He then repeated the trick later that year in New York, external when he hired a vast loft apartment in Manhattan as SpareRoom expanded to the US.

Mark Homer, co-founder of UK property management advocacy group Progressive Property, says that SpareRoom has helped to improve the reputation and quality of shared renting.

“Modern shared accommodation has moved on significantly from the days of the rundown rent-a-room type affair of yesteryear,” he says.

With 80 employees, Rupert says that SpareRoom has an annual turnover of more than £8.5m, and he is proud that the business has never needed any external investment. Gemma is still with the business too, running its Manchester office, while Rupert is based in London.

Rupert, who has the chief executive title, is also continuing to enjoy having flatmates.

“Sharing with people adds randomness to your day: someone may have cooked, or someone may want to go for a pint,” he says. “It’s nice to have that company, it feels like a surrogate family.”