George and Ross share a two-bedroom flat in Leicester city centre (Picture: SWNS/Metro.co.uk)

As part of our weekly series What I Rent, we’ve been venturing outside of London to see how renting compares around the rest of the UK.

This won’t be too much of a shocking revelation: rent is far more expensive in London and looking at the sweet deals renters are getting in other spots is making us question every life choice we’ve ever made.

Case in point: back in July we marvelled at the decoration of Matthew and Charles’ one-bedroom flat in Chelsea. It’s an amazing place, absolutely, so a monthly rent of £2,230 doesn’t seem too outlandish.



But then we went to Leicester and met George, the owner and director of The Secret Garden hair salon, and Ross, an accessories designer, who have an equally lovely two-bedroom flat in Leicester city centre. They pay £800 between them, so £400 each.


Londoners, let us weep together.

Together they pay £800 a month (Picture: SWNS/Metro.co.uk)

Hey, George! How much do you both pay to live here?

We pay £800 for our apartment per month, so £400 each.

Bills are quite cheap as we have a lot of natural sunlight which heats up the apartment and we’re also on the third floor so we get other apartments heat. So we put into the joint account around £250 a month between us to cover the cost of our bills.

What do you get for what you pay?

So we have a large open plan living/kitchen/dining area with a balcony space that extends from that. We have two bedrooms but we converted one into a dressing room. We have our main bathroom and also an en suite off our master bedroom.

Both Ross and George are creative, so have made the flat their own (Picture: SWNS/Metro.co.uk)

Do you have a good deal?

Yes! Because it’s not a massive space, we can keep the bills down and we’re also careful with our electric and gas making sure all switches are off when they need to be to save energy.

We know we could get somewhere cheaper but it wouldn’t have the perks of where we’re at now.

How did you end up in Leicester?

George: I have always lived in Leicester as I was born here, but not central, as with my parents I lived on the outskirts of Leicester. Being in the city is new for me.

Ross: I am originally from Stoke On Trent and I moved to Leicester around four and half years ago to study my Fashion Design degree at De Montfort University. It was in my second year that I met George and we have been together since – that’s why I have stayed in Leicester.

How did you find the flat?

We have lived here just over a year, which has totally flown by if we’re honest.

My dad luckily owns the apartment we live in. When we were originally looking for an apartment, the previous tenants’ contract ended which was perfect timing for us. We immediately snapped it up and here we are now.

There’s not enough storage, but the couple make do (Picture: SWNS/Metro.co.uk)

Are you happy with the area?



We love living on Freemen’s Meadow as we’re central to the city, we’re minutes away from the train station, we literally overlook the Leicester city football ground and we are so close to our business.

At the back of our estate there is also a lovely canal which is perfect for walks.

Do you feel like you have enough space?

We do and we don’t… there’s always room for more, right?

I think we would love a third bedroom and more storage space as storage is very limited in the apartment. But we love the space we have and are so grateful to be living in such a lovely part of Leicester.

What’s it like living together?

It’s amazing! With all the work going on we actually don’t see each other all that much, unfortunately, as we work different days and times. But there’s nothing better than coming home to the person you love.

George is the owner and director of The Secret Garden hair salon (Picture: SWNS/Metro.co.uk)

How have you made the flat feel like home?

When we moved in it was shocking, to say the least. The previous tenants really abused the apartment but us being creatives knew we could make it so much better.

We have a love for plants and greenery. This makes the home cosy and is definitely a focal point for guests.

We have filled the apartment with objects that we love and mean something to us, which is so important. And of course there’s a constant flow of traditional British tea and biscuits in the Freemen’s Meadow household!


You have a lot of plants. How do you keep them all alive?

We have to admit, not all tje plants are real… simply because a lot of areas in our apartment, for example the bathroom, don’t have any natural light so we had to go fake.

We’ve got the right balance of real and fake as we can tend to the ones that actually need water to stay alive. It is difficult keeping up with them we have to admit, but it’s the responsibility of having a botanical home!

The pair share their amazing home interiors on Instagram, under the handle @freemensmeadows26 (Picture: SWNS)

Are there any problems with the flat?

None at all… which is so lucky! Touch wood.

Do you have plans to move again?

At the moment we love the apartment and we have really made it into something we truly are proud of. We also have a home Instagram account called @freemensmeadow26 where we document the apartment in all of its glory.

We think in the future we would definitely love something bigger, maybe even a renovation project? We love the idea of a barn conversion potentially so we shall see.

Have you considered buying a place?

Not at the moment, as we’ve just opened up the business The Secret Garden so having a mortgage and doing that just isn’t an option at the moment. We’re happy to pay rent while saving for our future.

Very responsible. Let’s have a look around.

Seriously, this is my dream living room. Give me a moment of pure envy. (Picture: SWNS/Metro.co.uk)

Some plants are fake, some are real (Picture: SWNS/Metro.co.uk)

There are a *lot* of plants in this flat. Try to keep count, if you wish (Picture: SWNS/Metro.co.uk)

For anyone else confused, that’s a mirror, not a window (Picture: SWNS/Metro.co.uk)

A neon cactus, because a real cactus just isn’t enough (Picture: SWNS/Metro.co.uk)

Peep the balcony (Picture: SWNS/Metro.co.uk)

The perfect place for an evening drink (Picture: SWNS/Metro.co.uk)

And once you’re done with drinks, you can stroll right through to the dining area (Picture: SWNS/Metro.co.uk)

Yes, that is a plant wall. Yes, I do want one (Picture: SWNS/Metro.co.uk)

Behold the kitchen (Picture: SWNS/Metro.co.uk)

Fancy knives, bros (Picture: SWNS/Metro.co.uk)

Ross and George converted the second bedroom into a dressing room (Picture: SWNS/Metro.co.uk)

Ross is an accessories designer (Picture: SWNS/Metro.co.uk)

Look at this bedroom. Dreamy, right? (Picture: SWNS/Metro.co.uk)

Even the fan is nice (Picture: SWNS/Metro.co.uk)

Every flat needs a reading nook (Picture: SWNS/Metro.co.uk)

Finally, the bathroom (Picture: SWNS/Metro.co.uk)

We like the hanging plants and shall steal that idea (Picture: SWNS/Metro.co.uk)

More plants, more flowers (Picture: SWNS/Metro.co.uk)

Please note how the toilet roll has a folded edge. It’s like being at a hotel. (Picture: SWNS/Metro.co.uk)

One toothbrush. Mysterious. (Picture: SWNS/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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