A young woman has drawn widespread attention on social media by sharing her unconventional lifestyle: living in an abandoned school.
Zayla Ren, a TikTok content creator and singer, has transformed a vacant classroom into a personalised living area, sparking fascination and discussion about alternative housing solutions in the UK.
In a series of videos, Ren showcases how she has creatively divided the space into multiple functional zones, including a bedroom, living room, kitchen, bathroom, and a makeshift dressing room.
Ren’s arrangement is made possible through a system known as property guardianship. This scheme allows individuals to reside in empty buildings, ranging from former schools and office spaces to factories, by paying a reduced rent.
In return, occupants act as custodians, tasked with maintaining the property and preventing squatting or vandalism.
But while Ren appreciates the affordability and roominess of her new home, she acknowledges certain drawbacks.
‘The energy at night, it completely changes…it’s the creepiest thing in the world,’ she said. ‘It turns into a horror movie.’
She also said that having such a big room means it gets particularly cold in the winter.
In another video, she added that ‘the windows are so annoying to open’, because she can’t reach them, and that the fluorescent lighting is ‘horrendous’.
But she also shared some of her favourite perks of living in an abandoned school, including the acoustics, which, as a singer, she said are ‘chef’s kiss’.
What is property guardianship?
Property guardianship schemes allow individuals to occupy vacant buildings, from schools and offices to residential blocks, for cheaper rent, with the responsibility of protecting these sites from vandalism and squatters.
The occupants are usually under rolling monthly licence agreements, and this flexibility is attractive to both property owners and occupants: landlords benefit from protection and reduced upkeep costs, while guardians enjoy lower living expenses and the chance to reside in unique locations often situated in city centres or desirable neighbourhoods.
Despite these advantages, experts caution potential property guardians that they have fewer legal protections compared to traditional tenants, facing greater risks of sudden eviction with little notice.
Furthermore, the buildings are not originally intended for residential purposes and may lack essential amenities or comfort.
Shelter England advises those considering property guardianship to thoroughly understand their rights and responsibilities, carefully review contracts, and prioritise safety.
Replying to a comment on one of her videos, Ren explained: ‘Yes, it’s a guardianship…it’s good for people with flexible schedules, we just always have to have in the back of our mind that there’s a chance we won’t live here [any longer].’
Zayla Ren’s story has attracted a broad online audience. Her TikTok videos have amassed hundreds of thousands of views and comments expressing both admiration for her creativity and curiosity about the lifestyle.
One user commented: ‘Honestly I’d love to live there,’ while another added, ‘I would love to live in a school, imagine the parties you could hold’.
Her experience offers a compelling insight into the complex balance between affordability, security, and comfort inherent in the UK’s property guardianship system, a model that continues to draw interest as housing affordability remains a pressing concern nationwide.
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