Tessa and Rob share a two-bedroom flat in Muswell Hill (Picture: Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk)

Our weekly series What I Rent is taking an honest look at the state of renting in the UK; the good, the bad, and the seriously overpriced tiny studio flats.

Each week we have a look around someone’s rented property, taking in exactly what they get for what they pay – because how can we know if we’re getting a good deal if we have nothing to compare it to?

Last week we marvelled at a museum-like home filled with antiques in fancy Chelsea, rented by newlywed couple Matthew and Charles.

This time around we’ve headed to north London, visiting a two-bedroom flat in Muswell Hill rented by civil servant Tessa and Rob, who works in corporate partnerships for a charity.


They pay £1,400 a month between them (Picture: Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk)

Hi, Tessa! How much rent do you pay?



£1,400 total. We nearly split it but I pay a little bit more because I earn a bit more money than Rob does.

It’s about £250 in bills each month. Council tax is a kicker!

What do you get for what you pay?

Five rooms (six if you include the balcony); that includes two bedrooms and one bathroom.

It’s top floor in the roof so space is tight, but we have so many skylights and double doors onto the balcony from the living room, so all the light we get is a massive bonus.

And having a spare room in London feels like such a luxury. We definitely got lucky.

Do you think you have a good deal?

Generally yes – we rented direct with our landlord through OpenRent and they are genuinely nice people. We also avoided agency fees which is great.

The couple have made the flat feel like home with plenty of prints, posters, and plants (Picture: Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk)

What area is your home in?

Muswell Hill – it’s part of the reason we think we got such a good deal! We’d really have resented paying what we do now if we were still in in Wood Green (where we lived before) but because Muswell Hill is basically it’s own small village it feels worth it.

We really resent travelling into central London on the weekend and try to avoid it as much as possible!

How long have you lived in your place?

About 10 months now. We’ve already told the landlord we’d like to stay for another year.

Do you like the area?

We love it so much. I come from the middle of the countryside so it’s nice having that calming village feel to it.

The only downside is there is no tube connection so we have to get a bus to Highgate to get on the tube to get to work.

But because we love the area so much we rarely leave it on the weekend.

They’ve been living in the flat for 10 months, and have already told their landlord they’d like to stay for another year (Picture: Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk)

Do you feel like you have enough space?

Most of the time yes. The sloping roofs in the bedroom make the logistics of wardrobes hard and we both definitely have way too much stuff.

It’s definitely a flat that disincentivises hoarding.

What’s it like living together?



Really really chill and easy. We’re both pretty similar in terms of tidiness and both just love being at home cuddling on the sofa (lame).

We’ve both said we expected it to be a lot harder than it’s turned out to be.

How have you made the flat feel like home?

So much art. Just way way too many posters (half of which still need framing). Loads of plants. And we’ve slowly tried to invest in furniture we actually like and that will last. It feels like a grown up flat, even if we don’t actually feel like that.

Space is limited, but they make do (Picture: Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk)

Are there any problems with the flat you have to put up with?

The only major issue we had was leaving a Christmas tree on the balcony for slightly too long after it had died, and then trying to work out how to dispose of it without littering the whole building with pine needles… but that was very much an issue of our own making.

It’s also not brilliant in the heat which we’ve found in the last week – all the skylights make it a bit of a greenhouse…

But that’s being pretty picky. We’re pretty lucky!

Have you considered buying a place?

Yeah that’s next on the list – it’s just trying to save for a deposit which is proving really hard. Hopefully by this time next year we’ll be in a better place and might be able to start considering options around shared ownership.


Sounds very responsible. Let’s have a look around.

The couple in the living room (Picture: Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk)

We like those cushions (Picture: Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk)

Peek through the window and you can see the balcony (Picture: Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk)

It’s a top floor flat so yes, there’s a sloped ceiling (Picture: Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk)

Colour-coded bookshelves may be controversial, but we’re big fans (Picture: Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk)

That little reading nook is lovely too (Picture: Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk)

Plus there’s a drinks table! (Picture: Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk)

Here’s the kitchen (Picture: Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk)

Not massive, but they make do (Picture: Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk)

This is the spare bedroom, which doubles as some extra storage space (Picture: Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk)

In London, having a spare bedroom feels like a bit of a luxury (Picture: Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk)

Tessa and Rob’s room (Picture: Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk)

The ceiling windows provide loads of light (Picture: Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk)

That’s handy for all their plants (Picture: Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk)

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

Yes, that is a beard shampoo you can spy (Picture: Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk)

There’s the toilet (Picture: Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk)

Why is there so much toothpaste? We may never know (Picture: Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk)

Tessa and Rob, we say this with love: Please replace your toothbrushes (Picture: Matthew Chattle/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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