Samantha lives with her boyfriend, Matt, and their dog, Koda. (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

Anyone else finding renting in London an absolute nightmare?

Trying to find a decent place to live in London that doesn’t cost 70% of your salary is tough.

Photos on listings are misleading, there’s always one annoying feature in an otherwise perfect flat (a tiny bedroom, a missing living room, a shower in the kitchen, that kind of thing), and there’s such a wide discrepancy between how much space you get for how much you pay that it’s near impossible to figure out if you’re getting a fair deal.

What I Rent is our weekly series that tries to make some sense of the madness.




Each week we take you inside someone’s rented property in London, to see exactly how real Londoners live and how much they pay for the honour.

This week we’re hanging out with Samantha, a 27-year-old legal editor who lives with her boyfriend, Matt, 30, a biochemist, and their dog, Koda, in a flat Gipsy Hill.

Samantha was lucky to find a landlady okay with her having a dog. (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

So, Samantha. How much rent are you and Matt paying?

We pay £1,625 a month between the two of us, which we split evenly, so £812 each.

How much do you have to pay in bills?

We set up all the direct debits ages ago so couldn’t tell you exactly what I pay for each bill, but it comes to around £140 a month each for water, council tax, broadband, and electric and gas, so £280 in total.

And what are you getting for what you’re paying?

There’s a main and spare bedroom, a lounge with space for a dining table, and one bathroom.

There’s also a third sort of bedroom that has no windows, so the flat was advertised as a two-bed. This worked out well for us as I reckon it helped us save on rent a little bit, and we use it as an office/storage area.

The garden was probably the biggest selling point as there’s space for our greyhound Koda to have a bit of a run around and for us to have a barbecue. There’s even a fire pit, which is my favourite part of the flat.

The couple and their dog live in a two bedroom flat in Gipsy Hill. (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

Speaking of Koda, is your landlord okay with you having a dog?

It was a huge priority when we were flat-hunting. We’ve wanted a greyhound for years, and only moved house so we could find a place to accommodate one, so we were very upfront about it when viewing flats.

Thankfully our landlady was really cool about it and even asked for some photos when we first got him which was lovely of her.

Lucky. How long have you lived in the flat and how did you find it?

Since September 2017. I found it on Zoopla.

What do you think of the area?

We live in Gipsy Hill, but I think you could also call it Crystal Palace. We’re about 10 minutes’ walk from the Crystal Palace triangle which is great.



I absolutely love the area. I’d never lived in South London before and now I can’t imagine going North of the river again.

I like to run and walk the dog (separate activities – the dog is too lazy for a run) so the amount of parks and green space is amazing.

We’re close to both Norwood Park, which has one of the best views of the London skyline, and Crystal Palace Park, which has the dinosaurs.

The living room has plenty of space for Samantha, Matt, and Koda. (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

There are always events on in the local parks as well which creates a real sense of community. I really feel at home here.

The pubs and restaurants on the triangle are great and I love that there’s so much variety beyond the usual chain restaurants. More towards Gipsy Hill, Beer Rebellion is a favourite and the Paxton has a nice beer garden.

Gipsy Hill has Southern trains to Victoria and London Bridge, so it’s well-connected to central London in about 25 minutes either direction. Crystal Palace also has the Overground and though the station is a bit of a walk from Gipsy Hill, it’s good to have a back-up when Southern has problems.

Do you feel like you have enough space?

Definitely. The flat is really spacious and has a lot of built in-storage. The kitchen has a lot of cupboards which was a bonus as we both like to cook, and there’s space under the stairs in the entrance to store my bike.

You live with your boyfriend… what’s that like?


Matt and I met at university and sort of just moved into the same room together in halls, so it wasn’t really a conscious decision to keep living together after we graduated.

Living in London it made sense practically to share rent, and living together as a couple has been easy and a lot of fun. I’ve promised never to trade him for a new flatmate from Gumtree.

Finding a flat that would allow dogs was a priority for Samantha. (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

Are there any things that bug you about the flat?

Only minor things. As the flat is on the lower-ground level in such a hilly area, half of it is underground, so I try to keep windows open and the bathroom fan going to make sure it doesn’t get musty. On the other hand, this means it stays cool in summer.

The patio area outside also doesn’t have the best drainage.

Overall, I feel really lucky to live here.

Any plans to move again?

We haven’t been here very long, so we aren’t keen on moving again any time soon. If the rent doesn’t rise too much in the next few years, I’d hope to continue living here for a long time.

And what about buying a place?

We’re lucky to be able to combine our finances and resources, but it’s still some ways off for us. Maybe in the next few years we can consider it properly.

Lovely. Shall we have a look around Samantha and Matt’s place?

The flat’s on the lower level, so the couple have to keep an eye out for damp. (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

It’s a split level flat. (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

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

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

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

The flat has a second bedroom for any guests that need to stay. (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

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

There’s a third bedroom that doesn’t have any windows. (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

Samantha and Matt have turned this room into an office and storage space. (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

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

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

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

Not bad, right? (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

We like the divider between the toilet and the bath. Means you can chat without much akwardness. (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

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

Look, some toothbrushes. (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

A little nook provides another working space. (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

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

The open plan living and dining area. (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

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

The living room is where Koda spends most of his time. (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

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

A very good dog. (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

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

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

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

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

The garden is a massive plus. (Picture: Susannah Ireland/Metro.co.uk)

For Koda and the couple. (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.

MORE: What I Rent: Philip, £1,250 a month for a flat in Poplar


MORE: What I Rent: James, £1,000 a month for a flat in Crystal Palace

MORE: What I Rent: Phoebe, £1,300 a month for a flat in Kentish Town

Advertisement Advertisement