This weekend I visited Oxford to find a place to stay. I don’t even want to spare a line writing about the totally disastrous flatshares I saw. However, it’s important to let others know.
I saw 9 properties, which I found on Gumtree and EasyRoommate. The first one was in Summertown. Lovely 2 bed apartment, spacious, with a living room and lots of communal space. A greek girl found it through a letting agency and she was looking for a flatmate. The second one was a single box room in South Oxford in a shared flat. No phone or internet and the bus was 10 mins away. Er. No. Then, I saw the flat of my dreams: located in central Oxford (Jericho), this double bedroom was in a shared house (2 more people). The rent is £750 per month excluding bills but the house has a beautiful garden with an apple tree, an amazing kitchen with a glassy thole, and a beautiful basement. I loved the post-victorean decoration… But that was too expensive. 😦 After this beauty, I saw a double room in South Oxford (dodgy area) in a 6 bed-flat, which had 7 flatmates (one couple). DIRT everywhere. Disgusting place, I can still remember the smell. I thought this was the worst house I’ve ever seen, until I visited the next one: 10 bedroom (!!!) house. Sticky carpet on floor, 40th hand furniture, scratched and destroyed, £400 per month with free internet. When I was walking the aisles, a piece of toilet paper which was randomly thrown on the floor stuck under my shoe. Yummy. I left the house and quickly cleansed my hands. Then, I went to see a flat at a beautiful area (that’s what I saw on the map). Indeed, it was great! So beautiful with trees and gardens and everything. But: 6 bed-flat with 8 people in including a mother with her 2 children and a couple. You can imagine the mess…
…so I decided to take the first one, with the greek girl. After completing the paperwork, we were told that the landlord may not give us his property because we don’t know each other and he had problems previously!! AFTER we spent so much money visiting Oxford, paying for the agency’s fees, arranging our plans. Then we decided to write a letter to the landlord explaining why we are amazing people and we’ll do just fine as we REALLY want this flat. Plus, I don’t really get it. What if we were friends or even, relatives, and then we would have a terrible fight? It’s absurd and demeaning at the same time. WE ARE HOMO ACADEMICUS! WE DON’T FIGHT AND WHEN WE DISAGREE WE DO IT WITH STYLE! For fuck’s sake.
Also, I was asked to provide a guarantor but I totally disagree as I’ve got income, a scholarship and I’m a property owner myself. I can SOOO guarantee for others, why shouldn’t I be able to guarantee for myself? GET A GRIP FINALLY.
Well, tomorrow we will have an answer. I really hope it’s a positive one.
Please hire. Desperate 