London’s best rental spots for lonely hearts as lockdown eases

With lockdown measures easing this weekend, many isolated Londoners will finally be able to venture out in search of other singletons and the best chance of finding them is in Islington, Hackney or Lambeth.

However, for those on a more long-term mission, the latest research by international rental marketplace Spotahome has looked at which London boroughs offer the best mix of affordable rental costs coupled with the highest percentage of single people.

Spotahome ranked each borough based on the average cost of renting for every percentage of the population that is single.

On average across London, 44% of people are single and with the average rent costing £1,644, that’s £37 per month in rent for every percentage of single people.

Lewisham ranks as the best place in London to break lockdown boredom and expand your bubble. With 50% of people in the borough listed as single and an average rental cost of £1,316, the rental cost per single score is just £26; the lowest across the capital.

Croydon also ranks high, with 40% of people in the borough classed as single, an average rental cost of £1,140 and a cost per single score of just £29 per month in rent.

Barking and Dagenham, Waltham Forest and Southwark are also some of the most affordable boroughs with the highest number of singles, coming in at £31 per month in rent for every percentage of single people living there.

Hackney, Newham, Bexley, Lambeth and Hillingdon also rank highly.

The least affordable rental spots for lonely hearts are Kensington and Chelsea (£63), Westminster (£59) and Richmond (£50). All are home to a rental cost per percentage of single people of £50 or above.

Lowest rental cost for every one percentage of single people in each London borough.
London borough
% of singles
Average rent pm
£ cost per % of singles score point
Lewisham
50%
£1,316
£26
Croydon
40%
£1,140
£29
Barking and Dagenham
39%
£1,208
£31
Waltham Forest
43%
£1,352
£31
Southwark
55%
£1,718
£31
Hackney
58%
£1,842
£32
Newham
45%
£1,453
£32
Bexley
34%
£1,092
£32
Lambeth
58%
£1,908
£33
Hillingdon
36%
£1,200
£33
Sutton
35%
£1,151
£33
Kingston upon Thames
39%
£1,306
£33
Tower Hamlets
55%
£1,835
£33
Haringey
50%
£1,669
£33
Islington
60%
£2,003
£33
Enfield
38%
£1,292
£34
Greenwich
43%
£1,476
£34
Hounslow
39%
£1,352
£35
Havering
33%
£1,169
£35
Brent
42%
£1,502
£36
Wandsworth
54%
£1,958
£36
Hammersmith and Fulham
56%
£2,117
£38
Redbridge
35%
£1,311
£38
Ealing
41%
£1,569
£39
Bromley
34%
£1,307
£39
Barnet
37%
£1,499
£40
Merton
40%
£1,640
£41
Camden
55%
£2,302
£42
Harrow
32%
£1,387
£43
City of London
51%
£2,274
£45
Richmond upon Thames
37%
£1,835
£50
Westminster
51%
£3,046
£59
Kensington and Chelsea
48%
£3,023
£63
London
44%
£1,644
£37

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