A landlord is asking tenants for £850 a month – to live in a converted garage on a council estate on the edge of London.
In yet more evidence of the city’s inflated property market, the garage, described as a “lovely compact one-bedroom flat” will cost the tenant about half the monthly take-home pay of someone earning an average salary.
Our Move, the agents for the flat on Lensbury Way in Abbey Wood, say it has a “good-sized double bedroom” and is “ideally located for all local amenities”, such as a nearby Lidl supermarket. Abbey Wood is on the furthest reaches of south-east London, half an hour by train to London Bridge station.
When the Guardian asked for a viewing, the agent declined, saying the property was in “a mess” at the moment.
Further down the same road is another converted garage, recently withdrawn by the landlord. It was advertised this week by Hunters for £700 a month, However, following media interest, it has been withdrawn from the market. Hunters did not confirm if it had been let, saying only that it was no longer available.
The interior shots of the converted garage show a narrow living room, 4.42m by 2.26m (14ft 5in x 7ft 4in) but with a relatively new kitchen and some outside space.
Rents rose in all but one region of the UK over the three months to April, despite concerns about the impact of higher stamp duty charges, according to HomeLet, which handles references for landlords.
It says the average rent in the UK (excluding Greater London) is £764 a month – 5.1% higher than a year ago. The average rent in London is £1,543, up 7.7% on the year.
More than 1,000 students across London are taking part in a rent strike, withholding in excess of £1m from their universities.