What I Rent: We’re 42-year-old twins — we have matching bedrooms in our £2,780 Tottenham flat

Welcome back to What I Rent – Metro’s tenant diary series exploring what renting is like in the UK and further afield.

Identical twin sisters, 42-year-old Emmeline and Pauline Okafor, always have something delicious cooking away on the hob in their kitchen.

Together, they own a Nigerian catering company, and often use their flat as a base to feed not only their customers, but their neighbours, too.

For the last four years, they’ve lived inside a two-bedroom, two-bathroom flat right in the middle of Tottenham.

As well as looking alike, they have similar tastes, so there’s no arguing about decor — in fact, even their bedrooms are almost identical.

The pair split the rent evenly, and pay £2,780 per month, for which they get access to amenities including communal lounges, a 24-hour gym, and an in-house cafe.

Here’s what they had to say about their renting journey…

Tell us about yourself!

We’re Emmeline and Pauline Okafor, 42, identical twin sisters and owners of House Of Ejima-Egwu Nni, a Nigerian catering company.

We’ve lived together for more than 10 years, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

What kind of property do you rent and how long have you been there?

We currently rent a two‑bedroom, two‑bathroom apartment at The Gessner, a building of furnished, serviced apartments. We found the place on Rightmove, and we’ve been living here for four years now.

How much do you pay to live here?

£2,780 per month.

Where is your home based?

Tottenham Hale.

And what do you get for what you pay?

Our apartment includes complimentary Wi‑Fi and ample storage space. The building offers a café, a 24-hour gym, and concierge services.

We also have access to a luxury rooftop terrace equipped with BBQ facilities, a kitchen, a private dining room, and an exclusive lounge area.

We even had the incredible opportunity to showcase this space on BBC chef Matt Tebbutt’s YouTube channel as part of a series titled, Going To A Stranger’s House To Eat Nigerian Food. In his own words, ‘It’s very bougie — I like it!’

We think we have a really good deal.

How have you made this place feel like home?

When we first moved into this apartment, it was completely unfurnished, so everything here is what we bought, so we can feel that this is where we belong.

Despite all the times we’ve bickered as sisters, we’ve never disagreed when it comes to décor. Our taste is almost identical, just like us.

Even though we have different favourite colours, we made sure to choose designs that blended both of them beautifully.

When we moved in, we were informed we weren’t allowed to have certain fixtures that would damage the foundation of the walls, which is a pretty standard request on rental properties.

Would you like to buy somewhere?

We’d love to buy a house together someday, while still having our own family homes as well. It’s an idea we’ve been exploring recently.

The place we purchase together could be our own little escape room when we need it, or even a property we rent out.

What do you love to do in your flat?

We currently own a catering business, and this place gives us the opportunity to cook and not only cater to the members of the public, but also to the residents in the building.

What do you think of the area?

It’s the perfect place to be. In less than five minutes, we can walk to the train station, bus station and also to a nearby retail park. Everything is in close proximity to our apartment, which is just what we need.

Our favourite thing about Tottenham would be the accessibility to a variety of shops, which we especially need for our catering business.

Our least favourite thing is the noise from traffic outside the flat. We live along the main road, which is situated by Tottenham Hale Station, so the sounds of the trains and vehicles can be a little distracting, but it’s not a major problem.

The Iceland Food Warehouse, Lidl and West Green Halal Meat are definitely our go-to, especially for the business. We definitely need a member’s card with the number of times we shop there weekly.

Do you feel like you have enough space?

Definitely. It’s just the two of us for now, so there is more than enough room for us to do what we need to.

What would you like to have but don’t with this flat?

On some occasions, during summer, we wished we had a balcony, but it’s short-lived. We thoroughly enjoy the 13th-floor amenity spaces, so we don’t really feel like we’re missing anything.

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

There have been no major issues, only minor ones. For example, we experienced a problem with the flush mechanism in one of the toilets, but an engineer was assigned to the job, and within 15 minutes, everything was functioning properly.

What’s your favourite piece of furniture in the house?

Besides our beds, definitely our sofa. We love the colour! It’s so comfortable, and we purchased it for an incredible bargain at Honeypot Furniture.

What are your biggest property non-negotiables when looking for a home?

The bathroom and kitchen must be either immaculate or brand new. We definitely don’t compromise on the standard we expect when looking for a property.

Shall we take a look around?

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