Renters in this London area pay nearly triple the national average in renting costs

Moving platform Getamover.co.uk determined the areas with the highest upfront costs for renters by using Office for National Statistics data to find the combined total of one month of rent for a two-bedroom property in February 2025 and a representative security deposit equal to five weeks of rent in 334 areas of Great Britain.

“Housing costs are always near the top of most people’s list of financial concerns," commented David Burrows, Head of Getamover.co.uk. "This only intensifies when you need to move if you are renting and the lease is expiring, or even worse, the rent has become too expensive to afford.

“This concern prompted us to look at where in the UK renters faced the highest upfront costs and what they might need if they move."

Westminster tops the list of the areas with the highest upfront costs for renters, with renters facing a steep average upfront cost of £7,628 to rent a two-bedroom property. This value is a combination of the first month of rent, which came to £3,390 in February 2025, and a £4,238 security deposit equal to five weeks of rent. Westminster’s renting costs were nearly three times (178%) more than the average for Great Britain of £2,745, and nearly seven times the cheapest area on the list, Hartlepool.

Once a Westminster renter has paid their upfront costs, they could have afforded to rent in Hartlepool for an entire year at £491 monthly, and paid their representative £614 security deposit with change to spare.

London dominated the list of the priciest areas, with the top 25 all found in the capital, with only three areas not in the London region in the top 30. All 32 areas in London averaged £4,808 in upfront costs for renters of two-bed properties, 75% above the national average.

Kensington and Chelsea is the second costliest area for renters, with average upfront renting costs at £7,556, 175% above the Great British average.

Camden comes third. The London borough averaged £5,904in upfront costs for renters, 115% more than the average for Great Britain.

Islington saw renters paying an average of £5,672in upfront costs, more than twice the average and enough to land fourth place.

Hammersmith and Fulhamis the fifth priciest area for renters, with a two-bedroom property costing an average of £5,668upfront, 106% above the Great British average.

“Unsurprisingly, London dominated the list of the priciest areas for renting," Burrows expanded on why London was so expensive for renters. “London is the economic centre of the country, and this economic power means higher wages and greater economic opportunity for workers, which increases demand for properties and drives up rents. In addition, housing supply is restricted by rental properties being used for short-term renting on platforms like Airbnb, further elevating rents.”

The costliest area outside of London was Elmbridge, with renters facing upfront costs of £3,542 on average for a two-bedroom property, 29% above the national average of £2,745. This was the twenty-sixth highest in Great Britain overall.

Outside of the M25, Cambridge is the most expensive and twenty-seventh highest in Britain, costing renters an average of £3,528for the first month of rent and security deposit, 29% more than average.

St. Albans is the third priciest area outside of London and thirtieth nationally. Renters can expect to pay £3,506 upfront to rent a two-bedroom property, 28% above the national average.

Oxford ranked thirty-first nationally and fourth for non-London areas. Renters faced average upfront costs of £3,454, 26% more than the average for Great Britain of £2,745.

Windsor and Maidenhead rounds out the top five areas outside of London with the highest upfront costs for renters. Renting a two-bedroom property in this area costs a representative average of £3,413, 24% above the national average and the thirty-third highest in Great Britain overall.

As for the areas that are cheapest for renters, Hartlepool takes the crown. Renters face upfront costs less than half (60% below) the national average at £1,105, with average monthly rent in February 2025 at just £491.

County Durham is second cheapest, with upfront costs at £1,172 for renters, 57% below the £2,745 average for Great Britain.

Powys is the cheapest area in Wales, and the third cheapest nationally, with upfront costs of £1,175.

In fourth is North East Lincolnshire. Costs for renting came to £1,179 upfront, 57% under the average.

Dumfries and Galloway is Scotland's cheapest area for renters and fifth across Great Britain, with upfront costs of £1,217.