Zone 2 London - which are the cheapest areas to rent?

AndyGuil

If he is in St Albans then N and NW London would be best. West Hampstead, Kilburn, Willesden Green and the surrounding areas are ones to consider. All have Bus, tube and thameslink access nearby. Also easy access to the M1.

kwmlondon

Should access to St Albans be easier by car or train? If train then probably New Cross/Brockley, if car then definitely NW/N, but can be expensive near a tube station.

verulamium

I wouldn't hesitate recommending West Hampstead as it's a very nice part of London, but it is also far pricier. At the end of the day, your daughter and her bf will have to decide between closer/higher rents or longer commute/cheaper rents, and how important it is to be in zone 2.

princeofpounds

Without some clue on budget and an idea of what ideas she already has in her head, it's hard to give good advice.

Brockley is fine - some of the train links are great - but frankly if she has the budget and they are going to be in St Albans sometimes then it makes little sense to live south-east when the work is City and North, even if it's on a quick train line.

mhoc

Thanks for all of the info coming in, so useful.

I've just had a quick look at the rents in Brockley out of curiosity and they seem to be upwards of £800 per month, nearer to a thousand and doing a rough calculation for season tickets I think they are going to need an extra £400in additional salary each per month before tax to make this viable.

They live in a city now but pay less than £600 for a one bedroom unfurnished right on the river, daughter has no travel costs as she walks to walk

pinkpiglit

It won't help much with regards to commute to St Albans, but Bermondsey and Rotherhithe both seem to be improving these days - and it's walking distance to Tower Bridge.

BigAunty

mhoc wrote: »

I've just had a quick look at the rents in Brockley out of curiosity and they seem to be upwards of £800 per month, nearer to a thousand and doing a rough calculation for season tickets I think they are going to need an extra £400in additional salary each per month before tax to make this viable.

They live in a city now but pay less than £600 for a one bedroom unfurnished right on the river, daughter has no travel costs as she walks to walk

Yes, but you'll need to stop comparing apples with pears - London has some of the highest rents in the world. What they need to do is download the MSE budget planner to list their expected outgoings and income to see what rent they could afford or what savings they need to make (less social life, etc) to afford a nicer property in a nicer area.

If they can't afford Zone 2, then they must either compromise on area or consider a studio flat, bedsit or shared accommodation - if you see a site like Gumtree or similar, they have search facilities for shared houses where couples are welcome.

Rightmove shows a roomshare in Brockley for a couple at £650 a month, for example,a studio flat at £700. Other areas in London will be cheaper.

kwmlondon

mhoc wrote: »

Thanks for all of the info coming in, so useful.

I've just had a quick look at the rents in Brockley out of curiosity and they seem to be upwards of £800 per month, nearer to a thousand and doing a rough calculation for season tickets I think they are going to need an extra £400in additional salary each per month before tax to make this viable.

They live in a city now but pay less than £600 for a one bedroom unfurnished right on the river, daughter has no travel costs as she walks to walk

What?!??!???!?!

That must surely be through a housing association....

Most of the people I know pay more than that for a single room in zone 1. WAY MORE!!!!!

benjus

mhoc wrote: »

Thanks for all of the info coming in, so useful.

I've just had a quick look at the rents in Brockley out of curiosity and they seem to be upwards of £800 per month, nearer to a thousand and doing a rough calculation for season tickets I think they are going to need an extra £400in additional salary each per month before tax to make this viable.

They live in a city now but pay less than £600 for a one bedroom unfurnished right on the river, daughter has no travel costs as she walks to walk

That's just London for you I'm afraid... £800 pcm is quite a modest rent by London standards, especially for Zone 2. Don't rely on getting somewhere decent for that money. I'm paying £1050 pcm in Zone 3 for a decent size (65 sq m) one-bed flat.

BigAunty

kwmlondon wrote: »

What?!??!???!?!

That must surely be through a housing association....

Most of the people I know pay more than that for a single room in zone 1. WAY MORE!!!!!

No, its possible to get a 1 bed private flat close to the city centre in my city in Scotland.

I just don't think its helpful to bring northern values when assessing southern rental prices, not one bit, this is the market, its hot, get used to it.

Looks like the OPs daughter and her partner will have to pay around £800 per month for basic accommodation there, unless they are happy to move further out or roomshare. Brockley sounds like a nice enough spot in the disaster area of urban south London but its not Mayfair and therefore provides a basic baseline for their budget.