Brief

SpareRoom data shows London room rents hit £1,002 in Q3 2026

Average room rents in inner London reached £1,002 in the third quarter of 2026, while availability dropped across the capital.

By Felo News Desk · Published Sat, 10 Oct 2026 22:30:23 GMT

New SpareRoom data released on 9 October 2026 shows average monthly room rents in inner London rose to £1,002 in the third quarter of 2026, just £1 below the all‑time high of £1,003 set in late 2023, according to the Standard.

The figures also reveal a 7.3 % year‑on‑year fall in room supply in inner London and a 1.7 % decline in outer London. The steepest rent increases were recorded in south‑west and south‑east boroughs, with postcodes such as SW (Wandsworth, Richmond, Wimbledon) reaching an average of £1,065 per month. By contrast, east London posted the lowest average at £958, offering a potential saving of £107 per month compared with the south‑west.

SpareRoom’s table breaks down rents by postcode area: EC £1,289 (+5.2 % YoY, -11.3 % supply), N £969 (+0.8 %, -7.5 %), NW £999 (+1.1 %, -7.3 %), SE £963 (+1.2 %, -5.8 %), SW £1,065 (+2.4 %, -10.0 %), W £1,064 (+1.3 %, -4.6 %), WC £1,464 (+7.3 %, -30.1 %). Overall, Greater London’s average was £932, up 0.6 % YoY, while supply fell 5.8 %.

The report notes that the private rental market remains under pressure despite the Renters’ Rights Act, which banned no‑fault evictions and rental bidding wars. Letting agency Hello Neighbour said some landlords are now embedding higher initial asking rents into listings, effectively pre‑empting the ban on bidding wars.

Matt Hutchinson, director at SpareRoom, commented: “With average rents now into four figures, to affordably rent an average room in a London flatshare people will need a gross salary of at least £30,000,” the Standard quoted him as saying.

Key facts

Average monthly room rent in inner London was £1,002 in Q3 2026. (standard.co.uk)
Room supply fell 7.3% year‑on‑year in inner London and 1.7% in outer London. (standard.co.uk)
South‑west London postcodes averaged £1,065, the highest across the city. (standard.co.uk)
East London posted the lowest average at £958 per month. (standard.co.uk)
Hello Neighbour reported landlords are raising initial asking rents to offset the ban on rental bidding wars. (standard.co.uk)