Nicholas lives with his girlfriend, Nat, in a one-bedroom flat in Stratford (Picture: Alison Jenkins/Metro.co.uk)

Moving in with someone you’re dating is a big deal.

Sure, you’ll save on rent and can finally walk around in your underwear, but you can also quickly get sick of each other and get torn apart by London’s harsh rental market.

When it goes badly, it goes very badly.

But if you’re lucky, you can find a lovely place to live with the person you love, and become one of those smug London couples with a bathtub and a nearby Tube station.


In this week’s What I Rent, we’re hanging out with one of those couples who’s nailed the renting thing.



Nicholas shares a one-bedroom flat in Stratford with his girlfriend. After having some not so great experiences of houseshares, he’s finally found his happy place.

They pay £725 a month each (Picture: Alison Jenkins/Metro.co.uk)

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

£1,450 that my girlfriend and I split down the middle, so £725 each. Bills are around £180 a month between us.

Do you have a good deal?

For the quality of the flat and the amenities the building offers, we definitely can’t complain. I was renting a double room for £750 prior to moving here, with the bills slightly lower than here, so essentially breaking even, but now we get our own place!

What do you get for what you’re paying?

One Bedroom, one kitchen/living room, one bathroom, and ‘the stuff cupboard’, where our suitcases, boxes, extra clothes etc. live beside the boiler and washing machine.

How did you find the flat?

We moved in one year ago. We shared a double room for the summer of 2017 and looked into potential places we could rent whenever my girlfriend inevitably moved to London for a grad job.

This building really stood out to us, so a year later when a flat was available we jumped at the chance.

The couple moved in together earlier than planned after a couple of rubbish houseshares (Picture: Alison Jenkins/Metro.co.uk)

Do you like the area?

We’re on the west side of Stratford, right by the Olympic park. Westfield is 10 minutes’ walk away so we can get anything we need basically on our doorstep.

We’re really close to Stratford station, so we can get anywhere in the city fairly quickly.

Being next to the Olympic park means when the sun comes out we’re only five minutes away from sunbathing in the grass. They also let me park my motorcycle for free in their underground garage (the block across the road wanted £110 a month for a space).

And are you happy with the flat?

We honestly love the flat, as we have a decent amount of living space and the view is incredible.

The rooms themselves are a pretty decent size, the only thing we think we’re missing is maybe more wardrobe space, but there isn’t really an obvious place for one to fit!

They’re happy they did (Picture: Alison Jenkins/Metro.co.uk)

What’s it like living with your girlfriend?



I lived in two different house-shares before moving here and found it kind of exhausting. I think I had reasonably bad luck with flatmates, as they were either a bit mad or basically absent 100% of the time.

We had planned to move in a little later, as we’d only been together about a year and a half, but when I was in India for work my then housemate messaged me saying he no longer wanted to extend our house contract…which was due to expire whilst I was away. So, we took a chance and decided to get a flat together and it couldn’t have worked out better

How have you made the flat feel like home?

We’ve got lots of little things around that are meaningful to us, such as the box of tickets for things we’ve been to together, the porcelain duck from my girlfriend’s grandmother (with accompanying party hat) and the letterboard where I attempt to be witty. Also, the rug, it really ties the room together.

They’ve packed the flat with bits and bobs to make it feel more like home (Picture: Alison Jenkins/Metro.co.uk)

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

It gets very hot in the summer, I think the record is 32 degrees. We need to bite the bullet and get a mini air conditioner.

What would you be looking for if you were to move again?

We’d like a spare room for guests, office space, and storage when we can afford it. We’ll most likely grab a flat in this building with a second bedroom.


Have you considered buying a place?

We’ve actually both just opened LISAs with a view towards buying a house in about 4 years’ time. We’re looking to have kids (and a dog) in the future, so somewhere with outdoor space in a quieter area is the dream!

There’s plenty of space for two (Picture: Alison Jenkins/Metro.co.uk)

There’s that letterboard Nicholas mentioned (Picture: Alison Jenkins/Metro.co.uk)

The living room leads straight into the kitchen and dining area (Picture: Alison Jenkins/Metro.co.uk)

A peace lily adds some life to the TV corner (Picture: Alison Jenkins/Metro.co.uk)

We like the ladder shelves (Picture: Alison Jenkins/Metro.co.uk)

Hey there, party duck (Picture: Alison Jenkins/Metro.co.uk)

Someone’s trophy-worthy (Picture: Alison Jenkins/Metro.co.uk)

The kitchen (Picture: Alison Jenkins/Metro.co.uk)

Can you tell this couple likes gin? (Picture: Alison Jenkins/Metro.co.uk)

…and wine? (Picture: Alison Jenkins/Metro.co.uk)

Out of the kitchen, let’s go to the bedroom (Picture: Alison Jenkins/Metro.co.uk)

The bedroom (Picture: Alison Jenkins/Metro.co.uk)

(Picture: Alison Jenkins/Metro.co.uk)

The couple love the view (Picture: Alison Jenkins/Metro.co.uk)

(Picture: Alison Jenkins/Metro.co.uk)

Finally, the bathroom (Picture: Alison Jenkins/Metro.co.uk)

Yes, there’s a tub (Picture: Alison Jenkins/Metro.co.uk)

Spot the toothbrushes (Picture: Alison Jenkins/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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