Now it's speed flatmating

You've heard of speed dating. Now welcome to the world of speed flatmating.

Anyone who has ever shared a home in the capital will be familiar with the pitfalls of living with a group of complete strangers.

First there is the challenge of finding a home fit for human habitation. Then, when you have, there is the attempt to size up whether your potential housemate could be a psychopath, in the style of Jennifer Jason Leigh's character from the film Single White Female.

This is where speed flatmating comes in. Borrowing the lonelyhearts technique of hiring a venue and giving singles a few minutes to meet each other, speed flatmating hooks up people looking to move with those who have a room available.

The events give both parties the opportunity to size up a string of potential flatmates over a drink.

"Unlike speed-dating there's no fumbling nervousness, awkward silences or tacky chat-up lines," said Rupert Hunt, the 29-year-old property entrepreneur who came up with the idea. "After all you're only trying to get into their house."

He devised flatmating after carrying out research showing people were just as concerned with what their future flatmates would be like as the mod cons their new home would provide.

The events are being held in different parts of London, so home seekers can meet a string of people offering rooms in their desired area.

Those with rooms available sit on numbered tables, and room hunters spend five minutes with each before moving on to the next.

Owners and hunters then tick a confidential numbered card if they are interested in following up the other person. Event organisers match up potential flatmates and provide them with phone numbers for future viewings.

"This way you meet 10 potential flatmates, in a location you want to live in, and all within one night," said Mr Hunt.

He believes that British politeness means scores of hours are wasted looking for a new home.

"I went to one interview where the room owners spent 10 minutes going through the house rules, which included giving two weeks' notice if I wanted a mate to stay over. I knew then I wouldn't move in," he said.

"But being typically British I stayed for the whole 45-minute interview, agreeing with everything they said. It was a complete waste of time."

Events have already been held in Clapham and Islington and the latest was held in Tooting this week. It resulted in 24 potential matches. Recent government research shows the number of households renting privately in London has shot up from 467,233 in 2001/2002 to 498,862 last year.

A combination of rising house prices and rents actually falling in real terms has made renting an attractive option.

People are also renting for longer because the bottom rung of the property ladder keeps moving higher and higher out of their reach. As a result, today's tenants tend to be older with higher disposable incomes.

At the same time high property prices and increasing interest rates mean many young buyers opt for a two-bedroom property, so they can find a flatmate to help pay the mortgage.

For information on future flatmating nights visit www. speedflatmating.co.uk