The Guardians of Last Resort: Britain's Hidden Housing Crisis A disused care home in Hampstead, once a grand Edwardian mansion, has become all too familiar in Britain's housing market.
Katrina, a 29 year old postgraduate student, has been living among its faded grandeur for over a year, paying £580 per month for her room, bills, and council tax – roughly £400 below the London average rent.
This is no ordinary rental arrangement; Katrina is one of thousands of property guardians who take up temporary residence in vacant residential or commercial buildings to protect them from squatters, vandalism, and disrepair.