Finding a home in London

Word on the street is that it’s getting pretty tough to find accommodation (short and long term) in London at the moment. The pandemic lull is well and truly over, and everyone has moved back to the city. We thought it might be useful to pull together some resources that we’ve personally used in the past to find a home in London.

But first, a little about rental prices.

There’s a reason why London is known as one of the most expensive cities in the world, and that’s mainly down to the fact that renting any property is higher than the average. Like any major city, rental prices vary from neighbourhood to neighbourhood, which means you’ll more than likely be able to find accommodation to suit your budget if you’re willing to adapt and compromise.

While it may be common practice to budget a maximum of 30% of your salary on your rent, most Londoners can end up spending around half of their monthly salary. Ouch, we know!

Here’s the average rental price you can expect in different areas in London, according to london.gov.uk.

One bedroom flat in Kensington/Chelsea – £1,863/month
One bedroom flat in Shepherds Bush – £1,323/month
One bedroom flat in Islington – £1,450/month
One bedroom flat in Clapham – £1,365/month
One bedroom flat in Brixton – £1,300/month
One bedroom flat in Wimbledon– £1,250/month
One bedroom flat in Camden – £1,500/month
One bedroom flat in Walthamstow – £1,150/month

For a room in a three bedroom shared flat, you’re generally looking at anywhere between £750-£1000/month within the Zones 1-3 (zones are the fare zones for TFL London – 1 being in the inner city, and 6 being the outer boroughs).

So that’s rental prices, how about where I should live?

For some inspiration, we’ve already put together some rcommendations for London’s best neighbourhoods, depending on what you’re looking for of course. Dave and I spent almost all of our time in London in Hackney which we absolutely adored, but appreciate it’s not for everyone. Some further recommendations:

Best London neighbourhoods for families: Clapham, Hampstead, and Wimbledon
Best places to live in London for ex-pats: Hackney, Clapham, and Battersea
Coolest places to live in London: Shoreditch, Dalston, and Brixton
Glamorous places to live in London: Kensington, Notting Hill, and Islington
Affordable places to live in London: Croydon, Homerton, and Walthamstow

And how do I actually find a place?

Securing a new place is difficult to do when you’re not in the country, and we’d always recommend visiting the house or apartment before you settle on one. Starting out in a short-term sublet can be a great way to get your feet on the ground and get a feel for which neighbourhoods suit you.

If you’re looking to take on a lease, online rental marketplaces are a good place to start. The three main ones in London are:

We’d also recommend reaching out directly to some real estate agencies. Some well known agencies are:

If you’re in the market for a room in a shared house, facebook communities are a great resource. Pages like Kiwis in London, Aussies in London or South Africans in London tend to do regular flat posts. There are also often community pages for specific areas of London, which can be worth a try if you know exactly where you want to live – throw the name of the neighbourhood you’re looking at into facebook and see what pops up. A couple of examples are:

Remember! London’s property market is incredibly competitive, so if you like a flat, make sure you lock it in as soon as possible (it’s often worth applying in advance of the viewing). There is always a chance it’ll be off the market in just a few hour’s time.

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