London rents 2025/26: in 21 boroughs a three-bed costs less than a one-bed in Kensington and Chelsea
10 November 2026
A one-bedroom flat in Kensington and Chelsea rents for a median £2,578 a month. In 21 of London's 33 boroughs, a three-bedroom home costs less than that, from £1,800 in Hillingdon to £2,500 in Merton. For a two-bedroom home, the median ranges from £1,550 in Havering to £3,563 in Kensington and Chelsea.
Every borough, every size
| Borough | 1 bed | 2 bed | 3 bed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kensington and Chelsea | £2,578 | £3,563 | £5,623 |
| Westminster | £2,552 | £3,300 | £4,206 |
| City of London | £2,500 | £3,100 | – |
| Camden | £1,925 | £2,650 | £3,350 |
| Islington | £2,000 | £2,650 | £3,250 |
| Hackney | £2,000 | £2,400 | £3,100 |
| Wandsworth | £1,900 | £2,350 | £3,000 |
| Tower Hamlets | £1,850 | £2,300 | £2,800 |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | £1,850 | £2,280 | £3,400 |
| Lambeth | £1,825 | £2,250 | £3,000 |
| Southwark | £1,800 | £2,250 | £2,750 |
| Richmond upon Thames | £1,625 | £2,188 | £2,750 |
| Brent | £1,695 | £2,000 | £2,500 |
| Newham | £1,675 | £2,000 | £2,298 |
| Haringey | £1,600 | £1,950 | £2,400 |
| Ealing | £1,600 | £1,902 | £2,500 |
| Greenwich | £1,600 | £1,900 | £2,200 |
| Hounslow | £1,550 | £1,850 | £2,300 |
| Barnet | £1,486 | £1,800 | £2,350 |
| Lewisham | £1,450 | £1,800 | £2,200 |
| Merton | £1,600 | £1,800 | £2,500 |
| Harrow | £1,400 | £1,750 | £2,250 |
| Enfield | £1,396 | £1,720 | £2,200 |
| Barking and Dagenham | £1,350 | £1,700 | £2,000 |
| Kingston upon Thames | £1,400 | £1,700 | £2,100 |
| Redbridge | £1,400 | £1,700 | £2,123 |
| Waltham Forest | £1,400 | £1,700 | £2,150 |
| Bromley | £1,325 | £1,650 | £2,000 |
| Hillingdon | £1,300 | £1,650 | £1,800 |
| Bexley | £1,250 | £1,600 | £1,900 |
| Croydon | £1,250 | £1,593 | £2,000 |
| Sutton | £1,260 | £1,575 | £1,998 |
| Havering | £1,250 | £1,550 | £1,900 |
Rents follow the people living alone
The pattern seen in Germany and Spain holds in London too. In the quarter of boroughs with the most one-person households (City of London, Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster, Camden, Islington, Hammersmith and Fulham, Southwark, Hackney), a two-bedroom home averages £2,774 a month. In the quarter with the fewest (Havering, Hounslow, Merton, Hillingdon, Barking and Dagenham, Newham, Redbridge, Harrow), it averages £1,750. Those outer boroughs also have more children and more owner-occupiers (Census 2021).
Cheapest and priciest postcode districts
Among postcode districts with at least 30 two-bedroom rents recorded, the cheapest is CR4 (Merton) at £1,450 and the most expensive is W1H (Westminster) at £4,346.
- CR4 · Merton · £1,450
- RM6 · Barking and Dagenham · £1,500
- KT3 · Kingston upon Thames · £1,500
- BR5 · Bromley · £1,500
- CR2 · Croydon · £1,500
How we did it
Rents: ONS, "Private rental market in London: April 2025 to March 2026", median monthly rent of private lets recorded by Rent Officers, by borough, postcode district and number of bedrooms. ONS notes that the sample is purposive, so comparisons between areas and over time should be made with caution. Households: Census 2021 (Nomis, TS003 and TS054).
Source: ONS – Private rental market in London, April 2025 to March 2026 · ONS – Census 2021 (Nomis).