It’s 11 a.m. and the letting agent is late. As I wait outside an apartment block for my viewing, I watch as two drunk men fight over a packet of Wotsits. By the time the agent arrives, one of the drunk men is motionless on the floor. The other sits on a bench, licking orange Wotsit dust from his fingers. ‘Great location!’ says the agent. ‘Couldn’t get closer to the station if you tried.’

China’s theft of American AI tech is becoming more brazen

The changing economics of war

Brexit Britain has deserted the Tories

Once inside, I immediately cover my nose. ‘What’s that stench?’ I ask. ‘It smells like someone microwaved a used nappy in here.’ The agent shrugs. He shows me the rooms, of which there are few. I point at the mould in the bathroom which is beginning to take on a humanoid form. The agent shrugs again. We finish the tour in the kitchen. I try to turn on the tap but the faucet comes off in my hand. I look at the agent. ‘Do you want this flat or not?’ he asks, apparently nonplussed. ‘I’ve got three more viewings this afternoon, so think fast.’

For anyone who has ever rented a property, this story may sound all too familiar. But – we are told – the days of over-priced, dank rental properties are coming to an end thanks to the........

© The Spectator