Rebecca shares a two-bedroom flat in Tooting. (Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

Wouldn’t it be nice if we all had a clearer idea of what renting in London is supposed to cost?

It’d be great to know whether a £900 room in Clapham is a rip-off, and what we should expect if we’re paying £650 for a house-share.

That’s why we launched What I Rent, a weekly series to make sense of renting.

Each week we take you inside someone’s rented property to have an honest look at what people are getting for the rent they pay.


The idea is that by seeing a bunch of other people’s places and how much they pay, we’ll all have a better sense of pricing and expectations when it comes to finding a place to live.



This week we’re hanging out with Rebecca, a journalist who shares a two-bedroom flat in Tooting with a police officer called Rachel.

She pays £714 a month. (Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

Hey Bex! How much are you paying for this place?

We pay £1,428 a month split between two so I pay £714 a month

We each put £100 in to a joint account along with the rent money and that covers all our bills each month, along with extra for the winter months when the gas bill gets higher/we want to buy new Christmas decorations.

Off the top of my head I think we pay £60 for council tax, around £30 each for gas and electricity, £30 for Sky TV and broadband and £17 for water. Then we pay quarterly for our TV licence.

And what do you get for that money?

It’s a really good-sized flat, with two bedrooms, one bathroom with separate bath and shower, one living room and one kitchen which is big enough to give us room for a dining table as well.

How did you find the flat?

I’ve lived here for over three years now, moving in June 2015.

I found it through SpareRoom! My old landlord was selling his place so me and my then housemate had a fair few months notice to start looking.

We signed up to loads of estate agents but none of them would show us properties that were anywhere within our price range or location needs (no, I wasn’t lying when I said don’t have an extra £300 a month to spend on rent!)

We were also browsing SpareRoom on the off-chance a property for two would appear in a location we liked, and it did.

Bex and Rachel have been lucky to get a place they’re allowed to decorate. (Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

Did you know your current housemate before moving in together?

When my old housemate decided to move back to Australia she gave me loads of notice so I started advertising on SpareRoom about three or four months before the room was available.

Rachel was the first person to reply and we clicked straight away.

We both work jobs with shift hours so sometimes it’s like living on your own which both of us really like, but then it’s nice to know that we can drop the other a text to say ‘you Home tonight? Wine?’



What’s the location like?

We live in Tooting Broadway/Furzedown. It’s about a 12 minute walk to Tooting Broadway tube station and just under 10 to Tooting train station. We’re also about a 10 minute walk to Tooting Common.

Rebecca has lived in the flat for three years, so she’s been able to make it her own. (Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

Are you happy where you live?

I love where I live! The flat is spacious, and we’ve been allowed to decorate how we want. We still check in when we want to add a nail to the wall for more pictures but it’s never been a problem.

I’ve only ever lived in Tooting since I moved to London in 2013 and in the last few years I’ve seen it change a lot but it’s still maintained a wonderful community vibe.

I love that there are great bars and restaurants just a few minutes walk from where I live and I love the Tooting community Instagram pages that let you know when new places are opening or events are taking place or volunteer opportunities have arisen.

I also love this that it’s far enough out that I don’t feel like I’m living in the hustle and bustle of ‘London’.

Do you feel like you have enough space?

Definitely. We have built-in wardrobes in each room which offer even more space and we have an attic which is incredibly helpful for storage.

Plus the flat is set back off the road with a private car park so it works nicely as my housemate has a car and there’s always somewhere to park when parents or friends want to visit.


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

No major issues. We’ve never met the landlord as we deal with an estate agent who handles all the details, but the landlord’s father is also the handyman so we have met him a few times!

Any time we have had a problem – our co2 alarm broke, blocked drains – it’s been sorted within a day.

In 2017 I also asked if I could repaint the flat and instead they did it for us.

Any plans to move again?

Every time our contract comes up for renewal we have the ‘chat’ but we’ve never had any reason to move. We think our rent is reasonable for the area and the space we’re getting and the location gives us both easy transport links to work.

And what about buying a place?

LOL.

Fair response. Shall we take a look around Rebecca and Rachel’s place, then?

The living room has plenty of space to have guests over. (Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

(Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

(Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

Rebecca’s room. (Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

Yes, Rebecca does like dreamcatchers. (Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

(Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

(Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

Rachel’s room. (Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

She has a proper alarm clock. Very grown up. (Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

(Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

A nice pair of plants. (Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

The kitchen. (Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

(Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

And the bathroom. (Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

Hi, toothbrushes. (Picture: Alexander Crawley/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.

MORE: What I Rent: Sophie and India, £1,300 a month for a two bedroom flat in Peckham

MORE: What I Rent: Rachel, £936 a month for a one bedroom flat in Seven Sisters

MORE: What I Rent: Paul and Mike, £1,350 for a flat in Tooting

Advertisement Advertisement