Renting in London: alternatives to conventional rentals — from warehouse sublets to share-and-care schemes

Repurposed warehouses make ideal communal living spaces and London Warehouses (londonwarehouses.co.uk) has a portfolio of buildings across (mostly north) London, with some 100 buildings in Manor Park alone.

You get your own room and share communal space with up to a dozen flatmates. Probably a bit hectic if you like your own space, but rents are lower than conventional house shares and there’s a real community vibe. Check out The Real Manor House Facebook Group for information on sublets.

If you are willing to make friends with a pensioner, then Share and Care Homeshare (shareandcare.co.uk) matches up elderly homeowners with spare rooms with young renters who need a place to stay. The cost is low (£150 per month) but in return renters must agree to offer around 10 hours per week of help around the house, cooking, and basic DIY, and, more importantly, company.

You need to commit to staying for a year. Property guardians get cut-price rent for living in empty commercial buildings — from churches to offices.

The landlord gets free on-site security and the tenant gets somewhere cheap-ish to stay (bills are usually included). Don’t expect luxe accommodations or long-term security, but it will certainly be an experience. There are many guardianship agents out there, try global-guardians.co.uk and liveinguardians.com for a start.

For a taste of family life Hapipod (hapipod.com) could be the solution, matching homeowners with spare rooms with younger renters, like Gaynor and Christie, pictured. Rents are capped at £350pcm, but you’ll need to offer eight hours of help — from babysitting to DIY — as well.