Revealed: The cheapest places to rent within one hour of London

New data sourced from RentTech company Goodlord reveals the cheapest places to rent within one hour of a central London mainline train station.

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 currently 13% more expensive than this time 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.

Waterloo

• Basingstoke: average monthly rent of £872 with services as fast as 51 minutes via South Western Railway from Basingstoke station
• Aldershot: average monthly rent of £1,049 with services as fast as 49 minutes via South Western Railway from Aldershot station
• Farnborough: average monthly rent of £1,070 with services as fast as 38 minutes via South Western Railway from Farnborough Main station

For those looking to be even closer the likes of Surbiton (£1,345), Feltham (£1,232), Walton-on-Thames (£1,281) and Weybridge (£1,412) stations all offer services under 35 minutes into Waterloo.

Euston

• Rugby: average monthly rent of £705 with services as fast as 60 minutes via Avanti West Coast Railway from Rugby station
• Bletchley: average monthly rent of £903 with services as fast as 39 minutes via West Midlands Railway from Bletchley station
• Milton Kenes: average monthly rent of £1,073 with services as fast as 34 minutes via Avanti West Coast Railway from Milton Kenes station

For those looking to be even closer, between Harrow and Stanmore and South Oxhey (Watford) would be a good choice, with Harrow & Wealdstone (£1,337) and Bushey stations (£1,424) offering services under 20 minutes, respectively.

King’s Cross/St Pancras

• Peterborough: average monthly rent of £667 with services as fast as 51 minutes via London North Eastern Railway from Peterborough station
• Bedford: average monthly rent of £677 with services as fast as 51 minutes via Thameslink from Bedford station
• Arlesey: average monthly rent of £823 with services as fast as 48 minutes via Thameslink from Arlesey station

For those wishing to be even closer, Potters Bar (£1,336), Luton (£834), Stevenage (£883) and Letchworth Garden City (£968) stations all offer services under 35 minutes.

London Fenchurch Street

• Southend-on-sea: average monthly rent of £890 with services as fast as 40 minutes via c2c Railway from Tilbury Town station
• Basildon: average monthly rent of £970 with services as fast as 37 minutes via c2c Railway from Basildon station
• Grays: average monthly rent of £991 with services as fast as 37 minutes via c2c Railway from Grays station

For those wishing to be within striking distance, Barking (£1,349) and Stratford (£1,666) both offer 15-minute (and under) services from Barking and West Ham stations respectively.

Liverpool Street

• Manningtree: average monthly rent of £836 with services as fast as 59 minutes via Greater Anglia Railway from Manningtree station
• Witham: average monthly rent of £868 with services as fast as 49 minutes via Greater Anglia Railway from Witham station
• Colchester (Kelvedon): average monthly rent of £966 with services as fast as 52 minutes via Greater Anglia Railway from Kelvedon station

For those looking to be closer, between Dalston and Hackney (£1,924) would be a good area to look in, with Hackney Downs station offering services as fast as 11 minutes. Cheaper alternatives are Romford (£1,098) or Tottenham (£1,635) both of which offer services under 30 minutes from Romford and Tottenham Hale stations respectively.

London Victoria

• Chatham: average monthly rent of £910 with services as fast as 50 minutes via Southeastern Railway from Chatham station
• Gillingham: average monthly rent of £939 with services as fast as 60 minutes via Southeastern Railway from Rainham (Kent) station
• Rochester: average monthly rent of £947 with services as fast as 46 minutes via Southeastern Railway from Rochester station

For those wanting to be closer Bromley (£1,208), Sydenham (£1,268) and Peckham (£1,545) are areas to consider, with under 20 minutes services offered at Bromley South, Penge East, Nunhead and Peckham Rye stations respectively.

London Bridge

• Gravesend/Northfleet: average monthly rent of £941 with services as fast as 55 minutes via Southeastern Railway from Northfleet station
• Crawley: average monthly rent of £970 with services as fast as 55 minutes via Thameslink from Ilfield station
• South-east London (Southend and Lower Sydenham): average monthly rent of £1,012 with services as fast as 15 minutes via Southeaster Railway from Catford Bridge station

Wallington (£1,058), Lee and Chinbrook (£1,136), and Bromley/Plaistow (£1,208) also all offer services under 30 minutes from Wallington, Grove Park, and Hither Green stations respectively.

Commenting on the current state of the rental market and the new data, 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.”