W HEN Tiana decided to move into her best friend Lia's flat, she had no idea it would wreck their relationship, culminating in her coming home to find that the locks had been changed. The pair hadn't even planned on living in the apartment that was bought for Lia by her parents. There was a lodger and the rent money was an "investment" that went straight into Lia's savings account. But Tiana and Lia, aged 19 and 20 respectively, were struggling to find anywhere else to live in London. Suddenly, the lodger moved out, so into the rent-free flat they went. Except it wasn't rent free.
Not for Tiana, at least, or the other friend who took the third bedroom. Tiana worked six days a week in a burger restaurant to pay the rent, which went directly into her best friend's savings account - all the while trying to pursue a career in theatre.
"I really struggled to pay that, but also I felt very grateful that I had this big double room in a well-connected area with my closest friends, so it made sense. I knew where the money was going before I moved in, and honestly, I didn't mind at the time."
But it all ended acrimoniously. "Weirdly, the issues came from her resenting me," Tiana recalls. "We both worked in the creative industry and I think she found it difficult to be faced with the realities of what life is like for most of the population.
"She got to concentrate wholly on her career whereas mine got sidelined because I had to start working more than full-time to keep up with the rent and bills. Obviously, because she was my best friend I'd talk to her about my frustrations about my career and finances, which really blurred the line between friend and landlord.
"She saw my troubles as a direct attack on her and her lifestyle and she began to shut me out." Then, one day, that shutting out went from figurative to literal. The locks were changed without warning.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Only £65k a month to live like Boy George
The Karma Chameleon singer listed his house for £17m in 2022, turning down offers. Now, he's looking for a tenant
Welcome to London, unicorn capital of Europe
We're flying far ahead of anywhere outside US for tech investment
Arteta's Arsenal evolution The next phase
Malik Ouzia and Simon Collings assess how the Spaniard will try to bring down Man City after he signs up for another three years with the title in his sights
Title fight catches fire after Gunners embrace dark side
Arsenal-City clashes take on a welcome edge of animosity
Whack the hippy gong-boho's back
It happened in Paris one grey February day. Sienna Miller was in an oversized, black leather jacket, lace-trimmed silk slip and clumpy great wedges.
There's a Starlink waiting in the sky... 7,000 in fact.Can Elon Musk stop them crashing to Earth?
As he was preparing his fields for seeding this year, Barry Sawchuk came across a giant slab of space debris. It had come from a spacecraft belonging to Elon Musk’s company, SpaceX.
'Politicians are only into power-mongering, corruption and cronyism'
We speak to alt revolutionary DEEPAK CHOPRA about biomarkers, his digital twin and his work to save humanity from disease
I've been waiting for a production of Godotthis brilliant all my life
Ben Whishaw and Lucian Msamati bring a potent, tragicomic chemistry to James Macdonald’s rich revival of Samuel Beckett’s challenging play.
Trust me, the Ritz is London's bestrestaurant
To whom we turn in moments of gloom and glory can be instructive, a filter of our truest friends. I've fallen out with the Ritz a couple of times, including once after a visit to the bar which didn’t warrant a review (“But you said it was lovely!” they said.
'Healing is a dirty word'
After four traumatic years, FKA twigs is back with a new album -and a thrilling metamorphosis