I pay £150-a-week to live in a £20M Hampstead mansion – my neighbours are Hollywood A-listers and billionaires
- EXCLUSIVE: Care worker lives in multi-million pound Hampstead mansion and has billionaires for neighbours
- Paula Sarmento, 61, pays just £150-a-week to rent a room inside the enormous 12-bedroom London property
A care worker told how she lives in a multi-million pound mansion in one of Britain’s poshest streets – where residents pay as little as £150-a-week in rent.
Paula Sarmento, 61, lives alongside billionaires, Hollywood actors, pop stars and A-list celebrities in leafy Hampstead, north London despite working night shifts looking after children with disabilities.
Paula told how she’s beating the cost of living crisis and able to put savings aside after moving into the sprawling Victorian villa worth a staggering £20 million.
The three-storey mansion boasts 27 rooms including 12 bedrooms, eight bathrooms, three kitchens and two dining rooms and is set in extensive grounds.
Paula has her own large bedroom with en-suite bathroom and also has an office space.
Giving MailOnline a guided tour of the property Paula said: ‘It’s a stunning place to live. It is a privilege to be here – I never thought I’d be able to afford it.’
Paula Sarmento, 61, lives alongside billionaires, Hollywood actors, pop stars and A-list celebrities in leafy Hampstead, north London (Paula is pictured)
Paula is a house guardian now living in the sprawling Victorian pile worth a staggering £20million – but she pays just £960 in rent
The mansion is being rented out to house guardians, who stay in the home helping to ward off unwelcome squatters (pictured is the kitchen)
Care worker Paula lives in the multi-million pound mansion in one of Britain’s poshest streets – where residents pay as little as £150-a-week in rent. She is pictured inside her cosy sitting room
Paula pays £960 each month as she has the extra room but rents start at below £600-a-month to live in the property she shares with nine other people.
With home ownership beyond the reach of millions and soaring rents the residents are among a growing number of property guardians who live in empty or disused premises that are awaiting development by landowners.
Many are key workers priced out of the market with rents in the capital hitting a record average of £2,500 per month.
Paula, who moved into the house in 2021, began living as a property guardian eight years ago after her partner died.
She could no longer bear living in their rented home and needed to find somewhere else to live.
She said: ‘I rented a room in somebody’s house but – never again. I’d been independent for many years and suddenly you’re in somebody else’s space. I didn’t like it.’
She moved into a manor house in Hertfordshire then went on to live in a country cottage with a swimming pool, an old pub and ‘a fantastic church’ in north London where one of the other residents was a BAFTA award-winning documentary maker.
The three-storey mansion boasts 27 rooms including 12 bedrooms, eight bathrooms, three kitchens and two dining rooms and is set in extensive grounds
Paula, who moved into the house in 2021, began living as a property guardian eight years ago after her partner died
With home ownership beyond the reach of millions and soaring rents Paula has become one of the growing number of property guardians who live in empty or disused premises that are awaiting development by landowners
Paula has previously stayed in a manor house in Hertfordshire, a country cottage with a swimming pool and an old pub and ‘a fantastic church’ in north London where one of the other residents was a BAFTA award-winning documentary maker
Paula said: ‘I loved living there but they started doing some work on the roof during the day and that’s when I sleep so I needed to look for another place.
‘Usually when I move it’s because I find a place that I like more – and I couldn’t have found a better one than this.
‘When I have to leave here I will have difficulty finding another place that is so good because of the area, the neighbourhood, the shops – everything.’
Fellow residents in the mansion include a fashion designer, a company manager and London Underground worker.
The huge property, which has been divided into two, was built as a private home by a wealthy landowner who constructed 70 elegant villas on a grand tree-lined avenue designed in the style of a Parisian boulevard.
It was later taken over by a charity before being sold to developers in May 2018 for £19,750,000.
Owners have put in a planning application to convert the mansion into 35 private flats ranging from studios to three bedroom apartments.
From artists and authors to actors and pop stars, Hampstead’s always been a magnet for the rich, famous and influential.
Celebrity residents have included pop stars Harry Styles, Boy George and Liam Gallagher, along with actress Dame Judi Dench and Ricky Gervais.
The huge property, which has been divided into two, was built as a private home by a wealthy landowner who constructed 70 elegant villas on a grand tree-lined avenue designed in the style of a Parisian boulevard
It was later taken over by a charity before being sold to developers in May 2018 for £19,750,000.
Paula has her own large bedroom with en-suite bathroom and also has an office space. She is pictured in her office
Taylor Swift was a frequent visitor and was spotted in local restaurants and the popular pub The Spaniards Inn when she was dating Joe Alwyn.
Former residents have also included actor Richard Burton as well as landscape painter John Constable, poet John Keats and George Orwell.
They are drawn to the charming village atmosphere and vast, open, wild green spaces of Hampstead Heath.
The mansion is a 10-minute stroll from the cafes and bistros of the village and is within walking distance of four stations allowing residents to travel into the West End in 20 minutes.
Paula – who has a life-size cutout of Barbie star Ryan Gosling in her home – said: ‘To rent a little studio around here you’d be paying £1,700-a-month plus bills. I couldn’t afford that yet I’m living in a mansion.
‘There’s no other way you could live in a place like this in Hampstead unless you were extremely rich.
‘I have a large room with an ensuite bathroom and an office. You bring your own furniture which makes it more homely.
‘There’s a shared kitchen, a shared lounge and a big garden and I’m paying less than £1,000-a-month with all bills included which makes a huge difference.
Owners have put in a planning application to convert the mansion (pictured) into 35 private flats ranging from studios to three bedroom apartments
The sprawling property is a 10-minute stroll from the cafes and bistros of the village and is within walking distance of four stations allowing residents to travel into the West End in 20 minutes
Paula said: ‘To rent a little studio around here you’d be paying £1,700-a-month plus bills. I couldn’t afford that yet I’m living in a mansion.’ (Paula is pictured in the garden)
The mansion has a shared kitchen which can be used by guardians (pictured). There is also a large garden
Fellow residents in the mansion include a fashion designer, a company manager and London Underground worker (pictured are some of the unoccupied rooms)
‘I’m able to save money which I would not be able to do if I was renting privately, certainly not around here.
Guardians provide protection against squatters who can cost owners in excess of £20,000 in protracted legal battles, rubbish removal and repair fees. Paula is pictured in the kitchen
‘It’s such a beautiful area. It’s like living in the country but you’re in the middle of London. It’s very quiet and there are so many trees and open spaces.
‘It’s very upmarket but it’s very friendly. When you go to the local shops, people greet you by your name once you’ve lived here for a while.
‘People say “hello” in the mornings which is not very common in other parts of London.
‘I haven’t spotted many celebrities but then I work at night and sleep during the day. I’m just starting to get a little bit more time off now so who knows who I might bump into.
‘Since I’ve moved here I’ve also been able to get rid of my car. That has saved me money and is better for the environment.
‘I’ve got my older person’s freedom pass so I don’t have to pay for transport now.’
The rent paid by guardians is termed ‘licence agreements’ under which they are required to vacate at 28 days’ notice.
They provide protection against squatters who can cost owners in excess of £20,000 in protracted legal battles, rubbish removal and repair fees.
In the Hampstead home they have to observe a number of house rules including a ban on illegal substances, loud music or parties.
Residents are not allowed more than two visitors at a time and overnight guests are only allowed with prior approval.
In the Hampstead home they have to observe a number of house rules including a ban on illegal substances, loud music or parties (pictured are some of the rules guardians have to follow)
From artists and authors to actors and pop stars, Hampstead’s always been a magnet for the rich, famous and influential (pictured is the avenue where the mansion is based)
The rent paid by guardians is termed ‘licence agreements’ under which they are required to vacate at 28 days’ notice (back garden is pictured)
Guardians, who must have a job, have to be aged 21 or over and no children or pets are allowed on properties.
Paula insists that she enjoys the way of life which featured in Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Channel 4 comedy Crashing where a group of twenty-somethings live together as property guardians in a disused hospital.
She said: ‘This is not for everybody but I’ve been a guardian for eight years. I find it a great way of life.
‘You can choose amazing places that most couldn’t even imagine they would ever be able to live in.
‘You can find all sorts of houses. You can live in manor houses or mansions – there are big shared spaces with 10 people or more or you can have smaller places where a couple could live on their own.
‘You can pick and choose whatever is available.
‘I plan to go on for many years to come. I will probably only stop once I retire.
‘This is not for everybody but I’ve been a guardian for eight years. I find it a great way of life,’ said Paula (pictured)
Celebrity residents have included pop stars Harry Styles, Boy George and Liam Gallagher, along with actress Dame Judi Dench and Ricky Gervais
Taylor Swift was a frequent visitor and was spotted in local restaurants and the popular pub The Spaniards Inn when she was dating Joe Alwyn (pictured is the mansion)
‘You meet all sorts of people – usually they are very independent. There are entertainers and artists but also engineers working in big companies, taxi drivers and teachers. They are people from all different backgrounds.
‘You have to be flexible and accept that other people can be different but everybody is in their own space.
‘People can be difficult in all walks of life. In all the years I’ve been a guardian I only had one person that was a little bit ‘off’ – but we still talk.
‘I’ve made friends everywhere I’ve been and we keep in touch, which is one of the nice things about it.’
Said Hamed, of vacant property specialists Live-in Guardians, said: ‘We have a major problem, particularly in London, whereby there is not enough affordable housing but we also have this combined issue that there’s a number of vacant properties.
‘Estimates have shown there are 60,000 in London alone.
Said Hamed, of vacant property specialists Live-in Guardians, said there are an estimated 60,000 empty homes across London (Said is pictured inside the Hampstead mansion)
Guardians range in age from 70 to 21. Pictured is the interior of one of the unoccupied rooms in Southwell House
Said Hamed, of vacant property specialists Live-in Guardians, said London has a ‘major problem’ with housing, with not enough affordable properties being built (pictured: the inside of Southwell House)
Pictured is the garden of Southwell House, which has its own tennis net and basket ball hoop in
More people are turning to house guardianship with the rise of the cost of living, added Said. Pictured is Paula in the kitchen
‘Guardianship tries to alleviate that problem by connecting people to empty buildings when they are looking for affordable rents.
‘Previously we would get people aged between 20 and 30 however now, with the increased cost of living, I think it would be fair to say there’s no typical guardian anymore.
‘Our oldest guardian is 70 years old all the way down to 21 which is our starting age.
‘Hampstead has always been a super-affluent area. I come here at weekends and often see celebrities. One of the best things about living in Hampstead is that villagy feel within a central London location.
‘There’s beautiful Georgian houses. It’s a particularly great area to be in and if I had a lot of money I’d like to live here.’
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