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In which London borough should I NOT rent a flat?

I'm moving to London. I'm gonna rent a one bedroom flat, but as my budget is really limited I have to look at the flats where their prices are cheap. http://assets3.thrillist.com/v1/image/1560005 <-- I'm using this map, it gives me some sense of where prices will be affordable for me and where they definietely won't.
My budget is 700-900 per month and I'm looking only at the boroughs with that price. Is there any borough that I should be aware of? Thanks for any help.
+how much time it takes to go from the place like Hatton Cross to central London by tube?

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Reply 1
Do you know if Manchester is more expensive than London?


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Reply 2
Original post by TagridS
Do you know if Manchester is more expensive than London?


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As I know there is no more expensive british city than London. But of course it all depends on which area are you interested in. Probably central Manchester is gonna be also very expensive...
Original post by TagridS
Do you know if Manchester is more expensive than London?


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London is the most expensive by a long way, but obviously the most expensive places in Manchester can be more expensive than the cheapest places in London, which also might be far out.

You can get an idea by using spareroom, zoopla or rightmove.
I lived in London for 3 years, avoid Lewisham and surrounding areas like the plague. Had a guy stabbed on my road one night and there was no avoiding it they were shouting and screaming and waking everyone up.... basically don't do it. Surrounding areas include ladywell/deptford/plumstead/woolwich.
Woolwich is also pretty bad. And plummstead, had a guy stabbed with a broken bottle right next to me. Maybe just avoid south east??

I lived in Canning Town for a bit which is East, not the prettiest area but relatively safe and probably my favourite area I lived.
Central is nice, I lived in Southwark but suuuuuuuper pricey.

Honestly for price and location East is probably best as it has good links into central and avoid south East, if you have any questions about London or anything just ask.
Hope i haven't put you off too much.... :colondollar:
Original post by lalalallaa
I lived in London for 3 years, avoid Lewisham and surrounding areas like the plague. Had a guy stabbed on my road one night and there was no avoiding it they were shouting and screaming and waking everyone up.... basically don't do it. Surrounding areas include ladywell/deptford/plumstead/woolwich.
Woolwich is also pretty bad. And plummstead, had a guy stabbed with a broken bottle right next to me. Maybe just avoid south east??

I lived in Canning Town for a bit which is East, not the prettiest area but relatively safe and probably my favourite area I lived.
Central is nice, I lived in Southwark but suuuuuuuper pricey.

Honestly for price and location East is probably best as it has good links into central and avoid south East, if you have any questions about London or anything just ask.
Hope i haven't put you off too much.... :colondollar:


I was waiting for Lewisham to be mentioned loool. Didn't take long 😂
Reply 6
Original post by 999tigger
London is the most expensive by a long way, but obviously the most expensive places in Manchester can be more expensive than the cheapest places in London, which also might be far out.

You can get an idea by using spareroom, zoopla or rightmove.


Thanks I will. I'm planning to apply to Manchester met and all year I was looking only prices in London because I thought that's where I was moving in..


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Original post by Castro Saint
I was waiting for Lewisham to be mentioned loool. Didn't take long 😂


At least I have first hand experience and am not just hating ha.
Genuinely found being a white female living in Lewisham was rare, that imo and not meant for offence :confused:
Original post by lalalallaa
At least I have first hand experience and am not just hating ha.
Genuinely found being a white female living in Lewisham was rare, that imo and not meant for offence :confused:


I mean... I would say that's exaggerating a bit but it's definitely home to a lot of different nationalities (compared to other areas in London/country). I like it for that personally.
Original post by Castro Saint
I mean... I would say that's exaggerating a bit but it's definitely home to a lot of different nationalities (compared to other areas in London/country). I like it for that personally.



It really is, I'll admit that, but I did get followed around the shopping centre a lot...
Original post by seamoon
I'm moving to London. I'm gonna rent a one bedroom flat, but as my budget is really limited I have to look at the flats where their prices are cheap. http://assets3.thrillist.com/v1/image/1560005 <-- I'm using this map, it gives me some sense of where prices will be affordable for me and where they definietely won't.
My budget is 700-900 per month and I'm looking only at the boroughs with that price. Is there any borough that I should be aware of? Also I know that it's not politically correct but I don't want to live in the muslim borough like Tower Hamlets. Thanks for any help.
+how much time it takes to go from the place like Hatton Cross to central London by tube?


For 900 you've got absolutely no chance of getting a flat within about 10-15 miles (probably more) at least of the city centre. You'd be looking at sharing a room in a house. Even studio flats south of the river in zone three (such as forest hill) are at least £1000 a month. (I was like you, i was using that map as a guide and started hunting around and quickly found how unaffordable it was)

Hatton Cross is right out near Heathrow airport (i think it's actually between terminals) which is why its so cheap. Literally every 30 seconds you've got planes taking off and landing and its super noisy. It takes around an hour or so to get into central.

Your best bet is to look at house shares in zones 1/2 and go from there. It may work out cheaper to spend more and be closer to the centre than spend less, be further out and then have to spend what you saved on rent on traveling in. It gets more expensive as you travel in and out of zones. Have a look at SpareRoom.com for flat shares :smile:
(edited 6 years ago)
What the above poster said. House shares are the way forward, especially with that budget.

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Reply 12
Original post by Jackieox
For 900 you've got absolutely no chance of getting a flat within about 10-15 miles (probably more) at least of the city centre. You'd be looking at sharing a room in a house. Even studio flats south of the river in zone three (such as forest hill) are at least £1000 a month. (I was like you, i was using that map as a guide and started hunting around and quickly found how unaffordable it was)

Hatton Cross is right out near Heathrow airport (i think it's actually between terminals) which is why its so cheap. Literally every 30 seconds you've got planes taking off and landing and its super noisy. It takes around an hour or so to get into central.

Your best bet is to look at house shares in zones 1/2 and go from there. It may work out cheaper to spend more and be closer to the centre than spend less, be further out and then have to spend what you saved on rent on traveling in. It gets more expensive as you travel in and out of zones. Have a look at SpareRoom.com for flat shares :smile:


I desperately want to live by myself, so probably I would be even able to handle living next to the airport, ahaha. I don't mind commuting. I don't find living close to centre with other strange people attractive, so if I will find a place with affordable price and 1 hour from centre I would still get it.
Reply 13
Original post by lalalallaa
I lived in London for 3 years, avoid Lewisham and surrounding areas like the plague. Had a guy stabbed on my road one night and there was no avoiding it they were shouting and screaming and waking everyone up.... basically don't do it. Surrounding areas include ladywell/deptford/plumstead/woolwich.
Woolwich is also pretty bad. And plummstead, had a guy stabbed with a broken bottle right next to me. Maybe just avoid south east??

I lived in Canning Town for a bit which is East, not the prettiest area but relatively safe and probably my favourite area I lived.
Central is nice, I lived in Southwark but suuuuuuuper pricey.

Honestly for price and location East is probably best as it has good links into central and avoid south East, if you have any questions about London or anything just ask.
Hope i haven't put you off too much.... :colondollar:


Thank you very much!! I was waiting for the answer like that. Don't you really mind if I will write to you? I have a lot of questions about London (maybe right now not that much but as the date of my departure is coming up my number of questions is increasing...)
Where will you be studying (or working)?
Original post by seamoon
Thank you very much!! I was waiting for the answer like that. Don't you really mind if I will write to you? I have a lot of questions about London (maybe right now not that much but as the date of my departure is coming up my number of questions is increasing...)


Have you looked at spare room.com. . I am a landlord and get all my tenants from there. Tbh all areas of London can be bad. But Lewisham is awful. I trained there many years ago and my son's friend is a teacher ther. He has had to remover tasers and knives from the pupils on a regular basis.

Don't forget travel is expensive and the further out you go eats into your budget and your time.

I would also advise house share to begin with. Don't pick a basement or ground floor flat either. Hey but enjoy London it is a terrific city
There is some "bad" in most, if not, all London boroughs, some places in London are just more bad than others.

I would personally say avoid certain parts of East London - Newham area i.e Upton Park, Forest Gate etc. and Barking & Dagenham, A guy who I vaguely knew was unfortunately stabbed in Dagenham last year.
None of them. London is a horrible place to live nowadays.
Not sure where not to rent but I'd recommend Enfield. It's the greenest borough in London with low air pollution and relatively safe. Also has direct train links to London Liverpool street station in half an hour, and from there you can take most tubes

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