Ever wondered what that cute little cottage next to Dukes 92 overlooking the canal is all about?
If you’ve ever been to that area of Castlefield before in the city centre, then we bet you’ve clocked it.
It does stick out a bit, let’s be honest, but in the best way possible. Contrasting with the modernity of the overlooking Beetham Tower right on its doorstep, it remains a beautiful snapshot of cultural history amidst the hustle and bustle of city life.
You’ve probably thought up a couple of questions around it over the years too – Who lives there? What does it look like inside? Wait, is it even a house? Yes, we can confirm it is a real house and we’ve stumbled across it listed on Airbnb too, which essentially means, the answer to the question of ‘who lives there’, could be you.
Well, for a little bit at least.
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Lock Keepers Cottage is a “historic property on the Rochdale Canal in Castlefield” that actually dates as far back as the 1800’s and has still kept many of the original features intact and restored within the property.
According to the description on Airbnb, “not only does this property offer you privacy in the city, but it’s a stones throw from many local transport links and Manchester nightlife”, which makes it “ideal for couples, small groups, families and business travellers”.
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When you book the Lock Keepers Cottage on Airbnb, you’ll get access to the whole house.
The two-floored property has three bedrooms – two doubles and one single – a large, open-plan kitchen/diner, two separate reception rooms and a host of amenities throughout including, free WiFi, plenty of storage space for your luggage and complementary tea, coffee and biscuits provided.
The kitchen conservatory is said to “flood the house with natural light, so you can relax during your stay and enjoy your own corner of peace in the city”.
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There’s also a beautiful garden overlooking lock 92 along the iconic Rochdale Canal too.
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This really sounds like the perfect place for a city break ‘staycation’, doesn’t it?
If you’re looking for a bit more information, fancy having a read of the hundreds of positive reviews left for the property and host from previous happy visitors, or are keen to book/enquire about potential booking dates in the future, then you can find the Lock Keepers Cottage on Airbnb here.
Property
Molly-Mae Hague revisits first Manchester flat, now on the market for £185k
Daisy Jackson
Molly-Mae Hague’s first Manchester flat is now on the market for £185k – and the star herself has paid a visit to her old digs.
Those who have been following Molly-Mae since before she shot to serious fame on Love Island will have recognised the backdrop of her recent TikTok video.
The 27-year-old reality TV star and businesswoman posed around the one-bedroom flat, dancing to Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘House Tour’.
The apartment is where she lived just before entering Love Island, and where she and now-fiance Tommy Fury lived briefly when they left the show.
And now that exact flat where she really launched her social media career has been listed for sale, at £185,000.
The corner apartment stands on the 17th floor of Islington Wharf, overlooking New Islington tram stop and right on the doorstep of Ancoats.
Her former landlord, who arranged for Molly-Mae to have one look around her old flat before it’s sold, said that she was a ‘lovely, polite and down-to-earth young woman, and an excellent tenant who looked after the apartment extremely well.’
The one bedroom apartment has double-aspect floor-to-ceiling windows which look across Manchester on one side, and out towards the Pennines on the other.
It’s listed for sale with no chain and the option to include existing furnishings (which seems to include the same couch Molly-Mae had at the time).
The flat also has a kitchen/living space, a communal garden, superfast broadband, and is within walking distance of Manchester Piccadilly.
New measures announced to tackle ‘rogue’ landlords across Greater Manchester
Emily Sergeant
A cohort of trained enforcement officers are set to hit the streets in all 10 boroughs to help improve the lives of the region’s renters.
Forming part of Greater Manchester‘s commitment to the highest-quality housing standards alongside the Good Landlord Charter, the newly trained enforcement officers will be tasked with protecting tenants, joining Council teams in checking rental properties, bringing enforcement action against bad landlords, and cracking down on illegal practices.
The introduction of the new enforcement officers comes after what has been ‘years of sustained pressure’ on local budgets.
Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) says it is working with the 10 councils across the region to strengthen local teams, rebuild in-house skills and expertise, and ensure that powers can be applied with consistency in all boroughs.
As mentioned, this is happening alongside the Good Landlord Charter – which is GMCA’s ‘bold approach’ to drive up standards for renters across the region.
Landlords of more than half of rented properties in Greater Manchester have now signed up as supporters of the Charter, and as supporters, they have committed to going above and beyond legal minimums to improve the renting experience for hundreds of thousands of people.
“A safe place to call home is the cornerstone of a happy, healthy life,” explained Mayor Bev Craig. “But for years, people have felt trapped in poor-quality housing, and cash-strapped councils were unable to step in to help. I’m putting an end to that.
“We know there are plenty of good landlords in Greater Manchester, and many of them have already signed up to our Good Landlord Charter, but too many are just not good enough.
“That’s why we’re deploying a new generation of expert housing officers onto the streets of our towns and cities.”
Mayor Bev Craig declared that she ‘won’t stand by and let rogue landlords take advantage of people’.
She continued: “By empowering renters, working with responsible landlords, and using our powers to crack down on the bad ones, I will make sure everyone in Greater Manchester has the foundation for a good life.”
Emily Sergeant -
15th June 2020 
