Myles pays £950 a month for a one-bedroom flat in Harrow. (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

Another week, another peek behind the curtain at the mystery of renting in London.

What I Rent is a weekly series that takes you inside a different person’s rented property each week, with the aim of helping us all to navigate the madness of trying to find a decent place to live in London.

If you’ve already found your dream flat, take a deep sigh of relief – it’s tricky out there.

There are such wild differences between homes listed at the same price that it’s near impossible to work out what you should be paying and what to expect in return.




Add in misleading photos of living rooms that turn out to double as box rooms (yep, that sofa’s a pull-out bed) and people’s general reluctance to talk about money, and trying to rent a place can be a serious source of stress.

With What I Rent we hope to provide some clarity, by showing real people’s rented homes in all their glory.

This week we’re hanging out with Myles, a 26-year-old railway signaller renting a place in Harrow.

At 26, Myles is a railway signaller. He lives alone (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

Hey Myles! How much rent are you paying for this flat?

I pay £950 pcm, no bills included.

And how much do you have to pay in bills?

Council tax is £105. Electric and gas is £35. Water is £30 (un-metered supply unfortunately). Broadband is £17 so about £190 per month.

What do you think of the price of your home? Is it within budget? Is it a stretch?

For me it is ok, as I am very lucky to be in a job that pays well and is secure. I mean obviously £950 a month is a lot of money for anyone, but it’s the price you pay for living in London and compared to other flats I viewed in the area it is a decent price.

How did you find this place?

I found this place on Rightmove, the draw your own search area tool is extremely useful.

Living in zone 5 makes it easier to afford a decent flat (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

And what are you getting for what you pay?

It’s got one bedroom, one bathroom and a large kitchen/living room. I also have a parking spot which was essential to me as I have to drive to work.

What do you think of the area?

It’s in central Harrow, about 10 minutes walk to both Harrow on the Hill and West Harrow tube stations.

I think Harrow is a bit of an overlooked place, some people think I live way outside London, but it’s zone 5 and really the metropolitan line is so quick it feels much closer to central London than it is.

I’m a born and bred Harrovian (not the school, just the place) so I must like the borough having stuck around so long.

It’s always been a family orientated place, but it is getting a bit younger in the last couple of years. Lots of new builds going up in the town centre which will hopefully breathe some new life into the town, only a matter of time before we get a Brewdog and a hipster coffee house.



Harrow has always had great transport links, 15 minutes to Euston, 20ish minutes to Baker Street and now even got the night tube on the Jubilee.

In terms of pubs/nightlife there isn’t a great deal, but The Castle is a lovely old pub on the hill and Trinity Bar brings a little bit of Camden to our corner of NW London.

Do you feel like you have enough space?

I have two large cupboards, one of which is absolutely cavernous.That was certainly a big selling point of the flat. There are so many kitchen cupboards I haven’t found a use for all of them yet!

I only wish I had enough space for a small dining table as eating off a tray in front of the TV loses its novelty quickly.

Thankfully Myles has plenty of space to store his bits. (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

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

Nothing major so far (touch wood), just little things like a bit of misting in the double glazing and the quality of some of the decorating done before I moved in.

The entire block has had issues with the council in getting our bins emptied and there have been piles of extra bin bags and recycling piling up at times which is unpleasant.

Any plans to move again?

I’ve been here for just about two and a half months now. Still trying to make the place feel like home, not just an Airbnb.

I’m quite happy here for the moment, but you’ve always got to be on the look out for better places when tenancies are coming up for renewal. I’d love somewhere with some outdoor space as it is lacking here.


Have you considered buying a place?

I’d love to buy a place, but I’m not in a position to do that at the moment. It probably wouldn’t be in London though as I’m lucky that my job allows me to relocate to almost anywhere in the UK and I’ll probably be sick of London when I get to my mid 30s anyway.

Now, let’s have a nose around Myles’ flat…

The hallway, with a peek of the bedroom (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

Myles’ bedroom is plain but spacious (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

And there’s plenty of storage space (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

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

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

Myles likes American football, if you hadn’t guessed (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

The kitchen has more than enough space for one person (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

And it’s very clean. Well done, Myles (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

Two sofas and a TV? We’re jealous, honestly (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

But Myles is right – he really does need a dining table (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

Myles uses his Rail, Maritime, and Transport Union flag as a natty windowsill cover (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

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

The bathroom’s not half bad (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

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

We appreciate the Andrex wipes (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

(Picture: Susannah Ireland/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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