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A 58-year-old Londoner has launched a flat-sharing service aimed at older people who need to split their rent in the capital.

The inspiration for Silver Sharers first came about while Suzanne Noble was helping her long-distance partner find a place to live in London.

The idea for the scheme grew in her mind when she needed to find a lodger to help with her own finances.

Seeing the big demand for older flat buddies but surprisingly little choice she decided to create the resource herself.

"I’ve raised two kids, been married and then divorced, run a number of businesses," Ms Noble told the Standard.

"I’ve had some very good years financially and some awful times too and, as a result, I consider myself fairly resilient when it comes to doing what I have to do to keep a roof over my head.

"Even so, living with others my age didn’t come into my future plan until it seemed the only possible option if I wanted to carry on with my portfolio career and have the flexibility around how and when I work."

Ms Noble, who previously only lived with flatmates while at university in her 20s, said the prospect of sharing her home three decades later was a little daunting at first.

But after agreeing to let Ameet, 53, move in, her nerves soon vanished.

"Despite my initial reservations about living with someone my own age, I’ve discovered I like our setup far more than I would have imagined," she added.

"Ameet and I often share meals together, we have mutual interests and, when I just want to have a chat, he’s available.

"The situation worked out so well that when my partner wanted to move into London to be closer to where I live, I helped to find him a similar arrangement and he now shares with a couple in their sixties.

"Now I’m helping others to do the same in London via a website I’ve created."

Ms Noble said older people increasingly need to live in shared accommodation as more find themselves "renting for life" and her service is a "blueprint for the future" against the rising cost of city living.

"The idea of Silver Sharers is to connect older homeowners with compatible people who seek a spare room in which to live and can provide them with social connection, a passive income or help around the house, if need be," she explained.

"What makes it different from existing flat-sharing sites is that compatibility is at the heart of what we do.

"There are multiple reasons, beyond financial necessity, why flat-sharing is desirable.

"There are those seeking someone to live with an elderly parent in order to provide them with companionship and a sense of security. For others, it’s about having someone pay them to fill a spare room which affords the older homeowner the financial freedom to pursue a passion they wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford."

While most participants get matched up with people of similar ages, flat hunters can also request a slightly different set-up if they desire.

There is no lower age limit and younger flatmates can use the service to be matched up with mother or father-type figures to offer a sense of nurture in a lonely city.

Likewise, older people who like the company of youth can request a younger sharer without being subject to endless house parties and dubious bathroom conditions.

"I’ve met people who have lived with others their own age and younger over many years and now view it as a way of life," she said.

"Many are similar to me who like their privacy but also the opportunity to have someone with whom to socialise and who can provide me with a passive income stream.

"Every sharing arrangement has its own nuances aside from similar views around cleanliness, visitors, noise, etc.

"In my experience, it’s important that whomever you live with shares your values and that there’s mutual respect, with clear rules laid out as to what and what isn’t acceptable."

Visit the Silver Sharers website here.