Andrew Fairclough pushes open the door to the compact 19th century church, but he is not here to worship. This is his home, under an innovative leasing scheme taking hold as rents soar.
The 41-year-old musician has lived in the surprisingly warm deconsecrated building since January, and has set up his records, keyboards, bed, sofa and even a ping-pong table under the vaulted ceiling and stained-glass windows.
Fairclough pays just £270 a month to stay in the church in Bushey, just north of London, and keeps it free of squatters - a bargain for a home on the edge one of Europe's most expensive cities.
"Financially, it's a fantastic thing - you get to live in such an amazing space for such a small amount of money. When you first hear about it, you almost think it's too good to be true," he told AFP.
Fairclough is part of growing number of people priced out of the rental market who have found common cause with landlords seeking someone to look after their properties while they await redevelopment or sale.
These link-ups have become increasingly popular as rising inflation and a lacklustre house market put pressure on rents, causing them to rise by more than 10 percent in London in the past year.
"We put the guardians in some empty buildings to provide effectively cheap security," explains Doug Edwards from Ad Hoc, one of a number of agencies who introduce the "guardians" and property owners.
Although the owners pay the agencies up to £300 a week, this represents a saving of up to 80 percent on hiring a security firm.
"In return, the guardians get very cheap living," on average less than half the market rent for the area, Edwards told AFP.
There are some fabulous properties available in London, including a 300 square-metre (3,225 square feet) apartment overlooking Green Park, a short walk from Buckingham Palace, rented out at £200 a week for two people.