Sharan is the editor-in-chief of Burnt Roti magazine (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

Renting in London isn’t much fun.

It’s also confusing when you start searching for a place.

Is it normal to pay £1,200 a month for a studio with a shower in the kitchen? Is that a reasonable deposit? Is this a good place to live?

To try to get some more clarity and conversation going around the topic of renting, we launched What I Rent, a weekly series in which we look at what renters in London get for what they pay.


This week we’re nosing around Sharan’s flat. Sharan is the editor-in-chief of Burnt Roti, and rents a two-bedroom flat in Stoke Newington, sharing with a housemate.

She shares a two-bedroom flat with a friend (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

Hey, Sharan! How much are you paying for this place?



We pay £1,350 split between two – when I moved into the flat, we negotiated the hell out of it!

Bills are £140 each month. That includes internet, council tax, water, electric and TV license.

And what do you get for what you’re paying?

It’s a two bedroom flat with one bathroom.

How did you find the place?

I’ve been here for one year and four months. My flatmate’s been here for four months. One of my best mates used to live with me, but she moved out to live with her boyfriend.

I found it through a rigorous period of flat hunting with my mate – we were both moving at the same time and decided to search together. We saw quite a few places before we found this on a random estate agent’s website.

As soon as we saw the flat we knew we wanted it – it came at the perfect time for the both of us.

Sharan and her housemate each pay £675 a month to live here (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

What’s it like living with your housemate?

I moved in with one of my best mates and it was great living with her, and now live with another friend.

It’s nice living with people, but at the same time I really want my own space, especially since I need so much room for my work.

I like having time to myself and being alone a lot of the time, so I socialise occasionally but prefer being alone with my laptop, replying to emails and working on my magazine.

What do you think of the area?

We’re in Stoke Newington. Close to the overground station, but the nearest underground is Seven Sisters, which we would have to get a bus to.

I like the area – Stoke Newington is great for cafes and pubs.

How have you made the flat your own?

I haven’t really made much of an effort with the flat – I’m not sure why. There’s artwork that I’ve placed around the flat from people – some from the exhibition my magazine curated in 2017. My flat is a holding place for them until they’re sold!

Sharan’s made the flat her own with plenty of artwork. This piece is by Jannat Hussain, @heebiejabi (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

Are you happy living in the flat?

The flat itself I’m not that happy with – my landlord is awful. He regularly abuses me on the phone and once threw away my patio furniture without any renumeration. Those experiences have reflected negatively on my emotional connection to the space.



Do you feel like you have enough space?

There’s a lot of space and for what I pay, I’m getting a lot – but ideally I would like another room as an office or studio space so I don’t have to work in my bedroom.

The area is great, but Sharan doesn’t get on with her landlord (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

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

Downstairs are LOUD – they argue often and have a child that enjoys an occasional scream. The flat upstairs like to have a party every now and then, but I guess you get used to these kinds of noises when you live somewhere for a while.

I used to live on Stoke Newington Church St, opposite a pub in a flat with no double glazing, so this is a step up.

Do you have any plans to move soon?

I’m leaving the flat in April to go to Canada and India for work. When I get back I think I’m going to look into getting a flat to myself.

I’m not sure where, everywhere’s too expensive and I don’t know if I’m going to stay around London. I’m very excited about not actually having a plan, though.

And… what about buying a place?

Lol. No, I can barely pay rent.

Same. Shall we have a look around the flat?

Yep, there’s a garden and patio (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

In the summer it’s nice to be able to sit outside (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

There’s a large living room with space for two big sofas (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

Sharan’s made the flat feel more like home with plenty of artwork (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

We like the doorway to the kitchen. Very hobbit-ish (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

A well-stocked case of DVDs and books (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

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

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

Here’s Sharan’s bedroom (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

The room doubles as a place for Sharan to do her work (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

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

It’s a pretty big bedroom, with space for a bed, a sofa, and a desk (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

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

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

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

Here’s Sharan’s housemate’s room (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

And, of course, the bathroom (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

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

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

And a bonus toothbrush (Picture: Susannah Ireland/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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