A Londoner who was left frustrated by the increasing cost of living in the capital has made the unusual decision to ditch traditional housing in favour of a campervan.
According to data from Office for National Statistics, tenants in London should expect to pay at least £650 per month for a room in a shared flat in London. However, people living closer to the centre of town can expect to pay much more, with some rooms being let for more than double that price in Zones One and Two.
As a protest against the increasing rents in the Big Smoke, a man named Lewis has come up with a cheaper alternative for housing that still allows him to live in whatever area he wants.
Taking to TikTok to share his alternative lifestyle, Lewis revealed he now permanently lives in his campervan.
In his first video, he shared what a typical morning routine looks like for him as a corporate worker in London. After waking up, he says he has a look outside for any traffic wardens before preparing his breakfast on the hob he has installed in the van.
As he was seen preparing his coffee, Lewis explained his reasons for choosing to live in a motorhome. He said: “People often ask me if it’s difficult living in a van in a city – it is. But not as difficult as paying a grand a month to a property conglomerate based in Dubai for the pleasure of sharing a flat in Catford.”
After breakfast, he heads outside on a walk before getting settled in his van for a day of working from home. As the evening rolls around, likes to tidy up before reheating leftovers for dinner and enjoying his food while watching a TV show.
“It’s the middle of February and it’s freezing in the van tonight, so time to put on my jim jams and get under the covers where I can sleep easy, knowing I’ve gone the whole day without making any landlords richer,” he said at the end of the video.
In a second video, he shared an alternative morning routine for days he needs to go to his office in Holborn. On these mornings he heads straight to the gym, where he has a shower after his workout before heading back to his van for breakfast.
He then heads to the tube station closest to his current location, which in this case was on the Jubilee Line. “Safe in the knowledge that even though I own a campervan, I’m still well and truly rooted in the Matrix,” he joked.
He went on to add more information about his living situation in the caption of the video where he explaned that despite what people might have thought, explaining: “Disclaimer: i’m not homeless, i have an ok paying job, i am loved and i am warm.”
However, this didn’t stop people from expressing their worry about Lewis in the comments, as one person said: “Genuinely enjoy these videos but don’t enjoy the fact you live this life purely because prices are ridiculously high. Stay safe brother.”
Lewis went on to reply: “i can afford to rent a flat dude pure choice but thank you!”
