After he left the embassy and was arrested flatshare platform ideal flatmate analysed property prices to find he saved a huge sum of money by living rent free and claiming expenses for his cat, while the average rent for a room in Kensington and Chelsea costs £1,928 a month.
By living in the Ecuadorian embassy for free over thepastseven years Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has saved a total of £148,381.
After Assange (pictured) left the embassy and was arrested flatshare platform ideal flatmate analysed property prices to find he saved a huge sum of money by living rent free and claiming expenses for his cat, while the average rent for a room in Kensington and Chelsea costs £1,928 a month.
Tom Gatzen, co-founder ideal flatmate, said: “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.”
