The hidden faces of the housing crisis

Photographer Sophie Wedgwood's, external latest series takes us into the sparse, damp bedrooms of property guardians. These are the people who, struggling to pay rising rents, opt to live in big abandoned buildings. We spoke to Sophie about some of the people she met in them.

What is a guardian scheme?

A guardian scheme is where a tenant or "steward" supervises and looks after a deserted property in return for a place to stay. For property developers applying for planning permission, having tenants in on a site protects the site from squatters and vandals. For the occupiers, it's often a great alternative means of cheaper housing, but there are some downsides. Sometimes, these non-residential sites can fall short of the minimum standards for tenants. Developers require vacant possession as soon as they can convert the property, so the guardians have to agree to be licensees without much legal protection. Most properties are commercial - schools, garages, office blocks with limited domestic amenities.

What kind of people live in them?

All sorts of people, although the developers don’t welcome the unemployed. Most are starting their careers or are low paid and unable to afford to rent a standard flat in London. For many, guardianships are the dream ticket, external, providing cheap, no-strings accommodation in expensive locations, but for those who see it as their only option, the housing insecurity can be a burden.

A lot of people I photographed were in their 20s with various jobs; Isabel is a record label manager, James and Lili work as a grave digger and a fashion stylist and Zac is a carpenter. Zac had lived in a scheme before and said that they had increased the rent to match current property prices, so he had move to a less desirable property. Isabel had lived in a co-op with a boyfriend, but had been evicted because of a rule against couples. She now pays more rent to live in a scheme. Both said the schemes were strict, that you had to inform the manager if you wanted visitors. Some had little privacy, unexpected checks and strict cleaning rotas for the tenants.

James and Lili (pictured above), who have just started their family and since moved out of a guardianship property, told Sophie that the schemes used to be better but when their provider realised the profit potential, they imposed strict rules and higher rents. Lili says living there whilst pregnant was hell and she was struggling to find a good council flat until the baby was born, so it was either sign up to a scheme or couch surf.

What are the terms?

With many guardianships, you're not allowed to speak to the media, you're not allowed to live there on benefits or allowed overnight visitors. You can be dismissed without lawful notice and find yourself out on the street in a matter of weeks. This is a real problem that many going into these schemes do not appreciate.

What did you learn about the housing market?

The fact that people in reasonable jobs are giving up legal rights to live in spartan conditions shows how much people are struggling with rent prices. Homelessness is rising and the ending of a short-term rental contract now accounts for nearly one in three new cases of homelessness, which is the highest since records began nearly 20 years ago. The real problem is the unregulated speculators and middlemen who have pushed up accommodation costs.

I started exploring live-in guardians after I had seen a lot of press about how positive the schemes were.

Professor Green: Hidden and Homeless is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

Originally published 22 March 2016.