A former global design chief has launched nHabit in London. nHabit is a deep-tech housing platform designed to reshape how renters search for homes, using artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced geospatial modelling to move beyond postcode-based property searches.
Steven Charlton, previously Principal Managing Director of Perkins&Will’s London practice, has founded nHabit, an AI-powered rental search platform set to launch in London in early 2026. The business combines architectural expertise with proprietary AI to help users discover suitable homes without first defining a specific neighbourhood.
Steven, who spent nearly a decade leading large-scale architectural operations across London and the Middle East, said the idea grew from a long-standing interest in how cities function and how people experience place.
“You don’t need to know where you want to live before you start searching. nHabit is about unlocking parts of the city people might never have considered, based on how they actually want to live.”
Steven Charlton, Founder and CEO, nHabit
From architecture to deep tech
After leaving Perkins&Will, Steven established I/O Atelier in 2022, bringing together data scientists, AI engineers and designers within a single team. The approach reflected his belief that future urban decision-making would be increasingly shaped by data and machine learning.
“When I started building a team that combined AI engineers with designers, people thought it was crazy. But I could see that the future of understanding cities would be shaped by data and machine learning. nHabit is the product of that vision.”
Steven Charlton, Founder and CEO, nHabit
The result is a platform built specifically for AI from the ground up, rather than layering conversational tools onto a conventional listings database.
AI-powered natural language search
At the heart of nHabit is Milo, a proprietary large language model that allows renters to search in conversational language. Instead of filtering by postcode or predefined catchment areas, users can describe lifestyle priorities, commute times, safety concerns or proximity to amenities.
Behind Milo sits N4, a patent-pending geospatial engine that enables the system to process complex spatial data in real time. The engine connects to a three-dimensional graph database containing around 100 data sets, allowing the platform to analyse relationships between properties, infrastructure, amenities and movement patterns at a granular level.
“This is deep tech AI, not just adding a chat interface to existing data. Traditional isochrone generation calculates every possible route, which is slow and often inaccurate. N4 solves that problem. It allows Milo to understand spatial relationships in real time, at a level of granularity that no competitor currently offers.”
Steven Charlton, Founder and CEO, nHabit
Data as infrastructure for rental markets
The platform enters a rental market facing ongoing supply pressures, tighter regulation and growing expectations for digital-first user experiences. While initially launching to consumers, nHabit is also positioning itself as a data intelligence platform for industry stakeholders.
Letting agents and Build to Rent developers will be able to access demand analytics and pre-qualified tenant insights, offering visibility into emerging lifestyle trends and location preferences. Steven argues that the long-term value lies in structured, contextualised demand data.
“The real value is in the data. We’re building a platform that understands people’s dreams and aspirations at a street and property level.
“For agents and developers, that’s unprecedented insight into demand patterns and emerging trends. For renters, it means finding a home in an area they would love but never knew existed.”
Steven Charlton, Founder and CEO, nHabit
The company has secured government innovation support and attracted interest from major UK developers, with London serving as its first launch market before potential expansion.
