Soaring costs for tiny rooms with nightmare landlords are forcing many London renters to move to the outer suburbs, or even leave the capital altogether — with mixed results
After years of renting around London, Gaby Levine had had enough. Partly it was the money — her “tiny little box room” in West Hampstead cost £875pcm, with bills adding another £175pcm — and she was also fed up with awkward flatmates and all the stress and claustrophobia that comes with living in the capital.
“I have lived in London my whole life, and I never thought I would move out,” says Gaby, a freelance graphic designer. “But it just started to get too much. Then two of my best friends started talking about moving to Brighton and I thought: “Why not?’ and joined them.”
Gaby has now settled a few minute’s walk from the seafront, her rent is cheaper and her stress levels have plummeted.
According to a recent study by Pocket Living, one in four London renters aged 25 to 45 is considering a similar escape, either to the far-flung suburbs or out of the capital altogether to avoid its spiraling rents.
“A situation where young talented people are now being forced to leave the capital because the prospect of owning a home here is so bleak is one of the clearest indicators so far that London faces being gradually leveled down,” says Marc Vlessing, chief executive officer at Pocket Living.
Gaby was an early adopter of the great London exodus. She and her friends left London last September after finding a flat on Spareroom.com. Because of the logistical difficulties of viewing homes, they made an offer on their three-bedroom flat without having seen it.
“It was the best decision I ever made,” says Gaby, 27.
“We have a gorgeous flat, the nicest landlord I’ve ever had and because we’ve signed a two-year lease he’s said he’s not going to put the rent up.”
Gaby’s spacious room now costs her £750pcm, with her share of bills coming in at £125pcm. Over the course of a year, she can expect to save more than £2,000. “The quality of life is also so much better,” she says. “Everything is much calmer here and living by the sea is amazing.”
‘London is where I’ve built my life but it’s on pause for now’
While Gaby has embraced her new life, however, Gabrielle Raw-Rees is a more reluctant exile.
Having been brought up by the sea in Wales she thought she was done with small-town life when she moved to London.
She works as a TV production secretary, has made great friends and until a few weeks ago, was living in a three-bedroom, £2,100pcm rented flat in Turnpike Lane with two flatmates.
The flat was far from perfect but Gabrielle, 24, was happy enough with it to be willing to stay on after its lease ran out in November. Unfortunately, her landlord had other ideas.
“Both my flatmates had decided to move home, so I found two new people to rent their rooms and called the agent in August to say that we wanted to keep it on,” said Gabrielle.
“He said, ‘I was actually planning on serving you with your notice next week’. I was shocked. Our lease ran out in November but they wanted us out in October so that they could re-let it.”
Gabrielle reapplied to rent the flat, offering the asking price which had risen to £2,300pcm. Another desperate renter offered £2,900pcm.
That was mid-September and Gabrielle tried her best to find somewhere new to live but in London’s overheated market she struggled.
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