Company: Housr
Founders: Harry Panter & Ben Clayton
Website: https://www.housrapp.co.uk/
About Housr
Housr is ‘the Tinder of student housing. The platform encompasses rental properties, household utilities and lifestyle perks within one app, founded by university friends, Harry Panter and Ben Clayton, both aged 23. The app allows students to find a home, a flatmate, simplify the admin that comes with renting, and earn money back on their rent.
To date, Housr has raised £1.2 million and has opened a waiting list for investors to learn more about its next £5m growth funding round. It plans to breakeven by July 2024, and has projected revenues of £2.4 million.
Founded in 2019, Housr is on a mission to tackle the housing affordability crisis by building the future of rental. It currently operates in Manchester and Birmingham, with plans for UK and USA expansion in 2024. Becoming revenue-generating shortly after launch, it has successfully filled its platform with 45,000 properties across Manchester and Birmingham, from around 30 different letting agents. Through the platform, it connects 360 students per agent, per day.
In the past month, the platform has had 40,000 interactions and a 35% increase in app downloads, putting it on track to have 30,000 users by January 2024. The smartphone app, available on iOS, sees 1,000 student likes per day, an average of 12 per student per session, through its Tinder-style functionality.
On the app, students can find properties, book viewings, direct chat with landlords, manage maintenance issues, search with friends, and enjoy discounts at various venues and brands. Housr’s all-in-one billing service takes the stress out of sorting bills. Tenants can simplify expense tracking, split the costs with their friends and automate payments so nobody misses a bill.
On the other side of the portal, agents can get paid to advertise their properties. When they choose to advertise with Housr, agents receive £120 per home if they agree to use Housr’s all-in-one billing platform for the properties. The two-sided portal means agents can manage their properties and speak directly to students. All tenants are comprehensively screened to avoid time wasters and robust management tools mean agents are never out of the loop.
The Manchester-based start-up currently has a team of 26 employees and is recruiting further with open roles in operations and marketing. It is currently gearing up to complete its next funding round with 25% of the round already committed. It has ambitions to reach six UK cities in the next 12 months and at least seven colleges in the US across multiple states in the next 12 months. With its investment target of £5m, its valuation goal in 14 months’ time is £120m.
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