Only one London borough scored more than eight out of 10 for family-friendly renting in new analysis of the capital’s accessibility.
This despite the number of households with children in London’s private rental sector increasing from about one in six in the mid-Nineties, to about a third today, according to the English Housing Survey.
Factors including the cost of rent, nursery availability, school ratings and crime levels were measured in analysis by Alan Boswell Landlord Insurance to pinpoint the best parts of London for renting families.
The research identified Richmond upon Thames as the best borough for families to rent in, with the second highest ratio of outstanding schools to population, the lowest volume of reported crimes per person and the average rent of £3,503pcm falling below the five most expensive boroughs in London.
Best boroughs for school provision
London borough |
Volume of outstanding schools per 10,000 under-14s |
Kensington and Chelsea |
10 |
Richmond upon Thames, City of Westminster |
7 |
Camden, Lambeth, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham |
6 |
Source: Alan Boswell Landlord Insurance analysis of Ofsted and City Population data
Adam Jennings, director of south-west London lettings at estate agents Chestertons, said demand for rental properties in Richmond borough had doubled since the pandemic.
“In Richmond, Kew, Sheen, it is all about families — the schools are good and it is a safe, clean, park-led area.”
Chestertons has seen so much crossover interest from potential buyers in the area switching to the rental market that it now markets new lets to both databases.
“I’ve completed two lets in the last week in sought-after roads in Richmond where buyers have taken on rentals in excess of £11,000 per month,” he says. “One might even eventually lead to a sale.”
Best boroughs for avoiding crime
London borough |
Recorded crimes per 100,000 people in 2022/23 |
Richmond |
5,805 |
Harrow |
6,121 |
Merton |
6,169 |
Bexley |
6,317 |
Sutton |
6,438 |
Source: Alan Boswell analysis of ONS crime stats and City Population data
Barnet and Southwark placed second and third in the overall table, followed by Camden and Bromley. Barking and Dagenham scored the lowest mark with just 4.7 out of 10 in the final index, while Newham and Redbridge also made the bottom five.
Haringey, Havering, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest were not part of the analysis because researchers could not get complete datasets.
While the research highlights the more attractive areas for renting families, there remain issues around the growing number of children living in a typically insecure tenure with rents at all-time highs — averaging £2,567pcm, according to Rightmove.
Marcus Dixon, head of UK residential research at property specialists JLL, says the average age of a first-time buyer in London has risen from 32 to 34 in the last decade.
“This means many of those in the private rented sector will be families with children,” he adds.
“Even for those who can afford to buy their own home, competition for the best schools, many with tight catchments, is also increasing. Renting is often a more cost-effective option of getting into the catchment than purchasing a home.”
Overall table: London’s most desirable boroughs for tenant families
Source: Alan Boswell Landlord Insurance analysis of datasets from bodies including Ofsted, City Population, Home.co.uk, ONS and Childcare.co.uk. Rounded figures are used in some cases and subjective weightings were given to these variables and others not shown in order to calculate the final index scores.
Tom Bill, head of UK residential research at Knight Frank, said the shortage of rental properties in the capital was “beginning to ease” due to a sales slump. “More owners are letting out their property as they fail to achieve their asking price,” he added.
“However, rental values are rising steeply in many areas and demand still exceeds supply to a far greater extent than before the pandemic, particularly in popular locations with good schools and amenities.”
A spokesperson for campaign body the London Renters Union, warned of “a cycle of insecurity”.
“Skyrocketing rents, a lack of available social housing and the continued threat of no-fault eviction are forcing many into hardship or out of their homes altogether.
“Children are unable to get settled in school and have adverse educational outcomes because of the constant pressure to move house.”
