Phebe, 21, moved to London in August (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

When you’re new to London, finding a place to live can be tough.

What area should you be looking at? How long is a reasonable commute? How much should you be paying?

To help ease the confusion and mystery around renting in London, our weekly series, What I Rent, provides an honest look at how people are renting in the city.

We nose around people’s rented properties to see what they get for what they’re paying, to give us all a better sense of what’s normal and what’s a rip-off.


Plus, we like looking at people’s stuff. That’s always interesting.



This week we’re chatting to 21-year-old freelance illustrator and personal assistant Phebe, who moved to London in August.

The freelance illustrator pays £1,200 a month in rent (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

Hey Phebe! How much do you pay to live here?

I pay £1,200 per month for rent.

Not much at all in bills, it changes monthly but no more than £100.

And what do you get for that?

A one-bedroom flat with a kitchen and living area and one bathroom.

How did you find the flat?

I’ve been here since October. It wasn’t actually being advertised when I saw it. I asked an estate agent to select a few properties for me and this was one of them.

It’s a one bedroom flat just for Phebe, with a kitchen, living, and dining area, a bathroom, and a balcony (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

Do you like the area?

I live in Raynes Park. I love it around here, as I work in central London every day it’s nice to come home to somewhere quiet and residential.

And are you happy where you live?

I honestly love it. I feel incredibly lucky to be able to live in a flat on my own in London. It isn’t something I will continue to do as its obviously pretty pricey.

How have you made your flat feel like home?

Well, as you can see, I have a lot of stuff. Little bits of me in every nook and cranny. Even at uni I always filled my room to the brim with stuff. Some might call it tacky but I love it.

Also I love having photos everywhere, I think a home isn’t a home without photos of your loved ones!

Phebe has made the flat feel like home with pictures, plants, and plenty of personal stuff (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

Are there any issues with the flat?

It can be really really noisy but I’m getting used to it. Everything else is great.

Do you have plans to move again?

Yeah I’ll move when its my break clause, I want to move somewhere a little more central – Clapham South, Balham etc. Obviously sticking to South West!

I’ve already got plans to move in with my childhood bestie. Can’t wait.

And what about buying a place?

Haha, no. I doubt I will ever buy in London.

We relate. Shall we have a look around Phebe’s flat?

The living room has plenty of space for a solo renter (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

Plants and pops of colour brighten up what could be a dreary flat (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

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

There’s space for a dining table, too (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

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

Just around the corner there’s the kitchen (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

Nice, right? (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

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

There’s a balcony, too (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

Down the hallway we go (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

And into the bedroom (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

Phebe likes prints and patterns, if you couldn’t tell (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

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

We approve of how many cushions there are on the bed (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

The bathroom has a shower and a tub, a rarity when renting in London (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

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

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

And look, the toothbrush is colourful too (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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