A new Tube map reveals the cheapest and most expensive rents in the capital and cash-strapped Londoners will likely be shocked by the cost – but not for the reason you think.
The data, which was compiled by DOSE using ONS and Valuation Office Agency statistics, shows that the average rent in the capital is just £931 per month for a single room.
While this might sound steep to people living outside the capital, for London residents this is quite a surprising figure.
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Especially considering that, just last April, Zoopla said the average rent was a much more staggering £2,121 per month.
According to the latest research, the cheapest room to rent in London can be found in Northolt (£615), while Hyde Park Corner is the most expensive at £1,879 per month.
Meanwhile, popular areas like Clapham and Brixton – which have risen steadily in rent over the past decade – have rooms on offer at just £812 and £792 respectively.
Unsurprisingly, central London costs a tad more, but not by much – Oxford Circus has spaces on offer at £1,420 per month.
But what do these single rooms actually look like?
Need To Know has done a bit of digging, so you don’t have to.
In Clapham, there are six rooms available for rent around the £800 mark on OpenRent.
While they are admittedly all quite sparse and basic, they do seem to include most of what you need – but don’t expect much floor space.
One room in a shared three-bed house on Mandrell Road offers a double bed, wardrobe and chest of drawers with the ad saying, “Do not worry with electric/gas/council tax/water/internet bills, you will only pay the rent”.
It has a garden, too.
Brixton has six options around £780 on the same property portal.
There’s a pleasant-looking room on Brixton Hill available for a female-only tenant, though bills are not included.
Another ad offers a room in a shared four-bed flat in Lucraft House with a £50 discount for two months at £750, telling renters to “Get it while it’s hot”.
Okay, so maybe south London rents aren’t quite as dire as anticipated.
But what about Oxford Circus?
There are five available rooms in this area at £1,400 per month, but they do appear distinctly smaller.
One room on Foley Street that looks distinctly like uni halls offers a single bed, desk, fetching green chair and a bedside table.
On the upside, you get your own en-suite, but the kitchen is shared.
Finally, if you want to live in London’s supposedly most expensive area – Hyde Park Corner – then there are just two options priced between £1,800-£1,900.
Both are studio flats and one of them is quite spacious, except there’s no official bed, but what looks like a pull-out sofa bed.
The Panton Street home does have a kitchenette though, with an oven and washing machine, as well as a small shower room.
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