Flat-hunters gobsmacked by 'written by cats' ad offering living room for rent

A quirky home advert "written by cats" has left people stunned, offering a potential tenant the chance to rent a living room.

Finding an affordable and decent place to live in London can feel like a never-ending task. When you finally stumble upon a spot that ticks all your boxes and fits within your budget, it's almost guaranteed a swarm of other house hunters will have already expressed their interest.

The search for a new home can quickly start to feel like a full-time job. Social media is often awash with house hunters sharing some of the most outrageous rental offerings and prices they've come across.

Recently, web users were left flabbergasted by a sublet in Farringdon, London, going for £1,000 a month - the catch? The tenant would be sleeping in the living room and acting as a carer for two cats.

The ad, posted on the Facebook group 'London Sublets (short term rent)', states the owner is seeking a working professional or student who loves animals. The property is located in Kensal Green and is available to rent from now until September this year.

The post reads: "We are a couple of cats that live in a large one bedroom ground floor flat with a private garden on quiet street in a great location with great access. We live with a lovely couple of humans that take care of us, they think the place is theirs, but it's ours."

The listing details: "The female is not around much so it's just us and the male. The kitchen is built into an extension so there is an extra space in the back they use as a dining room. That's where you'll usually find him. Aside from watering the plants he never goes into the living room, so we thought we'd rent it out on a room only basis."

It describes the living room as having lofty ceilings with a "comfortable" single bed and a sofa that transforms into a double bed. A "desk in the corner" is also mentioned for those who may need to work remotely.

The facilities include a shared bathroom, dining area, and kitchen. Further, the ad says: "Like we said, the male never uses it, so it is your private space which we only hope you'll be cool to let us cats hang in there if we choose sometimes."

After going viral on X thanks to @EloiseHndy, whose tweet racked up over a million views, reactions poured in. One person commented: "I know it might be bad but not this bad."

While another asked: "Where do you put your clothes?"

Her tweet states: "If you didn't already know that the London rental scene is the wild west, here is a post written in the voice of two cats, offering someone the chance to sleep in a living room for £1,000 a month."

One individual remarked: "It starts with 'we are two cats' and somehow only gets worse from there?" Another slammed the ad as "insane" while a third chimed in: "It's a single mattress in a living room."

A different user said: "How private is private if the cats are in there? Is the door always open or does the living room door have a cat flap?"

Another commenter was concerned about practicalities: "Never mind the cats, no privacy and no storage of any kind."

Meanwhile, someone else expressed their disbelief: "I don't know how comparable this is to other listings in London but that's quite shocking. I pay just over £1,000 for a whole two bed house on the south coast."

Another pointed out: "£1,000 all inclusive for a large and airy room in London is nowhere near as shocking as you think."