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Renting

With a whole age group now lumped into 'Generation Rent', it's clear that more of us are having to do so than ever before. So, here’s all the latest news about renting – including house and property news, government updates, stories on the reality of being a tenant, and peeks inside rental homes and properties in the UK and around the globe.

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BARCELONA, SPAIN - JULY 18: A family of tourists walk in front of a graffiti against tourism on July 18, 2022 in Barcelona, Spain. In 2019, 12 million tourists visited Barcelona. Now in 2022, after the pandemic, a similar figure is expected, causing the most representative areas of the city to be full of tourists again. (Photo by Manuel Medir/Getty Images)

A major European city is about to ban apartment rentals for tourists

Channel: World World June 24, 2024 By Sarah Hooper
Martin Lewis rent

Martin Lewis issues warning to all London renters – you could be owed thousands

Channel: Property Property June 12, 2024 By Gregory Robinson
Two cats on a table out doors(Picture: SpareRoom)

If you don't mind having cats for landlords, this London flat is purrfect for you

Channel: Property Property June 7, 2024 By Rachel Charlton-Dailey
Michele Theil: Living alone is financially crippling ? but I wouldn't want to give it up

I work 3 jobs just so I can live alone and pay my £1,550 rent

Channel: Money Money August 9, 2024 By Michele Theil
Caitlin sat at table. CALIFORNIA, US: THIS WOMAN has explained exactly why she chose to live in an underground bomb shelter in her friend's garden with online followers urging her not to lock herself in - in case she entombs herself underground forever. Caitlin Johnson (42) has been living in an underground bunker in Southern California for just over one month and intends to continue to do so for 12months as a social experiment while her fans express their concern that she might die through lack of medical care in an emergency, being locked in, or even a car parking on her hatch leading her to starve to death. Others have quipped, they do not know how she survives without uber eats. The reason for this unique living arrangement is not because Caitlin believes doomsday is on our doorstep, she insists she lives underground, "to save money." Caitlin?s rent is only approximately ?395 per month for her bomb shelter, which is a one bedroom bunker with 18 extra bunks in the garden of her friend?s house in the suburbs of Southern California. She plans to stay in the subterranean abode for a year, so she can save enough money to buy a home above ground, and so far she has revealed that utilities in the bunker are actually free due to the water being on a well, and everything is able to be covered by solar power. She?s documenting her experiences daily on her TikTok account, undergroundgirl1, which has sparked a flurry of opinions. Some have concerns over her lack of daylight and fresh air, urging her to ?watch your health,? while others confess, ?My fear of getting locked in there would never let that happen.? Originally built in 2012 the bunker is just over 1,100 square feet, Caitlin has only lived in her bunker for a matter of weeks, but she?s already discovered a few perks that come with this way of life, in addition to her safety in case a catastrophe does hit, that is. Of course, one of the biggest perks of the bunker is its affordable rent. (Though Caitlin admits this bunker would likely cost more than $500 per month, if she wasn?t renting from a friend.) Caitlin is excited rather than scared of the prospect of living in a bunker for a year, and compared the experience to the reality show Naked and Afraid, where people challenge themselves to live out in the wilderness for weeks. ?Some people go on ?Naked and Afraid,? said Caitlin. ?I guess living in a bunker is sort of my ?Naked and Afraid. ?I figured it?d be a really fun adventure for a year. ?Just to know that I could do that.? It appears she is not alone though, as bunkers are rising in interest this year. Companies who build these bunkers say interest has risen this year by 30% to 50%. While most bunkers are uninhabited ?backups?, some home hunters like Caitlin see them as a place to survive and wait out today?s exploded housing market. ?My friend bought a house a couple years ago, and it came with a bunker,? said Caitlin. ?I just pitched the idea, ?Hey, why don?t you just rent it to me? And then when you guys want to sell the place, we?ll know that everything?s in good working order down there. ?I just figured with the cost of housing right now, and the interest rates, I?ll just stay here for a year. ?And, you know, see if everything kind of calms down a bit.? Caitlin explained there are unexpected benefits, one being her productivity while working from home and not hearing the hum of a city, however it is easy to lose track of time. ?One of the biggest perks that I didn?t realise was that you can get really good-quality sleep,? said Caitlin. ?I?m so used to living in cities, that when I?m down there, your mind isn?t buzzing. ?You can focus, I?ve got so much work done down there, just because there?s no outside distractions. ?I?ve bought a daytime lamp which mimics the sunrise and sunset every day. I can set it so that it feels like the sun is kind of waking me up. ?The first like three nights, I slept for like 12 hours. It?s so quiet, and you?re just knocked out. And so I?m like, ok, I can?t do this. I have a job, you know?.? Although Caitlin is comfortable with her living situation so far, many of her TikTok followers voice concerns over the potential risks of living underground. ?People have asked, what if someone parked on top of that door?? said Caitlin. ?I try to explain people?s fears by pointing out things, like the door hydraulics are so strong, it would flip the car over. ?Plus the ?entrance? to the home is not in a public parking lot but in the backyard of my friend?s house.? Caitin has also been asked what she would do if she was hurt or incapacitated while in her underground home and couldn?t call for help, which she explained is not any more concerning than a similar risk in an above-ground home. ?You know, it would be the same thing if I was an old person in an apartment,? she said. ?If I had a heart attack, I?d

I pay £395 a month to live in an underground doomsday bunker

Channel: Property Property May 25, 2024 By Courtney Pochin

What I Rent: 'I pay £1,925 for a one bed flat but it revived my social life after divorce'

Channel: Property Property May 18, 2024 By Eleanor Noyce
Real estate selling concept banner

Thousands of UK renters face homelessness every month when landlords do this

Channel: Property Property May 17, 2024 By Gregory Robinson
Story from Jam Press (Garden Shed Rental) Pictured: The garden shed. Garden shed being rented out for ??1,299 a month sparking anger from renters A one-bed pad that looks like a garden shed is being rented out for ??1,299 a month. The wooden building is located at the bottom of the back garden of a semi-detached house. It features a small kitchen and double bed in the same room. There is a separate bathroom in the pokey property dubbed a ???studio annexe', as reported on What's The Jam. But the tiny pad in Plumstead near Woolwich, southeast London, has been slammed by renters The rent is ??1,299 a month plus a deposit of ??1,614 is required. It is being let by Frestons Estate Agents and it's also on Rightmove. But home hunters have reacted with fury. One named Sam stated: ?????1,300 a month for a shed in Woolwich is extortion.??? Cassie added: ???This is actually vile.??? Suraiya stated: ???That is wild.??? Another said: ???This much for a shed in Woolwich of all places.??? The property description reads: ???Frestons are pleased to market this outstanding studio annexe. ???Equidistant to Abbey Wood and Plumstead stations, the property is superbly located to benefit from quick and easy travel across the City. ???As well as the many amenities Abbey Wood and Plumstead have to offer. ???Briefly comprising bedroom and living space, kitchen and bathroom, the studio benefits from a large garden and parking. ???Offered to market immediately, early viewings are highly recommended.??? ENDS

Someone is literally renting out their garden shed – for £1,300 per month

Channel: Property Property May 21, 2024 By Eleanor Noyce
Multi-colored vibrant row of terraced houses in Notting Hill, London, UK

There are only 6 London postcodes where you can rent a room for under £800

Channel: Property Property May 15, 2024 By Eleanor Noyce
Crystal palace south London

This ‘amazing' London area is the most up-and-coming location for a flatshare

Channel: Property Property May 14, 2024 By Rachel Charlton-Dailey
Walton on Thames Surrey UK high angle drone aerial view

Rents are soaring in this 'quiet' town 30 minutes outside London

Channel: Property Property May 11, 2024 By Gregory Robinson
Phil Ellis (Picture: Michael Mannion)

My London rent is only £400 a month - but I'm 42 and live with 5 other people

Channel: Property Property May 10, 2024 By Phil Ellis
Close-up Of A Shocked Woman Looking at moldy room

What living with mould really does to your body

Channel: Health Health May 10, 2024 By Eleanor Noyce
Geoff Sober: Tenant trashed the room

I rented a room to a nice young woman. Then I found out who her boyfriend was

Channel: Property Property July 12, 2024 By Geoff Sober
Young female character moving to a new apartment. Relocation. Mortgage. Flat editable vector illustration, clip art

This is how much it really costs to move as a renter

Channel: Property Property April 19, 2024 By Gregory Robinson
Spirit Quay and London Skyline

‘Trendy’ London borough named most affordable to buy a home

Channel: Property Property April 16, 2024 By Eleanor Noyce
Elevated view over city of London skyline at sunset

The ‘bleak’ London borough where most of the properties lie empty

Channel: Property Property April 16, 2024 By Eleanor Noyce
Young woman sitting on near street door and uses smartphone

An email from my landlord reminded me of something I'd rather forget

Channel: Money Money April 10, 2024 By Maria Tanner
Landlord wants to charge ?100 extra on rent because house has plug sockets

Landlord wants to charge £100 extra on rent because house has plug sockets

Channel: UK UK April 7, 2024 By Will Neal
Homes at Higgs Yard, Brixton start at ?112,500 for 25 per cent

The London postcodes where owning your own place may be cheaper than renting

Channel: Property Property April 4, 2024 By Andrea Dean