5th October 2023

The average London rent is at a record high of £2,627 per calendar month according to property site Rightmove.

John Rockley

Commenting on this figure, Daniel Thwaites, our Head of Housing and Property Income said “There is a huge affordability gap in London. The average household income in London is £2,868 per month – and that leaves Londoners with less than £250 a month for every other necessity. The system needs to change.”

Figures released in July this year from our co-commissioned Savills and LSE research found that only 2.3% of homes on Rightmove were advertised at LHA rates.

Amy Cowan, our Head of Acquisitions and Tenancy Sustainment said: “We know that the 2.3% figure is falling, and we can only see what homes are advertised at, not what the agreed rent is – and as BBC research suggests that up to 30 people are bidding on each home – the final rent is probably beyond LHA.”

To counter the market, we’re working with member boroughs to find better ways of supplying affordable housing to Londoners.

Amy went on to say “We are the change we want to see. We recognised that traditional affordable housing procurement was becoming more difficult, so, with the support of our members, we are offering ethical lettings, leases, management, and procurement.”

Daniel Thwaites added, “Landlords, big and small, want to positively affect society and the communities in which they live and work, and our approach means that they see great ESG returns as well as a robust financial result. We are a landlord in our own right, which means our expert team of housing and lettings professionals can take on lease arrangements at guaranteed rent, management contracts across properties, and broker traditional affordable housing straight to our member boroughs. Our unique approach means more affordable homes for our members as we cross-subsidise from our surpluses.”