Rianna and Paula rent a flat in Peckham (Picture: Susannah Ireland)

Yep, it’s time for another look inside someone’s rented property.

No, not just so we can judge the state of their toothbrush or mention that up north you could get a house with a garden for half the price of this flat.

It’s in order to get some clarity on what people pay and what they get for their money in London. That’s the whole point of our weekly series, What I Rent.

(Although we do also enjoy nosing around people’s things and seeing how they’ve made their places their own.)


This week we’re looking around a two-bedroom flat in Peckham, currently rented out by friends Paula and Rianna.

Paula’s on the left wearing jeans, Rianna is on the right, holding a yellow pillow and wearing some excellent green trousers (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

Oh, hey, Paula. How much rent do you pay?



£1,300 a month total. We pay about £60 each in bills.

And what do you get for what you pay?

Two bedrooms, one kitchen, one living room/dining area, one bathroom, one garden.

How did you end up living here?

I’ve been here since March 2018 and Rianna moved in October. I found the flat via a letting agent.

Do you like where you live?

We’re happy with where we live, it’s a lovely area. Peckham is very black compared to North London where we’re both from but gentrification is real and ever-prevalent.

This clock was painted by Rianna’s sister, Maia (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

Do you feel like you have enough space?

Our rooms could definitely be bigger but we also have the whole flat to ourselves and we spend most of our time hanging out in our living room.

Paula, what’s it like living with Rianna?

I hate her. Joking!!!

She’s very easy to live with – it definitely helps that we’ve known each other since year seven and went to the same school. Teachers often mistook us for one another despite looking nothing alike. Racism is a bitch.

How have you made the flat feel like home?

Honestly I could live in a cardboard box but Rianna, on the other hand, is a real homebody and has added her touch with plants, lighting and we have lots of art.

Rianna feels like it’s really important for her to mention that she brought in a sideboard because before that, there was just random shit in the corner of the living room (I, Paula, dispute this).

You’ll spot plenty of artwork around the flat, mostly from Rianna and Paula’s super creative friends (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

You’ve got some great artwork around the flat – how do you find the pieces you want to have on display?

Honestly, a lot of the artwork was bought at my festival, Black Girl Fest, and Rianna’s sister Maia painted the clock.

We’re part of a massive network of black creatives so basically all of our friends are artists and illustrators so they get a lot of our money.

Are there any problems with the flat?

We have a damp cupboard of doom at the front of the flat that we never go into.



It’s also not got a huge amount of storage so we have to find very creative ways to store our things.

Are you planning to move again?

We’re going to live together forever and ever. We’re in the process of renewing our tenancy.

Have you considered buying a place?

Neither of us have money, Ellen. This is a really hurtful question and we feel attacked.

Sorry to both. Let’s have a look at the place, then.

The living room area (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

Rianna wants you to know she bought the sideboard (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

A healthy collection of books in the living room (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

The living room leads into the kitchen (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

Just enough room for two (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

And plenty of spices (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

They’re lucky enough to have a garden (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

(Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

We’re impressed by the plant pots (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

Here’s Rianna’s room (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

We’re big fans of her book display (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

Rianna’s room has direct access to the garden, which is handy (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

If you look closely, you’ll see Rianna’s name on The Colour of Madness. That’s because she wrote that book along with Samara Linton! Very cool. (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

A glorious array of glasses, jewellery, and cards (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

Here’s Paula’s room, which also has a door to the garden (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

Yet more brilliant artwork. Also, we think Paula likes candles (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

(Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

How many candles have you spotted so far? (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

And finally, the bathroom (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

(Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

We think this is the first time we’ve seen a bathroom basket for the soaps and dental care, and we like it (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

What I Rent is a weekly series that’s out every Tuesday at 10am. Check back next week to have a nose around another rented property in London.

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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