It is impossible to start listing all the different types of personalities that share accommodation. Therefore it is important to make sure you have a good read of potential flat mate's descriptions, if used correctly these can give great insight into a person's personality.

With the massive rise in house prices in the India over the last 5+ years it has become more common for couples to share a room. Its also becoming more common for people to stay in shared accommodation for longer (typically while they save for a mortgage).

Why do people Flat or House share?

There are three primary reasons why people decide to share with other flat mates, they are:
Reduce the cost of rent or cost of living !
By sharing with other flat mates you don't just save money on the obvious costs like rent, but also all the smaller bills can be split between the number of flat mates living in the house (e.g. line rental, internet, electricity, council tax). This saving can soon add up over a years worth of sharing. This is can be a big reason for sharing in big city like London where the cost of living is very high.

Find somewhere nice to live when working away from home (Monday - Friday)!
Sometimes people live too far away from work to commute in a sensible time, so they opt to live away from home Monday - Friday. Some business people might opt to stay in a hotel, but more and more professionals are opting to house share during the week.

Their reason is the same as above, it can be cheaper and it also feels like a home from home rather than a lifeless stuffy hotel room.

Social reasons (Find new friends to live with) !
Some people might be able to afford to live on their own but they share purely for sociable reasons. Also when moving to a new town it is a quick way to meet new people.

These people tend to be looking for friends as well has flat mates.

Live in a nicer location !
By sharing rent and other household costs with other flat mates you can often live in a nicer location and house than if you rented alone.