Jamie rents a one-bedroom flat in central Brighton for £895 a month (Picture: Andrew Hasson/Metro.co.uk)

Have you noticed a load of Londoners ditching the city and racing over to Brighton?

Blame the delightful nightlife, the excellent fish and chips, or all the influencers buying fancy property by the sea, but Brighton is increasingly seeming like the place to go if you’re priced out of the capital.

But is it actually a wonderful place to be? And is renting there that much cheaper?

As part of our weekly series, What I Rent, we hung out with Jamie, a creative consultant who rents in Brighton’s centre.


He’s lived in Brighton for 12 years and has been in the flat for four (Picture: Andrew Hasson/Metro.co.uk)

Hi, Jamie! How much do you pay to live here?



Rent is £895 per month, bills are roughly £200 per month including council tax, utilities, and internet.

What do you get for what you pay?

An open plan living room and kitchen, one bedroom, and one bathroom.

Do you think you have a good deal?

I think it’s a good deal for central Brighton but I don’t want to think about comparing it to the rest of the UK! I guess it’s expensive in comparison (apart from London).

Why do you live in Brighton?

I’ve lived in Brighton for 12 years and in this flat for just over four years. I came here for work and have not looked back. It’s an amazing vibrant city where anything goes!

The creative consultant is a big fan of statement lighting (Picture: Andrew Hasson/Metro.co.uk)

Are you happy where you live?

Yes, I love it. It’s in a great location in the centre of the city, I have bars, clubs, restaurants and shops literally a few seconds walk away, the seafront and beach are less than five minutes away.

I love being in a cool busy city, but the flat is also quiet and chilled (except when friends come round to party).

Do you feel like you have enough space?

Yes, it’s a well laid out space and the large front window and high ceilings make it feel spacious and airy.

There’s not a massive amount of storage space, but that helps me keep the place minimal and clutter-free – which I like.

Everyone needs their own name spelled out somewhere (Picture: Andrew Hasson/Metro.co.uk)

How did you find the flat?

Through a letting agent – you have to be quick in Brighton if you like somewhere. I was the first to view and signed up immediately.

What’s it like living alone?

I’m an only child so I’m used to having my own space/ I love living on my own as I have more freedom in the place, if I get bored or lonely I’ll pop across the road to a coffee shop, and I have a great friendship group so there is always something to do.

Failing that, there’s always Grindr!

How have you made the flat feel like home?

All the furniture is mine, I’ve invested in some art and I’m slightly lighting obsessed. I’ve used automated lighting throughout the flat that enables me to create various moods, my favourite of which is the 25 LED light tiles that can be synced to music (it’s great for parties).

Those lights change colour and can be timed to music (Picture: Andrew Hasson/Metro.co.uk)

Are there any issues with the place?



No major issues – it can be a little cold in the winter, but the landlady agreed to an extra radiator that, along with a Dyson fan, has sorted that out.

Are you planning to move again?

No immediate plans to move – I’d always want to remain centrally located.

Have you considered buying a place?

Yes I’d love to own a place in Brighton but financially that’s just not going to work currently!

Same. Shall we have a look around?

The living room, complete with plenty of cushions (Picture: Andrew Hasson/Metro.co.uk)

We like a nice pop of blue (Picture: Andrew Hasson/Metro.co.uk)

We imagine Jamie sits there and reads (Picture: Andrew Hasson/Metro.co.uk)

Look, here are some books to confirm that theory (Picture: Andrew Hasson/Metro.co.uk)

Here’s the kitchen. Note the fancy lights under the cabinets (Picture: Andrew Hasson/Metro.co.uk)

And a magnetic knife strip. Posh. (Picture: Andrew Hasson/Metro.co.uk)

There’s a decent amount of storage (Picture: Andrew Hasson/Metro.co.uk)

Here’s the bedroom (Picture: Andrew Hasson/Metro.co.uk)

For someone who lives in Brighton, Jamie has a lot of London references in his flat (Picture: Andrew Hasson/Metro.co.uk)

But where are the towels? (Picture: Andrew Hasson/Metro.co.uk)

Handy for planning out your commute… if you live in London (Picture: Andrew Hasson/Metro.co.uk)

Toothbrush by a reed diffuser. Very nice. (Picture: Andrew Hasson/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.

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.

MORE: What I Rent: George and Ross, £800 a month for a two-bedroom flat in Leicester

MORE: What I Rent: Leia and Evan, £1,600 a month for a one-bedroom flat in Kennington

MORE: What I Rent: Jes and Adam, £550 a month each to share a two-bedroom flat in the Northern Quarter, Manchester

Advertisement Advertisement