Artist Charlotte Hicks and her lawyer-partner Tom Morris, both 29, have rented a lower-ground floor, two-bedroom apartment in Shepherd’s Bush, west London for four-and-a-half years but, unlike many tenants, view their flat as much more than just a temporary arrangement.
“We are longtime renters, trying to create the feel of a ‘forever home’ without actually owning the walls,” says Charlotte.
Charlotte says the couple are investing in their own furniture, artwork, plants and making it feel “beautiful”.
“We love the mix of old and new. It’s got a modern extension on the back so it’s light, even though it’s a lower ground floor flat.”
The couple’s rent is £1,800 a month, inclusive of bills, a rate that has only increased by £200 since they first moved in, and they have a good relationship with their landlord when it comes to making changes.
“The landlord is very receptive to anything we want to do – within reason. We’ve done small fixes and also refreshed it with paint,” says Charlotte.
“It allows us the space to do what we want; there’s space to put up my work and also work by other artists,” she says.
In total, she estimates that they have spent £1,000 on painting and new curtains.
The interior of the couple’s flatWhile Charlotte says the recent Renters’ Rights Act means she feels a bit more secure in the tenancy, there is always the worry in the back of her mind that her landlord will sell.
“That is a consideration and there is the potential that that might happen,” she says. “We have an agreement in place that they will give us plenty of notice [six months] if we need to leave. But it is within their power,” she explains.
While the couple love the flat and the area, another big positive of renting for them is that it gives them the flexibility to spend money on other things and means they aren’t tied down.
“Our 20s were taken up with university and work – law school for Tom; corporate job for me,” says Charlotte.
“In our late 20s, we’ve finally realised what we actually want – me to become a full-time artist and Tom to be able to do the travelling and seeing the world he wasn’t able to do whilst he was working and studying. Renting allows us the flexibility to have changing careers, to travel. Rent doesn’t feel like we are throwing money away,” she says.
Some of Charlotte’s artwork in the couple’s homeAlongside losing this flexibility, Charlotte and Tom feel like buying somewhere would involve compromising on the life they love.
“My partner and I work really hard and want to enjoy our time off and go on holiday and spend on ourselves. People prioritise different things and we have prioritised having fun while we are young,” she says.
“We have nowhere near enough for a deposit to buy a house in the area we want. The amount of money we’d have to put aside for a mortgage and borrowing, we wouldn’t get any equity out of the place,” she says.They also don’t want to move out of this part of London.
“We love Shepherds Bush; it’s near the river, has gorgeous restaurants and bars and is a real melting pot of people. It’s also easy to get into central London. We have friends who are moving out of London to areas that we wouldn’t personally want to live in, in order to be able to afford to buy,” she says.
“I can see myself living here for another 10 years. The flat is amazing and it works well for us. It’s also a family area and there is a second bedroom. I can see us living here long term,” she explains.
Charlotte says that she’s noticed differences in how the generations view home ownership.
“Previously, owning a property was linked to an idea of success and you were putting money into an asset. My parents feel like we should buy but they are supportive of our decision. In their generation, they borrowed money to buy a house,” she says.
In contrast, like her, Charlotte’s contemporaries are shunning the idea of getting on the property ladder.
“Many of our friends are becoming more comfortable and choosing renting over buying too. We know many happy, long-term renters,” she adds.
Next year, the pair plan to go travelling, something that would be impossible with a big mortgage to pay.
“We’d rather have the lifestyle than the asset,” she says.
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