Homeless man explains how he makes £1300 a month from rent
When we think of homeless people, we don't imagine them owning property worth over half a million pounds.
What usually springs to mind are people below the breadline, struggling to survive from day-to-day, but one homeless man, at least, is raking in at least £1,300 a month in rent.
Dom, who is homeless in London, made the shock revelation to The Taboo Room cast at Cow Photo Studios where he explained that his heroin and crack addiction is keeping him on the streets.
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"I actually own a property," he admitted, before explaining that he became addicted to heroin at a young age and despite managing to get sober for seven years, found himself once again reliant on the opiate.
Dom explained that he had a good 'middle class' childhood in England, and while he wasn't the most academic person at school, he was good at sport and this earned him a scholarship.
But his life all changed when he started puberty.
Dom said: "I just went f****g mad...Drinking, drugs, everything. First smoking weed when I was 13 and then went up to almost everything else from there.
"It's pretty tough at the moment," he added of his life right now.
"I first smoked heroin when I was about 17, 18. I was hooked immediately."
He explained that while a stint in rehab did help to get clean for seven years, he made the mistake of thinking that he could take drugs again and stop because he had been clean for so long.
"As soon as I did it again, I was hooked," he added.
Dom explained that he's gone to rehab five times, with one stint alone costing in the region of £50,000.
Revealing how he feeds his addition at the moment, he said that his property brings him in around £1,300 a month that he spends on drugs.
Dom said that he also begs and this makes him between £200 and £300 a day.
"I sleep outside the station," the landlord added.
He explained that when his first son was born, his dad bought the house outright so that his son would have a place to live.
Dom said that while there is a way out of the situation, he's got 'hazed' decision making because of 'the amount of drugs I do.'
He claims that he doesn't have the support of friends and family anymore, adding: "Whatever money I get, I spend pretty much all of it on drugs."
The landlord has estimated that the home he owns is worth about £530,000, but believes that selling it could put him in a dangerous situation with his addictions.
Dom said that if he could get one wish, it would be to 'live a normal life' and not be 'reliant on crack and heroin.'
He said that other homeless people are 'fine' towards him, although he admits that he does get the odd 'envious' comment about him being a homeless homeowner.
Viewers of Dom's shocking story were quick to encourage him to try and recover from his addiction.
One wrote: "Come on Dom! You can do this!"
"Bless you, Dom!" added a second. "You just need a clear head and some direction. You can turn this around!"
"So honest about his situation," remarked a third. "Wild to think he has a house available and sleeps on the freezing streets instead."
If you or someone you know is affected by addiction, helps is available from Mind.
Emma Guinness