A NEW smartphone app simulating the experience of home ownership in London is wildly popular among young people.

Ownr, which allows virtual homeowners to drill holes in walls, have pets and replace ovens the same week they break, is according to many young Londoners ‘like entering an amazing alternate world’.

Carolyn Ryan of Wood Green said: “Just the feeling of walking around my virtual flat, knowing I could leave fingerprints on the walls without my Dubai-based landlord instantly taking my £1,600 deposit, was incredible.

“But it’s a bit unrealistic. My property has a parking space and a garden – come on – and there isn’t even a streetlight shining through the Ikea blinds in the bedroom. Makes it hard to suspend your disbelief.”

App creator Tom Booker said: “We’ve done our best to make Ownr authentic, though obviously as a young Londoner I rent a shared house in Essex.

“Unfortunately the app may not have much longevity. 90 per cent of users don’t get past the initial 36-month cycle before fucking off and renting it out.”