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The Reality of Renting in Britain today....

HAMISH_MCTAVISH
Posts: 28,592 Forumite


http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/lifestyle/article-23902390-all-i-want-is-a-room-somewhere-far-away-from-the-cold-night-air.doAlong with most people in their twenties, unless I strike it lucky on Euromillions I'm not going to be able to buy a place to live in London. I wouldn't even secure a mortgage on a garage space. Or a mooring spot on a canal. Without a bumper inheritance or the bank of Mummy and Daddy, my income is not going to set anything in motion at a mortgage broker — bar an eyebrow raised in derision. Instead, there will be years ahead of paying off someone else's mortgage through renting.
Since relocating to London four years ago, I've moved eight times.
Four times in the first year alone, as I struggled to find a job.
My longest stay was a 20- month stint in Stepney Green, in a decaying house that had peeling Alpine scene wallpaper and a carpet patterned like a Rubik cube. The bathroom was rotting and the heating broke down in winter, meaning a half-mile walk to the local swimming baths each morning to get a shower before work, but my flatmates were great and it was the best place I've lived in London. Since then I've been to Clapton, Finsbury Park, and Stamford Hill, where I currently lodge with my best mate and her parents. Over the summer they were in America so I was useful as a house-sitter but now I'm feeling like the mad woman who just won't move out of the attic, and am looking for somewhere, anywhere, that seems nice and rents for under £600 a month.
It used to be pretty easy to find a room for that price but as the country languishes in the economic doldrums it's now fraught.
Many are finding it impossible to get on to the property ladder so they stay on well into their thirties in the shared houses which they might ordinarily have moved on from.
As I was on my way back home from my seventh unsuccessful viewing, waiting for a bus in freezing Whitechapel, my mother came up with the encouraging tale of her work colleagues. One had had to move out of London altogether because, even with two incomes, she and her husband couldn't afford rental prices. Another's sister still has to move flatshares every six months after more than a decade living in the capital.
Nick, the 39-year-old photographer who makes me put my hands on my hips and frown for the photos, has also been through the flatshare mire. Just back from India, he has let his own Shoreditch flat out to tenants and doesn't want to kick them out.
“There's a real shortage of places at the minute,” he tells me. “One place I phoned up in Bethnal Green had been advertised for an hour — 15 people had already called up wanting it. Then there was a flat on Redchurch Street for £700 a month. I liked it — but at the bottom of the email, the woman I would have been sharing with asked me if I'd be able to cook for her twice a week. Then there's the whole speed flatmate thing — which is like speed dating. I dipped my toe in it — I was just defeated by the whole process.”
I started my search on Gumtree. Unfortunately, the website where I once managed to find a place within 24 hours now appears to be overrun with scam artists. A one-bedroom flat just around the corner from Gloucester Road Tube station, for example, was going for £98 a week, with hot water and a parking space included, and a luxury flat was advertised for £115 a week in Holland Park. Contacting the advertisers led to convoluted tales involving the landlord being in America, Belgium or on “crusade” in West Africa. Would it be possible to wire the deposit to a wife in Ireland, who will then arrange delivery of the keys?
After resisting the urge, tempting as it was, to wire hard-earned cash to a hard-faced sc ammer, I switched tack and on the advice of a friend started looking at other sites: easyroommate.com, spareroom.co.uk and moveflat.com. In the past month I've seen seven places and sent emails and left voicemail messages trying to view dozens more.
Being interviewed for a flat is rather like being considered for a job — only it's your personality that's up for scrutiny rather than your employment history. With two dozen people competing with you for one room, how on earth do you make yourself seem nicer or cooler or just generally more endearing than the rest? Should you take cookies along as a bribe? Or wine? Should you be super-keen and enthusiastic — or will they just think you're desperate and demented?
The weirdest thing about viewings is running into your rivals for the room. Viewing a box room in Kensington, there is a girl before me running late. While I am saying hello, she is saying goodbye and fervently telling her interrogators that she wants the room. We glance at one another but try not to make eye contact, like girls who've discovered that they're both trying to date the same guy.
Most places look as if they could turn into great living arrangements and you can see why there are so many people vying to take them. I've only seen one place that I really didn't want to live in — a filthy house in Brixton, about a mile away from the Tube, where I was greeted by a man in his late thirties with a ponytail, in torn tie-dye pyjama bottoms, who had overgrown, yellow toenails.
My brother, who was helping me look that day, mimicked slitting his throat by the time we'd got up the first flight of stairs, having caught Mr Tie-Dye openly leering at the girl just departing.
As Lloyd Grossman used to say, “Who would live in a house like this?”
Someone with a rape alarm.
It's not like I'm looking for an en-suite with a gold towel rail and a view of Kensington Palace. I don't care where I live in London, as long as there is a Zone 2 Tube station within a 15-minute walk, I'm easy — north, south, east or west. I am an equal opportunity property seeker — I don't care about the gender mix. The room doesn't have to be that big (although that would be nice) and it doesn't have to be particularly spruce (as long as it isn't infested with insects). Right now, though, I'm close to giving up. There's only so much rejection a girl can take.
A to Z of Emily's flatshare hunt
Brixton
£530pm
Large house with huge kitchen and garden, plus a living room. An average-sized double bedroom with nice white floorboards. Unfortunately, house rather dirty and flatmates a bit off-putting.
Fulham
£550pcm
This was a great five-strong Aussie/Kiwi flatshare in Fulham found on Gumtree. The house was on a quiet residential street, with nearby gym and shops. The room was small but had a double bed and felt very warm. There was a large living room and a garden. The three flatmates present at the viewing all seemed friendly. I never heard back from them.
Kennington
£480pcm
This was my favourite place — an attic room in Kennington. Around £400, not including bills, the location was great — five minutes from the Northern line, a Tesco around the corner, a bookshop opposite — and it had two great flatmates, a cute Spanish translator and a south London surfer dude. The drawback was you had to get up to the room via a stepladder and, as it was in the eves, you could only stand up in the middle. Scaling a ladder sozzled in stilettos seemed like a recipe for bruises and broken limbs, let alone trying to get out in case of fire.
Kensington
£600pcm
A narrow single room with a single bed. Sharing with three professionals, who all seemed nice — the place boasted beautiful views of a private communal garden, to which the flatmates had a key. Unfortunately, by the time I'd crammed my desk and books and stereo in I wouldn't have had space to clamber into my new little bed. Renting direct from estate agent which meant an extra £200 contract renewal in April.
Kilburn
£450pcm
This small double room was warm and comfortable but, on viewing, my timings also clashed with another wannabe flatmate. As one girl greeted me in the corridor, the others sat in the living room sounding as if they were all getting on like a houseshare on fire. I made my excuses and left. Why try to break up that budding friendship?
Mile End
Approx £540PCM when bills are added
Average-sized house on a lovely residential street, two minutes from Mile End station and opposite a park and leisure facilities. Sharing with a couple and one other. Small room with wardrobe in corridor. Two bathrooms. The flatmates, a postgrad student, a musician and a photographer, seemed very easy to get on with and they gave me wine — alas, I never heard back.
Shepherd's Bush
£715pcm, not including bills
Studio flat in an ex-council block in Shepherd's Bush, had a small kitchenette, a bathroom with a bath, and the room was reasonably sized. However, when totting up council tax, gas, electricity and internet (which I would have to install) this wasn't feasible on my budget.
Wow.
Sounds like fun..... Not.
Never mind though, the housing shortage deniers will be along shortly to tell us all there is no shortage of housing in the UK, and that renting is cheap as chips and a lovely flexible stress free existence.
Or something...:cool:
“The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie – deliberate, contrived, and dishonest – but the myth, persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic.
Belief in myths allows the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.”
-- President John F. Kennedy”
Belief in myths allows the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.”
-- President John F. Kennedy”
0
Comments
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Housing in London costs a fortune, and I assume, that as the Housing Benefit reforms have been delayed for new tenants, the government have finally taken this on board, to some extent.
Their theory that these reforms will lead to landlords reducing all the rents is a bit unrealstic. :whistle:
Their other idea of the hordes moving out to Kent, Sussex and Hampshire and then commutting up to London has also been slightly undermined by the massive rail fare increases announced this week (13% in some cases).
LinYou can tell a lot about a woman by her hands..........for instance, if they are placed around your throat, she's probably slightly upset.0 -
If you change the title to London, it would be more accurate. Is there any evidence that the rest of the country is in the same mess?What goes around - comes around0
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What it means:A to Z of Emily's flatshare hunt
Brixton
£530pm
Large house with huge kitchen and garden, plus a living room. An average-sized double bedroom with nice white floorboards. Unfortunately, house rather dirty and flatmates a bit off-putting.
First property you looked at so can afford to be picky.
Fulham
£550pcm
This was a great five-strong Aussie/Kiwi flatshare in Fulham found on Gumtree. The house was on a quiet residential street, with nearby gym and shops. The room was small but had a double bed and felt very warm. There was a large living room and a garden. The three flatmates present at the viewing all seemed friendly. I never heard back from them.
They didn't like you.
Kennington
£480pcm
This was my favourite place — an attic room in Kennington. Around £400, not including bills, the location was great — five minutes from the Northern line, a Tesco around the corner, a bookshop opposite — and it had two great flatmates, a cute Spanish translator and a south London surfer dude. The drawback was you had to get up to the room via a stepladder and, as it was in the eves, you could only stand up in the middle. Scaling a ladder sozzled in stilettos seemed like a recipe for bruises and broken limbs, let alone trying to get out in case of fire.
Still being a bit picky.
Kensington
£600pcm
A narrow single room with a single bed. Sharing with three professionals, who all seemed nice — the place boasted beautiful views of a private communal garden, to which the flatmates had a key. Unfortunately, by the time I'd crammed my desk and books and stereo in I wouldn't have had space to clamber into my new little bed. Renting direct from estate agent which meant an extra £200 contract renewal in April.
Fair enough, too small for your needs.
Kilburn
£450pcm
This small double room was warm and comfortable but, on viewing, my timings also clashed with another wannabe flatmate. As one girl greeted me in the corridor, the others sat in the living room sounding as if they were all getting on like a houseshare on fire. I made my excuses and left. Why try to break up that budding friendship?
You realised that you weren't going to get a look in and put a brave face on things.
Mile End
Approx £540PCM when bills are added
Average-sized house on a lovely residential street, two minutes from Mile End station and opposite a park and leisure facilities. Sharing with a couple and one other. Small room with wardrobe in corridor. Two bathrooms. The flatmates, a postgrad student, a musician and a photographer, seemed very easy to get on with and they gave me wine — alas, I never heard back.
They didn't like you.
Shepherd's Bush
£715pcm, not including bills
Studio flat in an ex-council block in Shepherd's Bush, had a small kitchenette, a bathroom with a bath, and the room was reasonably sized. However, when totting up council tax, gas, electricity and internet (which I would have to install) this wasn't feasible on my budget.
This place is already £115 more expensive than any of the others so why did you even consider this place if it was outside of your budget?0 -
I read the first bold line and thought
"Move back out of London then you daft cow".This is a system account and does not represent a real person. To contact the Forum Team email forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com0 -
HAMISH_MCTAVISH wrote: »Wow.
Sounds like fun..... Not.
Never mind though, the housing shortage deniers will be along shortly to tell us all there is no shortage of housing in the UK, and that renting is cheap as chips and a lovely flexible stress free existence.
Or something...:cool:
Hamish, I believe that you have claimed that you have a second property that you rent out. If this is true, why do you publicly "mock" the people who supposedly rent your property ? That isn`t a very clever thing to do. When I do business with people, I wouldn`t tell them what a bad deal they`re getting (if I was giving them a bad deal).30 Year Challenge : To be 30 years older. Equity : Don't know, don't care much. Savings : That's asking for ridicule.0 -
Hamish, I believe that you have claimed that you have a second property that you rent out. If this is true, why do you publicly "mock" the people who supposedly rent your property ? That isn`t a very clever thing to do. When I do business with people, I wouldn`t tell them what a bad deal they`re getting (if I was giving them a bad deal).
I have a second property but I don't rent it out.
Shortly after we paid off our mortgage, an elderly relative had a tragic change of circumstances. She moved in with us in our first house, we bought a second house in town (whoch we were planning to do anyway) and moved there, and we let her live in our old house completely rent free. It was the right thing to do.
Now I could rent the house at market value and rent her a flat, and make a profit, but that's not really the point. She enjoys living there, nice house, quiet rural location, has made friends with the locals, etc.“The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie – deliberate, contrived, and dishonest – but the myth, persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic.
Belief in myths allows the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.”
-- President John F. Kennedy”0 -
I read this in the Standard last night. It's not renting, it's house-sharing that she's struggling with, and if she wants something for under £600 per month in zone 2 near a Tube station then that's hardly surprising.
The last time I looked for a rented flat I spent a morning looking round a variety of places well within my budget, and the one that I eventually chose had its price reduced while I was looking at the others. Piece of Pi55.They are an EYESORES!!!!0 -
and one of the benefits of moving out of London is you might get to meet people of such charm, wit and sympathy
Exactly!
Seriously though, I would love to live in London, but I have to make a choice not to, so should she. Problem solved.This is a system account and does not represent a real person. To contact the Forum Team email forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com0
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