Hopping the Thames can save London tenants hundreds in rent each month
The latest research by international rental marketplace Spotahome has found that London’s tenants can reduce their rental outgoings by as much as -28% simply by crossing the Thames.
Spotahome analysed the current cost of renting in the London boroughs that straddle the banks of the Thames. The data shows that on average, the cost of renting in a borough on the southern bank of the river comes in at £1,547. This is -21% cheaper than the average rental cost of £1,951 across the boroughs that line the northern bank of the Thames.
Spotahome then looked at 15 locations where traversing the Thames from one side to the other takes minutes on foot thanks to a footbridge crossing, with the added bonus of reducing your rent in the process.
With an average rent of £2,898 in Covent Gardens WC2 postcode, tenants can reduce their rental outgoings by -28% a month simply by crossing Waterloo Bridge. So renting just a 10-minute walk away could literally save tenants up to £800 a month!
Opting for Waterloo’s SE1 postcode not only reduces their monthly rental costs to £2,100 per month but they remain within a short walk to the bright lights of Covent Garden and the Strand
Moving north to south from Pimlico to Vauxhall can also save you a notable -27% a month in rent. While moving from Westminster to Lambeth (-20%) or from Chelsea to Battersea (-18%) also results in a considerable saving.
But fear not. If you want to stay north of the river there are a number of locations that come in cheaper.
To the far west, moving north across the Thames from Richmond to Twickenham will result in a -14% rent reduction. To the far east, a move from Dartford to Purfleet will also save -12% per month.
More centrally, crossing the river from Barnes to Hammersmith will reduce your monthly rent by -9% a month. While a move from Mortlake to Chiswick will also see your rental outgoings drop by -7% by moving from south to north of the Thames.
|
North
|
South
|
Move for Rental Saving
|
Percentage Saving
|
||||
|
Location
|
Postcode District
|
Average Rent (PM)
|
Location
|
Postcode District
|
Average Rent (PM)
|
||
|
Covent Garden
|
WC2
|
£2,898
|
Waterloo
|
SE1
|
£2,100
|
North to South
|
-28%
|
|
Pimlico
|
SW1
|
£2,632
|
Vauxhall
|
SE11
|
£1,933
|
North to South
|
-27%
|
|
Westminster
|
SW1
|
£2,632
|
Lambeth
|
SE1
|
£2,100
|
North to South
|
-20%
|
|
Chelsea
|
SW3
|
£2,780
|
Battersea
|
SW11
|
£2,271
|
North to South
|
-18%
|
|
Twickenham
|
TW1
|
£1,549
|
Richmond
|
TW9
|
£1,796
|
South to North
|
-14%
|
|
Fulham
|
SW6
|
£2,184
|
Wandsworth
|
SW18
|
£1,884
|
North to South
|
-14%
|
|
Purfleet
|
RM19
|
£941
|
Dartford
|
DA1
|
£1,075
|
South to North
|
-12%
|
|
North Woolwich
|
E16
|
£1,563
|
Woolwich
|
SE18
|
£1,413
|
North to South
|
-10%
|
|
Wapping
|
E1
|
£1,860
|
Bermondsey
|
SE16
|
£1,686
|
North to South
|
-9%
|
|
Hammersmith
|
W6
|
£2,144
|
Barnes
|
SW13
|
£2,365
|
South to North
|
-9%
|
|
Isle of Dogs
|
E14
|
£1,721
|
Deptford
|
SE8
|
£1,590
|
North to South
|
-8%
|
|
Chiswick
|
W4
|
£1,851
|
Mortlake
|
SW14
|
£2,001
|
South to North
|
-7%
|
|
Limehouse
|
E14
|
£1,721
|
Rotherhithe
|
SE16
|
£1,686
|
North to South
|
-2%
|
|
Blackfriars
|
EC4
|
£2,092
|
Newington
|
SE1
|
£2,100
|
South to North
|
-0.4%
|
|
Canary Wharf/Poplar
|
E14
|
£1,721
|
Greenwich
|
SE10
|
£1,722
|
South to North
|
-0.1%
|
|
North Average
|
£2,019
|
South Average
|
£1,848
|
North to South
|
-8%
|
||
Average rental statistics sourced from PropertyData.
You May Also Enjoy
UK House Price Index for January 2025
Exchange time reaches 135 days
Industry response to latest inflation figures and its impact on housing
Foxtons Lettings Market Index – February 2026
The best time to list a rental property in London revealed
