12 January 2023 , 10:27
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As rents rise, home seekers can enjoy a pokey flat and sleep with their feet by an oven for £700 a month.
A tiny flat in Reading, Berkshire, was listed by the landlord with all of the main features a flat should come with.
One slight hitch is that they are all within a few feet of each other.
The £700 cost goes up to £725 with two occupants.
The kitchenette has been spread out to fit in a wardrobe, microwave, cooker and sink. A double bed takes up much of the space in the tiny flat that mercifully has a separate shower, toilet and sink.
London flat for rent for £1,400 a month with bed tucked away in kitchen cupboard
The OpenRent listing makes no mention of the bizarre arrangement.
There is a separate bathroom and shower (Jam Press/OpenRent)It just reads: "The property comprises - open plan bedroom/kitchen, kitchen, with fridge, microwave oven, kitchen hood, and full-size elec cooker. Desk and chair, bathroom - bath/shower, WC, and sink."
According to the lister, the property is suitable for couples, but would ideally suit a working professional. It is "not suited" for children, the lister admitted.
For washing, there are shared facilities available and bills are included except for a possible monthly parking charge of £65.
The flat is reportedly suitable for couples (Jam Press/OpenRent)A shape rise in people renting in the town of around 170,000 people has taken place according to the 2021 census. This higher demand, along with other factors such as energy bills, has contributed to a rise in rent prices.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show a five per cent increase in the number of people renting since the previous occasion the large data set was recorded in 2011.
Rent rises are going up across the UK (Jam Press/OpenRent)The ONS Index of Private Housing Rental Prices showed rents are facing the highest hike since records began in 2016, a rise of 4% nationally.
"While rising housing costs will affect households across the income distribution," the ONS said. "They are more likely to disproportionately affect those who already spend a greater proportion of their household spending on housing costs."
Couples have to pay an extra £25 a month (Jam Press)The picture differs across the country and a 20 per cent rise was recorded in some areas, according to data recorded by the property website Rightmove in the Autumn of last year.
Newbury, also in Berkshire, saw a rise of 22.2% over the past year. Major cities like Birmingham, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Manchester recorded 17.6 per cent, 18 per cent, 19.6 per cent and 20.5 per cent respectively.
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Rightmove Director of Property Science, Tim Bannister, said: "There are simply not enough homes available to rent to meet the demand from people inquiring."