Julian Assange saved £150k in rent while at the Ecuadorian embassy
Julian Assange saved £150k in rent while at the Ecuadorian embassy
Rental costs in the capital continue to account for one of the largest living expenses Londoners face and previous research from ideal flatmate found that the cost of basic living requirements exceeds the salary on offer in 38% of London boroughs.
Nowhere across London is more unaffordable than Kensington and Chelsea and Knightsbridge in particular and rental costs in the borough are some of, if not the highest in the capital having increased over 23% since 2012.
But since June 2012, Julian Assange has managed to not only live rent-free in prime central London, Harrods adjacent and just minutes walk from Hyde Park, but dodge any increase in living costs associated with renting.
The current average rent for a room in Kensington and Chelsea is £1,928 a month and while he may have been forced to pay for the upkeep of his cat, by claiming refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy over the last seven odd years, Assange has saved a huge total of £148,381 – an average of £1,810.
Tom Gatzen, co-founder of ideal flatmate, commented:
“We’ve seen the capital’s tenants resort to some drastic measures to deal with the cost of renting in London but I think Julian Assange takes the gold for his commitment to a cost-effective lifestyle in the London rental market. It doesn’t seem all that long ago that he entered the Ecuadorian embassy but to think in the time since, the average tenant in Kensington would have paid £150,000 in rent for just a single room, which is actually quite mind-boggling.
Of course, Kensington sits at the top of the table where rental costs are concerned but it does go to show how the cost of renting in London continues to spiral out of affordability for many.
While Julian’s saving has been notable, the harsh restrictions around leaving the property and the immediate eviction process that he underwent probably weren’t worth it. We would have recommended using ideal flatmate so he could have not only split the cost of living in London, but our matching test could have matched him with like-minded roommates.
If the Ecuadorian embassy is at a loose end with the now empty room, we can certainly help them fill it with a suitable tenant that will bring less media attention and contribute to the monthly living costs.”
Single Room Rent in Kensington Month Average monthly Rent Jun 2012 £1,565 Jul 2012 £1,565 Aug 2012 £1,565 Sep 2012 £1,565 Oct 2012 £1,565 Nov 2012 £1,565 Dec 2012 £1,565 Jan 2013 £1,644 Feb 2013 £1,644 Mar 2013 £1,644 Apr 2013 £1,644 May 2013 £1,644 Jun 2013 £1,644 Jul 2013 £1,644 Aug 2013 £1,644 Sep 2013 £1,644 Oct 2013 £1,644 Nov 2013 £1,644 Dec 2013 £1,644 Jan 2014 £1,753 Feb 2014 £1,753 Mar 2014 £1,753 Apr 2014 £1,753 May 2014 £1,753 Jun 2014 £1,753 Jul 2014 £1,753 Aug 2014 £1,753 Sep 2014 £1,753 Oct 2014 £1,753 Nov 2014 £1,753 Dec 2014 £1,753 Jan 2015 £1,831 Feb 2015 £1,831 Mar 2015 £1,831 Apr 2015 £1,831 May 2015 £1,831 Jun 2015 £1,831 Jul 2015 £1,831 Aug 2015 £1,831 Sep 2015 £1,831 Oct 2015 £1,831 Nov 2015 £1,831 Dec 2015 £1,831 Jan 2016 £1,913 Feb 2016 £1,913 Mar 2016 £1,913 Apr 2016 £1,913 May 2016 £1,913 Jun 2016 £1,913 Jul 2016 £1,913 Aug 2016 £1,913 Sep 2016 £1,913 Oct 2016 £1,913 Nov 2016 £1,913 Dec 2016 £1,913 Jan 2017 £1,900 Feb 2017 £1,900 Mar 2017 £1,900 Apr 2017 £1,900 May 2017 £1,900 Jun 2017 £1,900 Jul 2017 £1,900 Aug 2017 £1,900 Sep 2017 £1,900 Oct 2017 £1,900 Nov 2017 £1,900 Dec 2017 £1,914 Jan 2018 £1,928 Feb 2018 £1,928 Mar 2018 £1,928 Apr 2018 £1,928 May 2018 £1,928 Jun 2018 £1,928 Jul 2018 £1,928 Aug 2018 £1,928 Sep 2018 £1,928 Oct 2018 £1,928 Nov 2018 £1,928 Dec 2018 £1,928 Jan 2019 £1,928 Feb 2019 £1,928 Mar 2019 £1,928 Average £1,810 Total £148,381 Change 23.20%