SpareRoom’s second-quarter figures show Greater London room rents flat, and a five-year rise of more than a third
North London Rents: Muswell Hill Falls 11.4 Percent While Crystal Palace Jumps 11.1
SpareRoom’s second-quarter figures show Greater London room rents flat, and a five-year rise of more than a third
By Lowri Griffiths, lifestyle and current affairs correspondent, North London
The Averages
The average monthly room rent in Greater London in the second quarter of 2026 was 915 pounds including bills, down 0.2 percent on a year earlier, according to SpareRoom. Inner London averaged 979 pounds, up 0.3 percent from 977, and Outer London 794 pounds, down 0.6 percent from 799. Supply was down 5 percent year on year in Inner London and up 0.9 percent in Outer London.
The report does not give a demand ratio, so I cannot tell you how many applicants chase each room. The supply numbers are the nearest measure.
The Long View
The year-on-year figures look calm. The five-year ones do not. Inner London rents are up 37.4 percent since the second quarter of 2021, and Outer London rents are up 34.4 percent. A tenant who signed a lease in 2021 and has not moved has seen a bargain become ordinary.
This is the sort of number that explains why so many Londoners of my age stay in a flat longer than they would like.
Where It Is Dear
The most expensive Inner London areas are SW7, South Kensington and Knightsbridge, at 1,599 pounds, W1, the West End, at 1,471, and W8, Holland Park, at 1,449. The cheapest are E12, Manor Park, at 729, E6, East Ham, at 734, and E7, Forest Gate, at 778.
By sub-region, EC averages 1,281 pounds, up 5.6 percent, WC 1,313, up 1.2 percent, SW 1,039, W 1,043, SE 961, NW 977, E 933 and N 937. The North is down 0.7 percent, NW down 0.4 percent.
The Movers
The largest rises were in SE19, Crystal Palace, and SE23, Forest Hill, both up 11.1 percent, to 901 and 913 pounds, followed by SE27, West Norwood, up 8.6 percent to 975, and SE24, Herne Hill, up 7.5 percent to 984. The largest falls were in N10, Muswell Hill, down 11.4 percent to 884 pounds, and SE25, Norwood, down 7.2 percent to 804.
As a North Londoner I note the Muswell Hill fall with a mixture of satisfaction and suspicion. The report does not say why it fell, and a single quarter’s figure for a postcode rests on a small number of rooms. I would not read it as a trend.
What a Postcode Figure Means
SpareRoom’s data covers rooms in shared homes, so it does not describe the price of a one-bedroom flat or a family house. It also describes advertised rents, not the rent in existing tenancies. A room that is advertised at 884 pounds in N10 might have been let at a different price, or not let at all.
The honest summary is that the figures are an index of what landlords ask and what tenants will pay in a particular season. They are useful, and they are not the whole market.
The Politics of Rent
Rents are politics. The supply drop in Inner London matters because fewer rooms make it harder to find one and easier for landlords to hold price. Boroughs argue about houses in multiple occupation, about licensing and about new building. National government argues about renters’ rights. Londoners just argue about the deposit.
The calm year-on-year numbers should not be read as relief. A tenant paying a third more than five years ago has no reason to cheer a flat year.
North Against South
The sub-regional figures show a split I find telling. The north and north-west postcodes, N and NW, were down 0.7 and 0.4 percent, while the east was down 0.7 percent and the south-east up 1.0 percent. The Crystal Palace and Forest Hill rises of 11.1 percent are the kind of jump that comes when a district becomes fashionable, or when a few landlords raise prices at once.
I would add one caution. A percentage change in a small postcode can reflect a few adverts, so the individual figures bounce more than the averages.
What Tenants Can Do
A tenant who sees a rise in the advertised rent for their area should compare it with their own bills, ask what is included and read the notice terms. If a landlord asks for an increase, ask for the evidence. A polite email costs nothing.
And if you are in Muswell Hill, you may have bargaining power this quarter.
Practical Notes
If you are looking for a room, check the bills included, the length of the notice period and the landlord’s reputation. If you are staying where you are, ask whether the rent has been compared with the area. And if you live in Muswell Hill, look at your neighbours’ adverts before agreeing to an increase.
I am told that the Highgate Wood squirrels pay no rent. They also have no deposit.
Reading the Funny Page Alongside the Data
Readers meet comedy and reporting in the same feed, so it helps to know the difference. On one overseas property story, see Manila News, the London Prat (see https://prat.uk/cebu-estate-agents-demand-character-references/) and Bohiney: each starts from a recognisable market fact and signals its tone through exaggeration. More material sits at prat.uk and bohiney.com.
Note: Philippine authorities are examining unproven allegations about Thomas Markle Sr., who lived in Cebu until earlier this year, as GMA News and the Guardian have reported. No charges have been filed. Child protection is a serious matter; the jokes here are about a property market.
For the lighter side of the news, there is always NewsBiscuit.
SOURCE: https://bohiney.com/cebu-realtor-cant-sell-beachfront-listings/