Charlotte Gill explores the growing rise of houseshares where Conservative Brexit voters are shown the door

When Olivia Lever, a young Conservative, went looking for student accommodation, she couldn’t have imagined the reception that she would receive from one household.

Arriving at the flat, there was a sign reading “F--- THE TORIES” and, once inside, she found similar literature insulting Boris Johnson and Brexit, and a poster of Che Guevara. Only one of the housemates made the effort to meet her, and later on she received a text from another reading:

“I saw you are the leader of the young Conservative party in uni and you support Brexit. We are a very Left-wing house and I think there could be potential clash”.

When Olivia posted it on Twitter, she received mixed responses, some sympathetic and others not.

Maybe the incident could have been put down as a one-off, but it is in fact part of a sinister trend in the rental market, student and otherwise, where some households have been vetting potential tenants for their political views. Living solo in London, I was oblivious to this phenomenon until August this year, when I’d written for this newspaper about dating apps. I’d complained they’d become too Left-wing, with prejudice rife against Conservatives and Brexiteers.