Bipasha Basu rebranded herself as a yoga instructor and began renting out her home on Airbnb. It was an instant success – but with good comes bad, and she found it difficult to find new tenants for the property. How is this changing the face of housing in London?
Bipasha and her eight-year boyfriend rent a three-bedroom property in Cricklewood, London (Metro.co.uk/Matthew Chattle).
It’s Tuesday, which means it’s time for another installment of What I Rent.
For those unfamiliar with What I Rent, it’s a regular series in which we go inside people’s leased homes to see what they receive for their money and how they’ve made rented places seem like home.
We were in Southport, Merseyside, last week with Lou, who rents a two-bedroom property for £600 a month.
Today, Bipasha and I are hanging out in Cricklewood, London.
She’s a 37-year-old gender and politics scholar who lives with her eight-year-long spouse.
After moving to the UK from Australia for Bipasha’s partner’s job, the pair moved into their apartment in January 2020.
Here’s what they have available to rent.
Greetings, Bipasha! What does it cost you and your spouse to live here?
Our monthly rent is £2,150. The monthly bills are about £350.
And what exactly do you receive for your money?
We have a lobby area, a kitchen-dining area (the dining area has been transformed into a TV area), three bedrooms, and two bathrooms. One of the bedrooms has been transformed into a home office. We also have a shed and a rear yard.
After leaving Australia for business, the pair moved in in 2020 (photo: Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk).
Do you think you got a decent deal?
This is our first and only home in the United Kingdom, and we believe it’s a good value given we were searching for a multi-year leasing agreement. Our understanding of the local market is lacking.
What part of the country do you call home? What are your impressions of the neighborhood?
Our house is located in Cricklewood, near Gladstone Park. It’s a beautiful, tree-lined area with friendly neighbors and convenient access to the Jubilee Line and Thames Link.
In London, living adjacent to a park is always a plus.
How did you come upon this home?
I believe it was via a home rental website, but I’m not sure which one.
The monthly rent is £2,150 (photo courtesy of Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk).
What are some of the ways you’ve made this location seem like home?
We relocated to the United Kingdom with our furniture and a collection of art and antiquities that we had accumulated over our travels. In our home décor, we aim to express our personalities and hobbies (for instance, one would find feminist and sports coffee table books).
We moved in two months before the first covid lockdown, so we spent a large portion of the lockdown fixing up the home and making it our own.
My husband and I both think that whether we live in our own home or in a leased one, it must feel like our home.
Indoor plants, like many others, became a major passion for me, and I filled the home with a lot of green.
We immediately discovered that the UK is one of the greatest destinations to visit if you like antiques, and as we go across the country, we do pick up a few modest items for the house.
The duo enjoys traveling and has collected a lot of their décor along the way. (Photo courtesy of Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk)
Have you ever struggled to decorate while renting? Is your landlord okay with you performing some odd jobs?
Our landlord has been incredibly flexible and has given us the opportunity to decorate the apartment as we see fit. At minimize wall damage to a minimal, we employ command strips for the smaller art pieces.
Do you think you have enough room?
This is a difficult issue for us to answer. We have a lot of room for two individuals by London standards. However, we relocated from Brisbane, Australia, where we had a considerably bigger home, so this seemed tight at first, even after we had planned for a downsizing and disposed of a significant amount of furniture before to our relocation.
There are also a lot of flora. (Photo courtesy of Metro.co.uk/Matthew Chattle)
Do you have any issues at home that you need to address?
We contact our landlord with any complaints, and he is very proactive in having things resolved.
Do you intend to relocate once more?
My partner’s job in the UK is time-limited, and we’ll be in London for a few more years. We’re hoping that we won’t have to leave this apartment since we enjoy it so much.
Do you aspire to purchase a home one day or are you content to rent?
We would want to purchase a home, but for the time being, we are content where we are.
(Photo courtesy of Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk) The mansion in Cricklewood, London
The pair enjoys being near a park (Metro.co.uk/Matthew Chattle)
This is their first house in the United Kingdom, and they have no intentions to leave anytime soon (photo courtesy of Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk).
The couple hopes that their home decor reflects their individuality. (Photo courtesy of Metro.co.uk/Matthew Chattle)
There’s plenty of wall art to liven up the traditional rental white. (Photo courtesy of Metro.co.uk/Matthew Chattle)
To prevent damage to tiny artworks, command strips have been utilized. (Photo courtesy of Metro.co.uk/Matthew Chattle)
(Photo: Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk) The dining room has been converted into a TV room.
Here are some fantastic cookbooks (photo courtesy of Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk).
This area connects to the kitchen (photo courtesy of Metro.co.uk/Matthew Chattle).
There’s a lot of natural light coming in (Metro.co.uk/Matthew Chattle)
The tile backsplash is appealing to us. (Photo courtesy of Metro.co.uk/Matthew Chattle)
Take a look at the lovely coffee machine. (Photo courtesy of Metro.co.uk/Matthew Chattle)
And a Kitchaid – envious (Metro.co.uk/Matthew Chattle)
(Photo courtesy of Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk) Those are some big knives.
We’re thinking they’re Harry Potter lovers (Metro.co.uk/Matthew Chattle)
Is it okay if we go upstairs? (Photo courtesy of Metro.co.uk/Matthew Chattle)
One of the three bedrooms has been converted into a home office (Metro.co.uk/Matthew Chattle).
It’s an interesting set-up. (Photo courtesy of Metro.co.uk/Matthew Chattle)
Another one of the bedrooms (photo courtesy of Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk)
We notice a television. (Photo courtesy of Metro.co.uk/Matthew Chattle)
Making the most of limited storage space (Metro.co.uk/Matthew Chattle)
The final bedroom (photo courtesy of Metro.co.uk/Matthew Chattle)
The pair has used bright colors in their wall art (Picture: Matthew Chattle)
A little nook for reading (Photo courtesy of Metro.co.uk/Matthew Chattle)
(Photo courtesy of Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk) The duo is big on antiques and vintage items.
See also: London
If you hadn’t guessed, they’re fans of Terry Pratchett (Photo: Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk).
Finally, there’s the restroom. (Photo courtesy of Metro.co.uk/Matthew Chattle)
Metro.co.uk/Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk/Metro.co.uk/Metro.co.uk/Metro.co.uk/Metro
The toothbrushes have been stowed away… (Photo courtesy of Metro.co.uk/Matthew Chattle)
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What I Rent is a weekly series that airs at 10 a.m. every Tuesday.
Return the next week to have another look at a rental house.
How can I participate in What I Rent?
What I Rent is a weekly series on Metro.co.uk that takes you inside people’s homes to give us a better idea of what’s typical and how much we should be spending.
If you’re interested in participating, please send an email to [email protected] Take images of your kitchen, living room, bathroom, and bedroom, as well as a couple shots of yourself in your bedroom or living room.
Make sure you seek your roommates’ approval first! You must also be comfortable disclosing how much you pay for rent, since this is crucial.
By the way, we’re not simply looking for the most beautiful spots. We want to see the reality of renting, so if you’re presently renting somewhere you despise, we’d love to see it (and sympathize!).
This post includes affiliate link placements. On purchases made via one of these links on these sites, we may get a small commission.
Louisa and Ebs rent a two-bedroom property in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, for £450 per month.
Sarah rents a two-bedroom apartment in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, for £1,000 per month.
MORE: Irem pays £1,260 per month for a one-bedroom home in Newham, London.
