Flat owner blasted over £1,350-a-month room with strict rules including not coming home before 8.30pm

15 January 2025, 08:57 | Updated: 15 January 2025, 10:55

A London landlord is facing criticism for advertising a room for £1,350 a month with a series of strict rules.

The listing, on website Spare Room, asks that tenants are out of the house for most of the week, leave London during weekends, and don’t have guests or use the living room.

One prospective tenant spotted the listing - in leafy Hampstead, and posted online blasting it as “selfish.”

Among the other strict rules, tenants are told to have no guests over, no use of the living space and ‘make no noise after 11pm’.

One person posted online: “Anyone looking for a single bedroom with no heating where you can’t make noise and can only be home from 8:30pm to 8am (weekdays only)? Here’s one for a bargain (£1350)!!!”

The listing states: “I work long hours from the living room so this area is not available for use.

“This space would ideally suit someone working longish hours in the city during the week and leaving the city for the weekends.”

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Prospective tenants are being asked to not return to the property until after 8.30pm every evening because the person teaches violin lessons there.

The landlord’s profile on Spare Room states: “I am a 38-year-old professional researcher and music teacher. 

“I am also teaching the violin here in the evenings from 4-8:30pm Mon-Thurs, while this takes place on a different floor to the bedroom I am offering, it would be audible, so this room would suit someone who is not home until post 8:30pm.”

“The flat is located on a quiet residential street with very little traffic. The flat overlooks Hampstead Heath park which can be accessed from the street (two minute walk), as well as close access to Hampstead ponds and lido for swimming.”

“The room is 2m x 4m with high ceilings.

“It had a bed, wardrobe, table, blackout blind and heater that can be set via a timer on your phone. There is no central heating however, the electric heaters are very effective and the bathroom has underfloor heating throughout. There is a dishwasher and washing machine available for use in the kitchen.”

The advert was later updated to remove references to house guests, curfew and noise. It was later deleted completely from the Spare Room website.

One angry property hunter posted: “No guests? You can’t even have a friend round to sit in the bedroom with you like a teenager.”

They said: “Basically just wants someone to pay her rent each month but not actually live there.”

But a third commented: “There’s nothing wrong with putting this advert up if there’s someone out there willing to take it. I doubt there will be, but I’d just shrug and keep searching.”

SpareRoom director Matt Hutchinson said: “Ads like this are, thankfully, uncommon. While it doesn’t break any rules, it’s easy to see why it’s getting attention. With room rents so high, any restrictions on property usage will understandably annoy those at the sharp end of increases.

“Live-in landlords understandably want to find people who slot well into their existing lifestyles and schedules, but there should be some compromise.

“While this person may be lucky enough to find a lodger who isn’t home until after 8.30pm on weekdays – or else willing to tune out the amateur violinists – who is happy to absent themselves at weekends, and largely keep to their bedroom when in the house, it’s quite unlikely, even in a desirable part of London.”