Renting in England
The average private rent in London is £2,332 a month (Office for National Statistics, August 2026), +3.5% on a year earlier, and £873 more than the England average of £1,459. Below: rents by bedrooms, what you need to earn and have saved to move in, and the local rules worth knowing before you sign.
England · Figures for August 2026, published 16 September 2026
Monthly averages for private rented homes across London, against England as a whole.
| Home | London | England |
|---|---|---|
| 1 bedroom | £1,760 | £1,195 |
| 2 bedrooms | £2,232 | £1,335 |
| 3 bedrooms | £2,643 | £1,489 |
| 4 or more bedrooms | £3,646 | £2,161 |
| Home | London | England |
|---|---|---|
| Flat or maisonette | £2,056 | £1,444 |
These averages include tenants who moved in years ago, whose rent hasn’t kept up with the market, so a home advertised in London today will usually ask more. To judge a rent you’ve been quoted, compare it with similar homes advertised near the address. How to check a rent or look up the average rent for a London postcode.
The areas renters most often look in, who they suit, and how far they are from the centre.
SW4 · Suits young professionals · In Lambeth
Busy, sociable and popular with people in their twenties and thirties, with bars and restaurants around Clapham Common and the High Street. The Northern line runs into the City and the West End, and the Overground stops at Clapham High Street. Many homes are flats in converted Victorian houses, so ask about the heating, the energy rating and who is responsible for the building.
Clapham Common Underground station: 5.1 km from Charing Cross
SW2, SW9 · Suits young professionals and sharers · In Lambeth
Lively, diverse and close to the centre, with Brixton Village and its market, music venues and Brockwell Park. The Victoria line starts here and runs to Victoria, Oxford Circus and King’s Cross, and trains from Brixton station go to Victoria. A mix of converted flats, ex-council blocks and newer developments.
Brixton Underground station: 5.1 km from Charing Cross
E17 · Suits young professionals and families · In Waltham Forest
A long street market, Walthamstow Village, Lloyd Park and the Walthamstow Wetlands, with the Victoria line and the Overground at Walthamstow Central. Mostly Victorian and Edwardian terraced houses, many divided into flats. Popular with people moving out from Hackney for more space.
Walthamstow Central Underground station: 11.2 km from Charing Cross
E15, E20 · Suits young professionals and commuters · In Newham
One of the best-connected places in London, with the Central and Jubilee lines, the Elizabeth line, the DLR and the Overground, and the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and Westfield on the doorstep. Much of the housing is new, including large build-to-rent blocks. Some include bills, internet or a gym in the rent and some don’t, so compare like with like.
Stratford Underground station: 9.4 km from Charing Cross
E8, E5, E9 · Suits young professionals and creative workers · In Hackney
Independent bars, cafés and markets, London Fields, Victoria Park and the Hackney Marshes. Most of Hackney has no Tube station: people rely on the Overground, which stops at Hackney Central, Hackney Downs and Dalston, and on buses, and many cycle. Homes are a mix of Victorian terraces, converted flats, ex-council blocks and newer developments.
Hackney Central station: 6.6 km from Charing Cross
N1, N5, N7 · Suits professionals · In Islington
Georgian squares and Victorian terraces close to the City, with the shops, restaurants and theatres of Upper Street. The Northern line stops at Angel, and the Victoria line, the Overground and trains stop at Highbury & Islington. Among the more expensive places to rent in north London, with many homes in older buildings, so the energy rating is worth checking.
Angel Underground station: 3.2 km from Charing Cross
W5, W13 · Suits families and professionals · In Ealing
Green and suburban, with Walpole Park, Ealing Common and a large town centre. Ealing Broadway has the Elizabeth line, the Central and District lines and trains to Paddington, and Heathrow is close. A mix of Edwardian houses, mansion flats and newer blocks near the stations.
Ealing Broadway Underground station: 12.1 km from Charing Cross
SE10 · Suits professionals, families and students · In Greenwich
Greenwich Park, the Royal Observatory and the riverside, and home to the University of Greenwich. The DLR and Southeastern trains run to Canary Wharf, London Bridge and the City, there is a river bus service, and the Jubilee line stops at North Greenwich on the peninsula, where many of the newer flats are.
Greenwich DLR station: 8.5 km from Charing Cross
CR0 · Suits commuters and renters looking for more space for their money · In Croydon
A large town in the south of London with its own shopping centres, offices and Tramlink trams. There is no Tube, but East Croydon has fast trains to London Bridge and Victoria and to Gatwick. Many new flats are in tall blocks or converted offices, so check the energy rating and ask who manages the building.
East Croydon tram stop: 14.9 km from Charing Cross
HA9 · Suits young professionals and families · In Brent
Around the stadium, Wembley Park has a large number of new build-to-rent flats, with the Jubilee and Metropolitan lines into the centre. Wembley Central has the Bakerloo line, the Overground and trains to Euston. On event days the streets and stations near the stadium are very busy, so visit on one before you commit.
Wembley Park Underground station: 12.2 km from Charing Cross
The average rent changes a lot from one borough to the next. ONS publishes an average for each of London’s 32 boroughs, but not for the City of London.
| Council | Average rent | Against London | In a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| London | £2,332 | — | |
| Kensington and Chelsea | £3,690 | £1,358 more | |
| Westminster | £3,196 | £864 more | |
| Islington | £2,868 | £536 more | |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | £2,825 | £493 more | |
| Camden | £2,819 | £487 more | |
| Hackney | £2,658 | £326 more | |
| Wandsworth | £2,632 | £300 more | |
| Lambeth | £2,525 | £193 more | |
| Southwark | £2,474 | £142 more | |
| Tower Hamlets | £2,453 | £121 more | |
| Richmond upon Thames | £2,333 | £1 more | |
| Haringey | £2,219 | £113 less | |
| Merton | £2,172 | £160 less | |
| Ealing | £2,109 | £223 less | |
| Brent | £2,014 | £318 less | |
| Greenwich | £1,995 | £337 less | |
| Hounslow | £1,952 | £380 less | |
| Barnet | £1,949 | £383 less | |
| Newham | £1,928 | £404 less | |
| Lewisham | £1,829 | £503 less | |
| Enfield | £1,827 | £505 less | |
| Kingston upon Thames | £1,811 | £521 less | |
| Harrow | £1,778 | £554 less | |
| Waltham Forest | £1,763 | £569 less | |
| Redbridge | £1,726 | £606 less | |
| Barking and Dagenham | £1,698 | £634 less | |
| Bromley | £1,684 | £648 less | |
| Croydon | £1,582 | £750 less | |
| Hillingdon | £1,570 | £762 less | |
| Havering | £1,565 | £767 less | |
| Sutton | £1,556 | £776 less | |
| Bexley | £1,537 | £795 less |
Many people in London don’t have a car, so the journey matters as much as the home. The Underground covers the centre and most of north London but much less of south London, where the London Overground, the DLR and suburban trains fill the gaps. The Elizabeth line runs east to west across the centre, from Reading and Heathrow to Shenfield and Abbey Wood. Buses reach almost everywhere, many run all night, and the Hopper fare lets you change buses within an hour for a single fare. Fares on the Tube and trains depend on the zones you travel through, from zone 1 in the centre outwards, and pay as you go by contactless card or Oyster is capped each day and week. A cheaper rent further out can be eaten up by the fares, so work out the journey to work and its cost, at the time you’ll travel, before you commit. Many people cycle, on Cycleways and with Santander Cycles hire bikes. The Ultra Low Emission Zone covers every London borough, so check your car before you move.
Within 5 km of Charing Cross in central London, in a straight line, there are 80 other Underground stations, 3 DLR stations and 44 railway stations.
At London’s average rents. Most letting agents look for a yearly income before tax of about 30 times the monthly rent. Upfront, the law caps the holding deposit at a week’s rent and the tenancy deposit at five weeks’ rent; most landlords also ask for the first month in advance.
| Home | Average rent | Income agents look for | Most deposit allowed | First month and deposit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 bedroom | £1,760 | £52,800 a year | £2,030 | £3,790 |
| 2 bedrooms | £2,232 | £66,960 a year | £2,575 | £4,807 |
| 3 bedrooms | £2,643 | £79,290 a year | £3,049 | £5,692 |
| 4 or more bedrooms | £3,646 | £109,380 a year | £4,206 | £7,852 |
Anything else, such as fees for viewings, referencing or admin, is banned. Work out the limits for your own rent or see how much rent you can afford. On Universal Credit or Housing Benefit? Find the Local Housing Allowance rate for a London postcode, which caps the help you can get with the rent.
London is the most competitive place to rent in England, and good homes are often let within a day or two of being advertised. Most are advertised only a month or two before they are free, so start looking about six weeks before you need to move. Have your ID for the right-to-rent check, proof of income and a reference ready before you view. Landlords can no longer invite or accept offers above the advertised rent, so you can’t be pushed into a bidding war, and a holding deposit is capped at one week’s rent.
Most first-year students live in halls, and private shared houses in London are advertised closer to the move-in date than in most university cities, often in late spring and summer. There is no need to sign months ahead. Since 1 May 2026, new tenancies in England have no fixed term, so check how and when your group can give notice before you sign.
London’s competition makes it a target for rental scams. The most common is an advert for a home that isn’t available, or doesn’t exist, with a “landlord” who is abroad and asks for a deposit or the first month’s rent before you can view. Never pay anything before you, or someone you trust, have seen the home in person, and pay a holding deposit only once you’ve viewed and agreed to rent it. Check that the agent belongs to a redress scheme, as every letting agent in England must, and that the landlord really owns the home. Be wary of a rent well below others nearby, or of pressure to pay today.
Licensing is decided borough by borough. On top of the national licence for larger shared homes, many London boroughs require landlords to license other rented homes too. If a home should be licensed and isn’t, the tenant can claim back up to two years’ rent through a rent repayment order, for an offence from 1 May 2026.
Council’s licensing pages · Checked 12 October 2026
Council’s licensing pages · Checked 12 October 2026
Council’s licensing pages · Checked 12 October 2026
Council’s licensing pages · Checked 12 October 2026
Council’s licensing pages · Checked 12 October 2026
Council’s licensing pages · Checked 12 October 2026
Council’s licensing pages · Checked 12 October 2026
Council’s licensing pages · Checked 12 October 2026
Council’s licensing pages · Checked 12 October 2026
Council’s licensing pages · Checked 12 October 2026
Council’s licensing pages · Checked 12 October 2026
Council’s licensing pages · Checked 12 October 2026
Council’s licensing pages · Checked 12 October 2026
Council’s licensing pages · Checked 12 October 2026
Council’s licensing pages · Checked 12 October 2026
We hold the schemes of 15 of London’s 33 councils. A borough not listed may still run a scheme, so check with its council. Whether a home needs a licence depends on its exact address. Check a London postcode.
England’s new database of private landlords is opening region by region. In London, landlords can register from 15 July 2027 and must have registered by 14 October 2027, under the draft rollout. The London dates.
Found a place? The free check covers its energy rating, flood risk, crime nearby and past sales, in about a minute. Add the rent to see the most you can be asked for upfront.
£2,332 a month across all private rented homes in London, according to the Office for National Statistics for August 2026. A one-bedroom home averages £1,760. That average includes tenants who moved in years ago, so homes advertised today usually ask more.
Most letting agents want a yearly income before tax of about 30 times the monthly rent. At London’s average of £2,332, that is £69,960 a year between the tenants, or £52,800 for an average one-bedroom home. It is a convention, not a law, so an agent can set its own figure.
No more than five weeks’ rent while the rent is under £50,000 a year, under the Tenant Fees Act 2019. On London’s average rent that is about £2,690, and a holding deposit is capped at one week’s rent, about £538. The deposit must be protected in a government-approved scheme within 30 days.
The average rent in London, £2,332 a month, is £873 more than the England average of £1,459, making it the most expensive of England’s 9 regions. Rents vary a lot between boroughs, and the most popular areas cost more than the borough average, so compare a quoted rent with homes advertised nearby.
Bexley, at £1,537 a month in August 2026, followed by Sutton and Havering, according to the ONS. The highest is Kensington and Chelsea, at £3,690. A borough average hides big differences between its neighbourhoods, and a lower rent further out can mean a longer and dearer journey.
Many start in a shared flat in places like Clapham, Brixton, Hackney or Walthamstow, then move to somewhere with more space, such as Walthamstow, Ealing or Greenwich. Stratford and Wembley Park have a lot of new build-to-rent flats with fast links to the centre. Most people choose by journey to work first, then by area.
Rings that set Tube and train fares, from zone 1 in the centre to zone 9 beyond the edge of London. The more zones a journey crosses, and the closer it goes to zone 1, the more it costs. Buses and trams cost the same wherever you go. Pay as you go fares are capped each day and week, so check the cap for your journey when you compare homes in different zones.
Usually the rent is lower, but the fare may cost more. Season tickets from towns outside London can be expensive, and trains are slower than the Tube at the end of the journey. Compare the rent and the cost of the journey together, at the time you’ll travel.
The average rent in London was +3.5% on a year earlier in August 2026, against +4.0% across England. A landlord can raise the rent on a periodic tenancy only once a year, using a section 13 notice.
Possibly. Licensing is decided borough by borough. Of the 15 London councils whose schemes we hold, 14 run selective licensing, for homes let to one household, in all or part of the borough, and 15 run additional licensing for smaller shared homes. Whether a home is covered depends on its exact address, so check the postcode. Larger shared homes need a national HMO licence anywhere in England.
In London, under the draft rollout, landlords can register from 15 July 2027 and must have registered every home they let by 14 October 2027. The dates are in draft regulations and could change.
Sources: ONS Price Index of Private Rents, August 2026, published 16 September 2026; Tenant Fees Act 2019; the licensing pages of 15 London councils; NaPTAN, Department for Transport. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.