With more than 800,000 views, a TikTok video featuring the listing of a home that costs £1,279 ($1,479) per month to rent points out some unusual details that have left viewers scratching their heads.
On average American renters pay $1,326 per month, with a typical apartment costing around $1,659. Rent costs have been steadily rising in recent years, partially in response to a gap between demand and supply.
Rising home prices have prevented many potential buyers from getting their own homes, leaving them trapped in the rental market. In November 2021, The National Association of Realtors said that first-time buyers fell to 26 percent—the lowest since 2014.
While most states have seen an increase in rent prices of at least 20 percent, Florida leads the nation with a 28 percent increase in rental costs between 2021 and 2022. Only nine states have an average rental cost below $1,000 per month, including North Dakota, Iowa, and Arkansas.
It isn’t just the U.S. that is grappling with rising rental costs either, the U.K. has seen private rent prices rise by 2.7 percent in the 12 months to April 2022, according to the U.K.’s Office for National Statistics. Someone who is paying close attention to the British rental market is Adam Bruce, owner of TikTok page adamzinho.1 where he reviews properties available on the British housing market site Rightmove.
In the now-viral video, Bruce hilariously reacts to the property available in London. Marketed as a “bright ground floor studio flat presented in great condition throughout,” the listing also boasts a “compact kitchen” and “hidden away bath and shower.”
Bruce told Newsweek: “I started making these property market videos about seven weeks ago. I think the property market is pretty shocking at the minute so if I see any ‘unique’ places I like to share them for a laugh and see what other people think.”
Going through the images on the property listing, the TikToker shares his thoughts with viewers, but it’s when he sees the picture of the bathroom provision that Bruce is really shocked. “A fing bath. When they said hidden away they weren’t joking,” he said. “The audacity to have this. How dare you charge me £1,200 for this. A fing bath in a cupboard.”
The property is located in Charlwood Street, Pimlico which is a desirable area of Central London, and has since been removed from the market.
In stitches at the viral video, TikTok users rushed to the comments to share their reactions. “Honestly I’m sick of greedy landlords listing ‘studios’ that are actually converted bedrooms for extortionate prices,” said one commenter.
Another viewer of the viral video wrote: “It’s the fact it looks so posh and spacious from the outside.” While one reply said: “Can I go to these people to help me fluff my CV?”
Alongside the video, Bruce shared hashtags including “rent crisis” and “housing market.” He said: “I think people can relate [to the video], the housing market is so bad at the minute some places you see you just have to laugh or cry—or both!”
Newsweek reached out to the letting agent for comment.
