Posts with tag: renting a room in London

Harry Potter Style Cupboard Under the Stairs to Rent for £500 a Month

Published On: October 1, 2015 at 12:04 pm

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Categories: Landlord News

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Cramped spaces set at ridiculously high rents are not uncommon in London, but it seems the housing shortage is getting worse and worse.

This Harry Potter style cupboard under the stairs has just a mattress crammed into it, but is up for rent at £115 per week, or £500 a month, with bills charged extra.

The cupboard is off the kitchen in the property in Clapham.

Alex Lomax, 23, went to view the home and subsequently posted photographs on Twitter.

The graduate has been searching for somewhere to live in the capital for a month. She tweeted: “I have literally just been shown a bed under the stairs for £500 a month. F you London!”1

She then linked to an advertisement on the london2let.com website, which does not have a picture, but reads: “One single furnished room available.

“We are looking for a friendly, open-minded and outgoing person to join our house share in a great period house in Clapham.

“We’re a good bunch and like to chill out a lot together – not really looking for somebody that just wants to stay in their room. Room comes with a bed. Bills to be shared – approx. £60 per month each.”2

1 https://twitter.com/alex_lomax

2 http://www.london2let.com/rooms/to-rent/clapham-SW11/L2L13385-101/

The Top 10 Cheapest Areas to Rent a Room in London

Published On: September 13, 2015 at 2:49 pm

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Categories: Landlord News

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The average cost of renting a room in the capital has hit £743 per month, according to the latest research from SpareRoom.co.uk.

The flat and house share website also found that 10% of its listings are now priced over £1,000 a month.

However, there are still parts of London where rooms can be rented for around £500 per month.

Director of SpareRoom, Matt Hutchinson, says: “The southeast is generally the cheapest area of London, but most renters outside the capital would still be shocked by the prices.

“Chasing cheaper rents in London normally requires a heavy dose of compromise.”1

Abbey Wood is in zone 4 and rooms here average £503 per month. The area is also believed to have great potential for buyers, due to the forthcoming Crossrail service. Launching in 2018, London’s high-speed rail network is already causing local regeneration projects.

However, Abbey Wood’s high street currently needs some improvements and the train takes 30 minutes to reach London Bridge.

Top 10 cheapest places to rent a room in London

Position

 Area Postcode Average room rent per month

Quarterly price change
1 Abbey Wood SE2 £503 0.86%
2 Plumstead and Woolwich SE18 £533 -0.81%
3 Eltham SE9 £533 2.44%
4 Chingford E4 £546 0%
5 Lower Edmonton N9 £550 4.72%
6 Plaistow E13 £550 -10.24%
7 Forest Gate E7 £550 -3.94%
8 East Ham E6 £550 1.57%
9 Upper Edmonton N18 £555 0.78%
10 Manor Park E12 £555 3.91%

Other areas set to benefit from the Crossrail service are Plumstead and Woolwich. In these zone 4 districts, the average monthly room rent is just £533, suggesting that they are in the early stages of development. However, existing transport links already connect residents to other parts of southeast London via mainline rail and river bus services.

Plaistow is one of the most untouched parts of the capital. Despite its low rental costs, regeneration has not yet reached this area.

However, change is coming to Forest Gate, where monthly rents are similar to those in E13. This up-and-coming East London spot, next to Stratford, will have its own Crossrail station. Locals are hoping for an upgraded high street, although their commutes are worth the lack of regeneration – trains to Liverpool Street take 13 minutes and the Overground services connect with the District and Hammersmith & City lines at Barking.