While a larger home don’t necessarily equal a happier home, other aspects of living space can have a profound impact on our sense of wellbeing. And nothing highlighted the importance of this relationship more than lockdown earlier this year.

The coronavirus crisis meant that many city-dwellers went from using their flats as a fly-by-night crashpad to actively needing a place of sanctuary: somewhere calm to work and retreat in for months on end at a time. The challenge was especially acute for the 2.7million London tenants, whose choices are limited by the capital’s sky-high rates and a lack of space, in addition to the usual restrictions of renting.

Renting in London: 4 ways lockdown is changing what we need and desire from our homes