A tiny studio flat in Earls Court with the bed situated in a recess above the bathroom is being advertised for rent for £1,279pcm.
Photos of the property, located on Collingham Place, show that what appears to be large storage area —the kind typically used for storing luggage or large items— has been made into a sleeping area.
On the floorplan, this has generously been described as a “bedroom”, despite there not actually being sufficient height for a bed – or to stand up. Instead, the lucky tenant will get a mattress on the floor (included in the price, by the way).
The space, which appears to be little more than a metre in height, is accessed by a narrow wooden set of stairs. A wooden railing, similar to on a bunk bed, has been erected along the side to prevent a fall.
Let by Foxtons, the “superbly located” flat is described as being “a large open studio room with lots of natural light”.
In the floorplan, it is depicted as having two floors, with the “bedroom” adding 86 sq ft to the 150 sq ft floor area, despite it not being possible to stand up there.
Alongside a small bathroom, the room contains a storage cupboard, a kitchen and a sofa.
The photos, however, suggest that storage may be an issue for the current tenant, who has suspended bags from nails in the walls, strewn clothes on a makeshift line between the window and the bed, wedged an inflatable mattress beside the fridge, put a beside cabinet on the kitchen worktop and hung shirts and jackets from the bed railing.
The kitchen’s only cooking facility seems to be an electric hot plate, while two of the kitchen cabinets are obstructed by the sofa.
The building was turned into six self-contained units plus caretaker’s accommodation in the 1970s, with planning permission for the development granted in 1973. There is no public record of their sale since.
Kensington and Chelsea is London’s most expensive borough, with the average property costing £1,350,000 to buy, according to the ONS. In this postcode, SpareRoom’s latest figures show that the average room costs £998pcm to rent.
Yet, while rental prices continue to increase —London rents have risen by 16.1 per cent on average in the last year, according to Zoopla— cramped, sub-standard accommodation offerings are becoming more common.
In recent weeks, a Bayswater bedsit without a private toilet was advertised for £1,240pcm, while a studio flat on Hanger Lane with its bed inside a wardrobe was listed for £1,150pcm.
A spokesperson for London Renters Union commented on the latter: “Lately, almost anything can be called a studio flat in London’s wild west rental market. Whether it’s a lack of space or a lack of basic amenities, our rigged housing system has turned a decent home into a luxury for many.”
“At the acute end of the market, rising rents and a failure to invest in social housing have pushed many into dangerously overcrowded conditions. We need measures like a rent freeze and the long-overdue Renters Reform Bill to raise standards across the sector and make sure everybody has access to a decent home.”
