Welcome back to What I Rent, our series in which we explore the reality of renting.

Each week we go inside a different person’s rented property and chat about their experiences in the world of property, from stories of terrible landlords who refuse to sort out the mould to details of how people make rented flats feel like home.

This time around we’re hanging out with Galina Antonova, 38, a fashion editor and influencer living in Los Angeles.

Galina rents a one-bedroom apartment alone, having lived here for the last five years.

Hey, Galina! How much do you pay to live here?

Rent is $2,200 a month. Bills are around $100.

And what do you get for what you pay?

My place has one bedroom, a large, sunny living room and one bathroom!

Do you feel like you have a good deal?

I think I have an amazing deal, a similar apartment in my building now rents for $2,500 a month.

Do you like the area?

The apartment is located in a quiet, upscale neighborhood on the Westside in Los Angeles.

I love living in this area, it has the best location, it’s 20 minutes by car from Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Malibu and Venice.

It’s one of the best places to live in Los Angeles and home to a lot of celebrities such as Adam Sandler, Irina Shayk, Harrison Ford and Arnold Schwarrznegger.

In addition, It’s walkable to some of the best restaurants, coffee shops and parks in the area.

It even has its own farmer’s market every Sunday!

How did you find this property?

I was just driving by looking for an apartment to rent when I saw the building so I decided to stop by and look. I instantly loved this large and sunny apartment.

How have you made the apartment feel like home?

I put up some of my favorite paintings, curtains and added a touch of pink to it!

Have you found it difficult to decorate when renting? Is your landlord happy with you doing bits?

I lack motivation to decorate because it’s a rental and I cannot make drastic changes either so I keep a very minimalistic style.

Luckily my landlord never checks on my apartment since I am a very private person and do not like to be bothered.

Do you feel like you have enough space?

I feel I have a great space amount for one person and I have seen two bedrooms with less square footage so I feel lucky.

Are there any problems with the home you have to deal with?

The only issue with this home is I hear everything that’s going on on the street so it’s very noisy inside, also my neighbors are located very close and we hear each other in the evening.

That’s my biggest issue with the apartment, it’s very noisy.

Do you have plans to move again any time soon?

I don’t have plans to move because I like to stay in that area!

Do you want to own a place some day or are you happy to rent?

I would like to buy a house in Los Angeles but because the neighborhood is very expensive the best option is to rent at this point.

But in the future I absolutely see myself living in the house!

What I Rent is a weekly series that’s out every Tuesday at 10am.

Check back next week to have another nose around a rented property.

How to get involved in What I Rent

What I Rent is Metro.co.uk’s weekly series that takes you inside the places people are renting, to give us all a better sense of what’s normal and how much we should be paying.

If you fancy taking part, please email [email protected]. You’ll need to take pictures of your kitchen, living room, bathroom, and bedroom, plus a few photos of you in your bedroom or living area.

Make sure you get permission from your housemates! You’ll also need to be okay with sharing how much you’re paying for rent, as that’s pretty important.

We’re not just after the prettiest places out there, by the way. We want the reality of renting, so if you’re currently renting a place you hate, we’d love to see that too (and sympathise greatly!).

Win a luxury hot tub

That’s right, you can bring the spa experience to your garden with this amazing hot tub prize.

To celebrate the launch of our new property newsletter The Key we’ve teamed up with 1Stop Spas (a BISHTA member) to give YOU the chance to win a 4-seater American-made hot tub.

We’ll supply AND install. It’s so simple to use: just plug and play.

To be in with the chance of winning this superb hot tub enter here!

Source: Read Full Article