Clark Ross explained that maintaining higher standards protects the sector’s reputation and ensures that dedicated, professional landlords are not penalised by operators offering substandard conditions.

The research, conducted through Freedom of Information requests, illustrates how Britain’s rental landscape is evolving, with further property investors joining the shared accommodation market to satisfy increasing demand for collaborative housing solutions.