Housing · data story

The rent-pay trap

The same rent is a very different burden depending on where London pay lands.

The evidence

What the current releases show

Updated 16 Sept 2026

01

Rent burden · Private Rental Market in London: April 2025 to March 2026

Highest published value in this view

81.3%

Kensington and Chelsea

London median: 51.1%

Two-bedroom median rent as a share of resident median annual earnings.

Explore Private rent versus resident pay
02

Advertised rent sample · Private Rental Market in London: April 2025 to March 2026

Highest published value in this view

£4,550

WC2B

London median: £2,917

The geography of the latest ONS purposive private-rent sample.

Explore London's private-rent map
03

Short-let pressure · Sutton

Highest published value in this view

5.87 per 1,000 Census households

All listings

Entire homes: 2.98 per 1,000 Census households

Entire-home advertisements relative to Census households.

Caveat: Listings are advertisements, not occupied nights.

Explore Short lets by borough

Trace the claims

Sources and records

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