Mel lives with three other people in Newington Green. (Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

Welcome back to What I Rent, our new weekly series that’s getting rid of the confusion and mystery around renting in London.

We’re hoping that by taking everyone inside a different person’s home each week and showing you all the details, we’ll help to answer a bunch of questions everyone has about finding a place to live.

Questions like…

How much is a normal amount to pay? How much space should you expect to get in return? Is that level of mould acceptable?


This week we’re inside the rented home of Mel Evans, an ex-Aussie who moved to London last year.

She’s been there for around nine months. (Picture: Alexander Crawley/metro.co.uk)

Hey Mel! How much rent are you paying?



£615 a month, bills not included.

How much do you have to pay in bills?

Everything is pre-paid, so we’ll whack £40 on electricity every month or so split between four of us, same on gas (which should be drastically reduced now we won’t be using the heaters), council tax is £98 odd a month split again, and then internet is about £16 each a month.

And where are you living?

Newington Green – that delightful patch of wonder below Stoke Newington, to the left of Dalston, above Canonbury and De Beauvoir and depending on who I’m talking to I have said I’ve lived in each one of these at any given time.

What are you actually getting for your money?

Four bedrooms and two-ish bathrooms. One has a shower, toilet, sink etc – the other is just a tiny hole that has a shower.

(Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

How long have you been there?

I moved in August, 2017. So charging towards nine months. Everyone else lived here another year before that.

Do you like it?

I LOVE the greater area – Canonbury, the actually green bit of Newington Green.

Now the sunshine is out everyone plonks themselves on their patch of green and loves life – and if you’re feeling extra fruity, Clissold Park is only a 15 min walk away where ALL THE DOGS hang out.

There are also amazing cafes nearby – with some good Aussie coffee, may I add – and it’s generally a lovely, leafy part of the city with a neighbourhood vibe and lots of Gen Y and hipster families that give the place a little je ne sais quoi.

I love how it’s also walking distance to Highbury and Islington, because transport links aren’t that hot around here with no tube, but I am 10 minutes either way to Dalston/Canonbury Overground and a six min walk from about 783 buses. You make it work. With a smile.

Do you feel like you have enough space?

In my bedroom? PAH!

Luckily I moved over from Australia with a suitcase and carry on and nothing else, so I didn’t need much space. However, as I continue to build a life here and accumulate more I definitely need more space.

(Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

Also, I’d like to not have to shimmy past my bed, knocking my knees on the bedhead, to get to my miniscule wardrobe, to have the door open and knock over the glass of water teetering on a random, non-moveable concrete block in the middle of my room. *Exhales*



In the general house? Love it – luckily I’ve never been one to just hang out in my room, so majority of the time I’m only sleeping in my room and you don’t care about how small your room is when you’re unconscious.

How did you find this place?

Facebook! Some page along the lines of ‘East London rent’ – so much shoddy stuff, but this place was advertised by an Aussie (with two more in the house) and we had mutual friends back in Sydney, so I assumed they weren’t COMPLETELY bonkers.

Luckily they were only 40% bonkers and we all clicked immediately.

Do you live with people you knew beforehand?

No! This is the first time I’ve lived with randoms (now friends, though, phew, the world is balanced again).

Are there any major issues with the house you have to put up with?

Nothing major *touches wood*.

It’s in an old council block that has a working lift only part of the time (first world issues, I know, but when you’re three flights up carrying heavy shit, the lift would really come in handy) and I sense the sewerage system for the building is on the fritz due to the delightful smells that emanate through our windows.

Can you tell she’s an Aussie? (Picture: Alexander Crawley/Mwetro.co.uk)

I can also hear my neighbour snoring, so the walls are evidently very, VERY thin. Or he has some serious sinus issues. Apart from that, we’ve managed to turn an old flat into a very homely space for us.


Any plans to move again?

In the next few months I’ll be looking to move on. The two Aussies are planning to head back home from July, and I’m keen to live in another area of the city; taste test another borough.

As much as I love the north/east, work is in the west and if I can cut my commute down in any way, even just down to two tubes, I’d be pretty chuffed. But that costs money. Sweet, sweet money.

Have you considered buying a place?

I mean, I consider it all the time! Will it happen? Not on your nelly!

I’m a pretty keen saver, but there’s no way I’d be buying in London.

I’d probably look at somewhere out of town as an investment and work my way in…what am I even talking about, this is years off. And several pay rises. And much, much less happy hour cocktails and said-expensive-Australian-coffee.

Sounds like a struggle. Now, let’s take a look around Mel’s humble abode…

The living room is pretty Instagram-worthy. (Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

Especially the cocktail cart. (Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

Much fancier than our booze cupboard. (Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

Mel has no issues with the kitchen (Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

And why would she? There’s a fruit bowl. (Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

The bathroom, however, is a bit cramped. (Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

(Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

(Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

Mel could also do with more space in her bedroom. (Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

(Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

(Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

(Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

How to get involved in What I Rent What I Rent is Metro.co.uk's weekly series that takes you inside the places people are renting, to give us all a better sense of what's normal and how much we should be paying. If you fancy taking part, please email whatirent@metro.co.uk. You'll need to have pictures taken of your kitchen, living room, bathroom, and bedroom, plus a few photos of you in your room. Make sure you get permission for your housemates! You'll also need to be okay with sharing how much you're paying for rent, as that's pretty important.

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