Even at the best of times, finding the right rental property in the UK’s biggest city is not easy. That’s why we’ve put together a list of the best rental websites London property hunters should be using. Whether you want to rent, let out or just keep an eye on the London property market, this list delivers.
The 10 best rental websites London property hunters need
These 10 websites will give you all the information you need to understand the London rental market. From initial research to discovering your ideal property, your best chance of finding it is by covering a wide net. Without further ado, happy searching!
Rightmove
The undisputed king of property websites, Rightmove has the UK’s largest selection of properties for sale and to rent. In fact, Rightmove accounts for more than 80% of all the time web users spend on property portals.
The site has a refreshingly simple UI that puts each property’s images, videos, maps and descriptions within a single integrated view. Also offering a range of reliable area guides, market data and useful news stories, Rightmove is a ‘must-consult’ site for London rentals.
OpenRent
While it only launched in 2012, OpenRent became the UK’s biggest letting agent in 2015. OpenRent’s sales pitch is that it makes renting entirely transparent – something that any Londoner will doubtless appreciate. Equally useful for landlords and tenants, this site lets you bypass pushy agents and hidden fees.
Foxtons
Foxtons is London’s largest estate agent, with 50 offices across the city. They combine high listings availability with an innovative site that lets you search for properties near schools, stations and other points of interest.
You can also draw customised areas yourself on a map to really help filter out unwanted locations. Sign up for alerts and use the MyFoxtons app to stay up to date.
PrimeLocation
Directed at buyers and renters with mid-to-upper-level budgets, PrimeLocation is a highly reputable firm with long ties to London. It’s an offshoot of Zoopla, so you can expect a similar level of coverage and accessibility when you use it. If you want to focus on London’s premium listings, it’s definitely a good place to start.
HomeViews
Of course we’re going to include ourselves! The only place for the most useful, trustworthy insights about London’s new residential developments. We have thousands of resident reviewers’ comments that cover hundreds of rental developments across London.
As an added bonus, the HomeViews blog gives you plenty of extra advice and insights. From FAQs on service charges and ground rent, to top pet-friendly developments in London, we help inform you to choose the right rental – no surprises included.
Gumtree
Despite its ever-present problem with scams, Gumtree is still one of the best rental websites London searchers can use. You’ll find listings here that you won’t see elsewhere. Also, Gumtree’s range of user safety tools and systems make it safer than ever.
Regardless, always make sure that you follow Gumtree’s advice on how to source and secure a safe, fair deal. More simply, if a rental offer sounds too good to be true, then it probably is!
Spareroom
If you’re a renter looking for a room, you can advertise on SpareRoom. If you’re a homeowner, you can also find your ideal lodger.
Renters tell them the site the sort of people you’d prefer to live with – party animals, neat freaks – whatever suits them best. They can also add photos and a video to bring an ad to life. Spareroom then shows likely potential matches and helps arrange viewings.
Love to Rent
If you’re specifically interested in Build to Rent properties, Love to Rent is the site for you. Focusing exclusively on rental-only properties, the site offers extensive listings of the capital’s many developments, the number of which is growing by the day.
Ideal Flatmate
With rental prices rising, flat sharing is becoming increasingly popular in London. Ideal Flatmate provides a user-friendly platform for finding, well, your ideal flatmate. You can search for rooms to rent, answer questions to match you with potential flatmates or list rooms in your property.
Roomgo
Another popular flatsharing option, Roomgo provides the tools to find the perfect flatmate or list a room for rent within a property. The platform provides the tools to tailor your own property search, view rooms and flatmates, save searches, sign up for alerts and contact landlords or occupants for property viewings.
London rental websites FAQs
Take a look at the frequently asked questions below to answer all your questions about London rental websites:
What is the best renting website for London?
Remember that the ‘best’ rental website for you entirely depends on what kind of London rental property you’re looking for. Fortunately, the list above has plenty of variety.
Whether you’re looking for the most affordable rents in the capital, or want to scout the luxury rental market, there’s a site for you. But if you’re looking for the best all-rounder and the widest possible pool of rental properties, you can’t go wrong with Rightmove. It’s by far the UK’s most popular property website, so if you want to find your ideal London rental property, you’ve got a good chance of finding it there.
Are London rental prices increasing in 2024?
Although London rental prices recovered more slowly than the rest of the UK in the aftermath of the pandemic, they started flying again in 2023. Rising interest rates are pushing potential buyers out of house sales and back into the rental market. This added demand keeps pushing rental rates upwards, and 2024 shows no signs of being any different.
According to the Office for National Statistics, private property rental prices in London increased by a rate of 6.9% in the 12 months to January 2024. This was higher than the England average rise of 6.1%, and the highest regional rise in the country.
Is it hard to find a rental property in London?
How hard it is to find a rental property in London will depend heavily on the area you’re searching in. Generally though, there’s a significant shortage of housing available for rent across the capital, which may make it hard to find your ideal rental property. With people returning to London after the lifting of pandemic restrictions, it’s little surprise the rental market in the capital is so competitive.
Is it better to use a rental website or go directly to an estate agent?
Every rental website and estate agent has different offerings, and offers different levels of customer service. Therefore, there’s no hard-and-fast rule for which avenue is best. Many rental websites in London are owned by estate agencies, or are directly linked to them.
Sometimes, it’s best to use a combination of both. Start your search with a rental website to canvass different London areas with ease and convenience, then go to a physical estate agent branch once you’ve narrowed down the search a little. This might improve your chances of finding the ideal rental home.
What does PCM and PW mean?
It’s common to see the initialisations ‘PCM’ and ‘PW’ used on property rental websites. These refer to rental prices and mean ‘per calendar month’ and ‘per week’ respectively. Look out for these so you can be sure you’re comparing like-for-like when it comes to rental prices.
What is the best rental website in the UK?
Rightmove is the most popular property website in the UK, accounting for over 80% of the sector’s online traffic. This means that whether you’re looking to buy or rent a property, Rightmove is an excellent place to start.
Where is the most expensive place to rent in London?
Rental prices can vary wildly between London boroughs. At the moment, Westminster is the most expensive borough to rent in, with average monthly rent for a two-bedroom property coming in at £2,925. Sutton is currently the cheapest borough to rent in, with the same type of property averaging £1,250 per calendar month.
Where are the most in-demand rental areas in London?
Renting in London can be a competitive experience, but there are certain areas that are even more in-demand than others. According to recent property search data, Abbey Wood, Forest Gate and Crystal Palace have seen the biggest increases in demand.
Renting websites London: What to look for
Before you start your search, make sure you have a fairly clear idea of what your intended rental home looks like. While you don’t have to have ‘the perfect place’ all mapped out, nailing down some key factors beforehand will make the search easier.
For example, do you need to be in one specific London district or area? Or are you not tied by geography and are free to look more widely? What property type and style would you prefer? And, crucially, what is your realistic budget?
Once you have the basics worked out, you’ll have a clearer idea of what London rental site to use. Even from their homepage, you should get a sense of their target audience. Check their introductory message, some example property listings, customer testimonies (if applicable) and experiment with their search tools.
Given how competitive the London rental market is today, these sites make it their business to provide their users with an easy, smooth and relevant search experience. With this in mind, you should be able to find what you’re looking for without difficulty. With a bit of luck, your search might turn up some nice surprises too!
Feel like your site should be on our list for London rentals? Don’t hesitate to get in contact and let us know.
HomeViews is the only independent review platform for residential developments in the UK. Prospective buyers and tenants use it to make an informed decision on where to live based on insights from carefully verified resident reviews. Part of Rightmove since February 2024, we’re working with developers, house builders, operators, housing associations and the Government to give residents a voice, recognise high performers and to help improve standards across the industry.
