Rachel lives in Seven Sisters with her two rats, Gus and Mushroom. (Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

Finding a place to live in London can be a hellish experience of misleading photos, bathroom mould, and showers slotted in kitchens.

Once you find a place that’s decent, you’ll have to pay quite a bit for the privilege of living there.

It doesn’t help that – thanks to our cultural reluctance to talk about money – many of us aren’t really sure how much we ‘should’ be paying.

Our parents will gasp at the prospect of paying £900 a month, but that’s probably because they grew up at a time when declaring you wanted to buy a house wouldn’t get you laughed at.




That’s why each week we take an honest, upfront look at someone’s London renting situation as part of our weekly series, What I Rent.

The idea is that by looking at what Londoners are getting for what they’re paying, we’ll be able to put together a clearer picture of what’s normal – and stop people getting massively ripped off.

This week we’re heading to Seven Sisters to hang out with Rachel, a 27-year-old art student from North London, currently studying Performance Design at Central Saint Martins.

Rachel is a student, so loans cover most of her rent. (Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

Hey Rachel! How much are you paying for your one bedroom flat?

My rent is £936 a month, which is thankfully mostly covered by student loans.

Water, electricity, and internet bills usually come to around £110 per month. I currently don’t have to pay council tax as I am a student.

And what are you getting for that price?

I have a substantial living/bedroom area, one bathroom, decent kitchen and a lovely garden all to myself.

How long have you lived in the flat?

I’ve lived here since January 2018.

I found the flat on RightMove and immediately after the viewing I went to the letting agent’s office and filled out the application. You have to be very quick in London!

She pays £936 a month. (Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

What do you think of living where you live?

I absolutely love where I live.

My landlord is a lovely man, the other people who live in my flat block are great, I live close to the tube and most importantly… I live 5 minutes walk away from three good friends of mine who all happen to be some of London’s most fabulous Drag Queens. What more could you want?!

Fair. Do you feel like you have enough space?

My flat may seem small but it is enough space for me.

My landlord very kindly bought large new wardrobes when I moved in (he even let me pick the style, so of course I chose the ones with the most mirrors) so there is plenty of storage space.

I love cooking and feel that the kitchen is a good size, which is very rare for a studio flat in London. A great additional feature of the flat is the garden, I love having friends over for dinner in the garden.



You have rats… but the good pet kind, not the rat-infested kitchens you sometimes find in London. Tell us about them.

I have two ratties called Gus and Mushroom (Gus is the one I am holding in the photos) and I am absolutely besotted with them. One of the most important things about choosing this flat was that the landlord let me keep rats.

By scale, their house is actually bigger than mine, even though they are rarely in it. They have free rein of my flat and are (mostly!) very well behaved. They are toilet trained and come to me when I call them, like tiny little dogs.

Finding a place where rats are allowed was one of Rachel’s top priorities (Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

Mushroom is a bit shy, his favourite hobbies are playing in his paddling pool and building nests. Gus is one of the most docile creatures I have ever met. He absolutely loves sitting on my knee, massages, having a nap under my pillows and both of them will do anything for a snack.

I am trying to train Gus to wear tiny clothes and accessories in the hope that he will become London’s first Rat Drag Queen.

It’s just you and the rats, right?

I live alone. My boyfriend spends a lot of time here too which is lovely because the rats need a good father figure in their lives.

You’ve definitely made the place your own – how did you turn your flat into a home?

I am very lucky to have a landlord who let me decorate! This was my first time doing any DIY and I am so pleased with how the living/bedroom area turned out.


The big wall in the living area was previously painted a luminous shade of orange which wasn’t to my taste, so I painted it white and covered it in fabulous banana leaf print wallpaper. My inspiration for decor comes from The Beverly Hills Hotel in L.A. and Palm Vaults café in Hackney.

I have lots of mirrors which make the place feel bigger and look brighter. The handyman installed my tacky plastic purple chandelier for me, which no home is complete without.

The garden was full of junk left by previous tenants when I moved in, so my landlord cleared it out for me and I was able to plant all my gorgeous flowers.

We spend a lot of time in the garden, the rats have a tiny bed that we take outside with us so they can enjoy the fresh air.

Filling the flat with plants has made it feel more homely. (Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

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

Thankfully, no major issues. If there is ever anything wrong, my landlord sends the handyman around pretty much immediately.

Any plans to move again?

I really don’t want to move again for a long time! I am just about to start the second year of my degree and would love to stay here for the duration of it.

And what about buying a place?

I would never be able to afford it in London! My boyfriend has promised me he will buy us a house when he is a world-famous artist.


I think living in a castle with a few Irish Wolfhounds would really suit us. Can’t wait.

Sounds dreamy. Shall we have a look around Rachel’s place?

The flat isn’t massive, but it suits Rachel and her rats perfectly. (Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

We’re big fans of the wallpaper. (Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

Oh hey, side-eye Barbie. (Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

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

This is Gus, btw. (Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

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

Gus and Mushroom are free to wander the flat. (Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

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

The bathroom is delightfully pink and flamingo themed. (Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

And the kitchen is a decent size. (Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

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

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

Yes, there’s a garden. (Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

With a (fake) flamingo. (Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

A quick note on this piece: We’ve described Rachel’s place as a one-bedroom flat, but because the bedroom and living room are combined, it could be seen as a studio. We’re using House Network’s definition of a studio as a flat with the kitchen, living area, and bedroom all combined into one room, which is why we’ve described this place – with a separate kitchen – as a one-bedroom flat.

Confusing, right?

We’re going to put together a follow-up piece on when a studio flat becomes a one bedroom, and what landlords are actually allowed to describe as one-bedroom flats, because frankly we’re not sure where the line is either – and that has to be confusing when you’re trying to find somewhere to live.

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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