Crawley named one of the cheapest towns to commute into London from as a renter

With the cost-of-living crisis and government changes adding further strain to agents, landlords, and tenants alike across the rental sector, rent prices – especially in the capital – have soared in recent months.

In fact, Goodlord’s database of over 1,000 letting agencies revealed that rent in Greater London recently hit a record high of £2,055 per calendar month and is 15% more expensive this month than in November of last year.

To help prospective renters cope with costs and find the best deals, Goodlord’s rental experts have calculated the cheapest places to rent within one hour of Waterloo, Euston, King’s Cross/St Pancras, London Fenchurch Street, Liverpool Street, London Victoria and London Bridge stations.

With an average monthly rent of £970, with services as fast as 55 minutes via Thameslink from Ifield station, Crawley is the second-cheapest place to rent within one hour of London Bridge.

Kent towns Gravesend and Northfleet are the cheapest to rent within one hour from London Bridge, with an average monthly rent of £941.

Basingstoke was the cheapest place to rent within one hour of Waterloo (on average £872 per month); Rugby was the cheapest place to rent within one hour of Euston (£705 p/m); Peterborough was the cheapest place to rent within one hour of King’s Cross/St Pancras (£667 p/m); Southend-on-sea was the cheapest place to rent within one hour of London Fenchurch Street (£890 p/m); Manningtree was the cheapest place to rent within one hour of Liverpool Street (£836 p/m); and Chatham (£910 p/m) was the cheapest place to rent within one hour or London Victoria.

Tom Mundy, COO and co-founder of Goodlord said: “As inflation hits a 40-year high, we’re seeing more tenants impacted by higher rents.

“Couple this with the lack of rental stock currently available and it’s fair to say that trying to find a rental property, within a specified budget, is proving extremely difficult right now.

“Since Covid-19 a record number of Londoners have left the capital, but many are still commuting into central stations multiple times a week.

“For many of these renters, even finding affordable accommodation within one hour of London can be difficult, but there are options available for renters looking to get the most for their money.”