What I Rent: Jess, £580 for a room in Deptford

To help us all navigate the hellscape that is the London housing situation, we’ve launched a new series called What I Rent.

Each week we’ll be taking you around a different Londoner’s home, showing all the nooks, crannies, and grotty sinks to give us all a better understanding of what’s normal.

Because it’s tricky to make sense of renting when we swing between seeing people’s Pinterest-y pads and depressingly tiny studio rooms.

What’s a normal amount to pay each month? What should you be getting for your money? Is everyone else putting up with a shower in the kitchen?

Second in our series is Jess, 24, who lives in Deptford.

So, how much are you paying?

I pay £580 a month which includes all bills including council tax.

And what are you getting for that princely sum?

The flat is in Deptford in South East. It’s zone 2 but a wee bit out of the way so no tube line unfortunately.

There’s four bedrooms in total, and since I moved in a few months ago one of the rooms has been empty. A new girl just moved in recently, so perhaps it’s going to be a fight to get to the shower in the mornings, but I reckon a house of four is not too bad.

There are two bathrooms, but one of those is just a toilet and a sink.

How long have you lived there?

I’ve lived here since the end of February after a fire at my old flat meant I had to move pretty sharpish. I’m still kinda in that in-between place where I’ve got to buy stuff for my room and the kitchen, so not fully at home yet but getting there.

How did you find this place? 

Every flat I’ve lived in since I moved to London two years ago was from SpareRoom.

It’s pretty hit and miss, and plenty of dodgy agents, but not all bad. I’m really careful now after some bad experiences – including a creepy landlord who used to call me at night ‘just to chat’.

Do you like where you live?

I am happy here, but because of the circumstances of moving it’s not quite ‘home’ to me. I love the area so much (great markets, lovely people, a really good local) that I’d struggle to live anywhere else in London.

My housemates are nice too, striking the balance between cool and chatty but not all up in my personal space. I also think I’ve managed to put a bit of a stamp on my room so it feels like my own – so many people I know just have a white box with their clothes in. That sounds like hell to me.

Do you feel like you have enough space?

Space isn’t really an issue, but there definitely isn’t enough storage for me.

At the moment my underwear is all in some Ikea shelf because there are no drawers, and I’ve got loads of storage containers full of shoes. Get me a wardrobe like Kylie Jenner’s and I’ll never complain again.

I’d also want space to put a TV in my room. Netflix on my laptop makes me feel like a teenage boy.

And the people you live with. Did you know them before you moved in together?

Nope, all new people.

I’ve considered living with my best friend, but being a bit of an introvert I’m not sure they’d cope with my need to be by myself a lot of the time.

Also I’d rather not fight with an IRL friend over blocked sinks and who took the bins out last.

Are there any major issues with your renting situation that you have to put up with?

The glaring issue with this flat is that there’s no bath. I’m not quite sure how I’m surviving without one as it used to be my way to relax after a hard day, and I’ve nearly died a few times trying to stretch in the shower cubicle when it’s time to shave my legs.

There are also some issues with mould and ants (I promise I’m a clean person, but they both just KEEP COMING BACK) and although the landlord is supposed to come over to clean once a week I don’t ever notice anything being clean – sorry, landlord.

It’s just an old flat so no matter how much you clean there’s still rusty bits and broken things. In an ideal world it’d get renovated and be boujee as hell, but for under £600 all in I can’t see it happening any time soon.

As you can see in the photos, the thermostat is in a weird locked box. There’s a locked cupboard with stuff in it that we could really use sometimes (like a mop and basic tools).

I’m not sure if the landlord doesn’t trust us or he’s had issues with people in the past, but it takes away from any comfortable vibe the flat might have had – like a constant reminder it’s not ‘our place’.

Oh, also, not to be a grass, but none of the windows work properly which freaks the sh*t out of me since my housemates nearly died in the fire at my last flat. It does keep me awake some nights worrying I wouldn’t be able to get out if anything happened, but there’s not much I can do about it.

Any plans to move?

I’m planning on moving in the next few months but trying not to rush it and find something I love rather than moving for moving’s sake like last time.

I want a bath in the next place and perhaps more of a homely vibe with somewhere I can stay for a few years. Also, a cat. If there’s a cat involved I’m signing that lease ASAP.

And, um, any plans to buy?

Hahaha what a cute question. No, on a journalist’s salary I’m not looking into buying anywhere, but if anyone wants to PayPal me £100k for a deposit after seeing how I live I’ll send you my deets.

Feel free to give us £100k while you’re at it. In the meantime, let’s have a look around Jess’s place:

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