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 leading flatshare platform 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 personality 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%
|
You May Also Enjoy
Solutions to fix construction skills
Budget Commentary – Mansion Tax, Business Rates & Planning Reform
Budget 2025 market data & home-mover and agent insight
Breaking Property News 24/11/25
What does Rachel Reeves have in store for the UK property market?
