Wasted space – how much rent are you wasting on unnecessary furniture per square metre?
Latest research by leading room share platform, ideal flatmate, has highlighted the cost of everyday household furniture when considering the space they occupy on a monthly rent per square metre basis.
ideal flatmate looked at the cost of the average one-bedroom property and what this equates to per square metre, before attributing a monthly rental cost to each item of furniture based on its size.
With the average cost of a one bed UK property coming in at £719 a month or £16 per square metre, a double bed alone is accounting for £47 of your monthly rent when considering the total space you pay for.
A sofa accounts for £30 per square metre, an arm chair £11, with a wardrobe, desk, coffee table and chest of draws accounting for a combined £31 pounds of rental expenditure. All in all, even the most basic furnishings account for 16% (£118) of your rent.
In London this climbs to £213 due to the higher property prices, as much as £320 in Kensington and Chelsea with Westminster also seeing this cost exceed £300 per month. The City of London, Camden, Islington, Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Hammersmith and Fulham, Wandsworth and Lambeth are also home to some of the highest furniture costs per square metre in the capital.
Across Manchester the space occupied by our furniture costs £121 per month climbing to £137 per month in Bristol.
Co-founder of ideal flatmate, Tom Gatzen, commented:
“We don’t often consider the cost of items in our rooms or flats post-purchase but as the size of rental stock continues to shrink while rents continue to climb, we’re paying more and more for the spaces we live in. We’ve only highlighted the cost of very basic furniture when considered in terms of the rental space it occupies, but for many this cost will be far greater as the temptation to buy more than we need often results in unnecessary items.
Having a cluttered, overcrowded living space is not only potentially detrimental to our social life, productivity and stress levels, but can also mean hundreds of pounds in rental outgoings down the drain as we fail to make the most of our homes.
While we aren’t suggesting an extreme minimalist lifestyle is the way forward for everyone, it does pay to think about the space you have and how you can make best use of it, for your own personal benefit if nothing else. ”
|
Location
|
Average monthly rent
|
Average monthly rent per sqm
|
|
UK
|
£719
|
£16
|
|
London
|
£1,300
|
£28
|
|
Manchester
|
£739
|
£16
|
|
Bristol
|
£837
|
£18
|
|
Location
|
Bed Double (2.99 sqm)
|
Wardrobe (0.60 sqm)
|
Desk (0.53 sqm)
|
Chest of drawers (0.38 sqm)
|
Sofa (1.92 sqm)
|
Armchair (0.67 sqm)
|
Coffee table (0.45 sqm)
|
Total
|
|
UK
|
£47
|
£9
|
£8
|
£6
|
£30
|
£10
|
£7
|
£118
|
|
London
|
£85
|
£17
|
£15
|
£11
|
£54
|
£19
|
£13
|
£213
|
|
Bristol
|
£54
|
£11
|
£10
|
£7
|
£35
|
£12
|
£8
|
£137
|
|
Manchester
|
£48
|
£10
|
£9
|
£6
|
£31
|
£11
|
£7
|
£121
|
|
Location
|
Average monthly rent
|
Average monthly rent per sqm
|
Bed Double (2.99 sqm)
|
Wardrobe (0.60 sqm)
|
Desk (0.53 sqm)
|
Chest of drawers (0.38 sqm)
|
Sofa (1.92 sqm)
|
Armchair (0.67 sqm)
|
Coffee table (0.45 sqm)
|
Total
|
|
Kensington and Chelsea
|
£1,950
|
£42
|
£127
|
£25
|
£22
|
£16
|
£81
|
£28
|
£19
|
£320
|
|
Westminster
|
£1,842
|
£40
|
£120
|
£24
|
£21
|
£15
|
£77
|
£27
|
£18
|
£302
|
|
City of London
|
£1,777
|
£39
|
£116
|
£23
|
£20
|
£15
|
£74
|
£26
|
£17
|
£291
|
|
Camden
|
£1,582
|
£34
|
£103
|
£21
|
£18
|
£13
|
£66
|
£23
|
£15
|
£259
|
|
Islington
|
£1,521
|
£33
|
£99
|
£20
|
£18
|
£13
|
£63
|
£22
|
£15
|
£249
|
|
Hackney
|
£1,495
|
£33
|
£97
|
£20
|
£17
|
£12
|
£62
|
£22
|
£15
|
£245
|
|
Tower Hamlets
|
£1,408
|
£31
|
£92
|
£18
|
£16
|
£12
|
£59
|
£21
|
£14
|
£231
|
|
Hammersmith and Fulham
|
£1,400
|
£30
|
£91
|
£18
|
£16
|
£12
|
£58
|
£20
|
£14
|
£229
|
|
Wandsworth
|
£1,365
|
£30
|
£89
|
£18
|
£16
|
£11
|
£57
|
£20
|
£13
|
£224
|
|
Lambeth
|
£1,300
|
£28
|
£85
|
£17
|
£15
|
£11
|
£54
|
£19
|
£13
|
£213
|
|
Southwark
|
£1,300
|
£28
|
£85
|
£17
|
£15
|
£11
|
£54
|
£19
|
£13
|
£213
|
|
Brent
|
£1,250
|
£27
|
£81
|
£16
|
£14
|
£10
|
£52
|
£18
|
£12
|
£205
|
|
Haringey
|
£1,250
|
£27
|
£81
|
£16
|
£14
|
£10
|
£52
|
£18
|
£12
|
£205
|
|
Ealing
|
£1,200
|
£26
|
£78
|
£16
|
£14
|
£10
|
£50
|
£17
|
£12
|
£197
|
|
Merton
|
£1,200
|
£26
|
£78
|
£16
|
£14
|
£10
|
£50
|
£17
|
£12
|
£197
|
|
Newham
|
£1,200
|
£26
|
£78
|
£16
|
£14
|
£10
|
£50
|
£17
|
£12
|
£197
|
|
Richmond upon Thames
|
£1,200
|
£26
|
£78
|
£16
|
£14
|
£10
|
£50
|
£17
|
£12
|
£197
|
|
Greenwich
|
£1,150
|
£25
|
£75
|
£15
|
£13
|
£10
|
£48
|
£17
|
£11
|
£189
|
|
Barnet
|
£1,150
|
£25
|
£75
|
£15
|
£13
|
£10
|
£48
|
£17
|
£11
|
£189
|
|
Lewisham
|
£1,100
|
£24
|
£72
|
£14
|
£13
|
£9
|
£46
|
£16
|
£11
|
£180
|
|
Enfield
|
£1,100
|
£24
|
£72
|
£14
|
£13
|
£9
|
£46
|
£16
|
£11
|
£180
|
|
Hounslow
|
£1,100
|
£24
|
£72
|
£14
|
£13
|
£9
|
£46
|
£16
|
£11
|
£180
|
|
Kingston upon Thames
|
£1,100
|
£24
|
£72
|
£14
|
£13
|
£9
|
£46
|
£16
|
£11
|
£180
|
|
Waltham Forest
|
£1,075
|
£23
|
£70
|
£14
|
£12
|
£9
|
£45
|
£16
|
£11
|
£176
|
|
Harrow
|
£1,050
|
£23
|
£68
|
£14
|
£12
|
£9
|
£44
|
£15
|
£10
|
£172
|
|
Hillingdon
|
£1,000
|
£22
|
£65
|
£13
|
£12
|
£8
|
£42
|
£15
|
£10
|
£164
|
|
Redbridge
|
£990
|
£22
|
£64
|
£13
|
£11
|
£8
|
£41
|
£14
|
£10
|
£162
|
|
Barking and Dagenham
|
£950
|
£21
|
£62
|
£12
|
£11
|
£8
|
£40
|
£14
|
£9
|
£156
|
|
Bromley
|
£950
|
£21
|
£62
|
£12
|
£11
|
£8
|
£40
|
£14
|
£9
|
£156
|
|
Sutton
|
£925
|
£20
|
£60
|
£12
|
£11
|
£8
|
£39
|
£13
|
£9
|
£152
|
|
Croydon
|
£900
|
£20
|
£59
|
£12
|
£10
|
£7
|
£38
|
£13
|
£9
|
£148
|
|
Havering
|
£875
|
£19
|
£57
|
£11
|
£10
|
£7
|
£37
|
£13
|
£9
|
£143
|
|
Bexley
|
£800
|
£17
|
£52
|
£10
|
£9
|
£7
|
£33
|
£12
|
£8
|
£131
|
|
Inner London Boroughs
|
£1,476
|
£32
|
£96
|
£19
|
£17
|
£12
|
£62
|
£22
|
£14
|
£242
|
|
Outer London Boroughs
|
£1,063
|
£23
|
£69
|
£14
|
£12
|
£9
|
£44
|
£15
|
£10
|
£174
|
You May Also Enjoy
Mansion Tax on Homes over £2 million
Autumn Budget 2025: Property Industry Reacts
Solutions to fix construction skills
Budget Commentary – Mansion Tax, Business Rates & Planning Reform
Budget 2025 market data & home-mover and agent insight
