For many Londoners, the prospect of handing over half your salary to your landlord each month is, sadly, quite normal. But with the average room in the capital now costing a staggering £978 per month, renters are being forced to look for alternative, cheaper options. According to research from SpareRoom, the Home Counties are welcoming a new kind of resident: flatsharers looking to flee London for a cheaper deal, with Hertfordshire, Essex and Surrey leading the charge.
Waltham Abbey Tops the List
In particular, the Essex market town, Waltham Abbey, tops the list, with a 113% increase in interest from renters between 2024 and 2025. The average monthly rent here during the first quarter of 2026 (between January 1 and March 31) was £784, almost £200 cheaper than in the capital. Plus, there’s a direct train from Waltham Cross through to Liverpool Street, which takes 25 minutes. The station might be a 27-minute bus ride away, but if you’re able to hop in the car, then it’s a 12-minute drive.
Other Rising Commuter Towns
Elsewhere, the statistics found that Baldock, a fairly sleepy market town in Hertfordshire, has also received a 62% uptick in interest. The average monthly rent for a room here is a much more palatable £789, and while it might be much quieter than London, if you’re looking to make a few savings, then it’s an obvious choice. Plus, there’s a train station right in the middle of town that’ll take you through to Finsbury Park in 34 minutes. Broxbourne, another commuter town in Hertfordshire, also received an honourable mention, where rents average out at £712 per month. Between 2024 and 2025, searches for a room in the area increased by 60%.
What’s It Like Living in Waltham Abbey?
Slightly cheaper rent aside, one of the biggest pros of Waltham Abbey is the access to green space. It’s right on the doorstep of Epping Forest, which spans 13 miles, all the way from East London up to Essex. There’s also the River Lee Country Park, which is home to three Sites of Special Scientific Interest, as well as a sculpture park. For a pint or two, the local watering holes are the Queens Head, The Angel, and The Sun Inn, while there’s ample chance to enjoy a classic London-adjacent tradition at Tony’s Pie and Mash. Yes, they serve jellied eels. The town is also home to the Oyster Shack and Seafood Bar, located right in the middle of Epping Forest. Fresh seafood comes in daily here, and you’ll find oysters, prawns, scallops, whitebait…the lot.
Resident Perspectives
Writing on the r/Essex Subreddit, @westwoodf has lived in the area for three years, just off the high street. Describing the town as ‘stunning,’ she said the Lea Valley is ‘great for bird watching.’ ‘On the weekend we cycle for hours up the river into Ware — you can go as far up as Hertford — and down to Stratford in around one hour,’ they added. ‘Waltham Abbey church is beautiful and historic…and the gardens are magical.’ Meanwhile, @Objective-Mail6620 said, while, like most areas, it has its problems, it’s a ‘fairly nice place to live.’
Flatsharing Trends
Matt Hutchinson, director of SpareRoom, says that flatsharers are quitting the capital for the Home Counties due to cost, rather than chasing a quieter lifestyle. Matt said: ‘Even for those who are happy to share with housemates, it may be just too expensive to live in the capital today after years of rent rises. And it’s not only rent, it’s the higher cost of living to contend with too. Remote working offers the possibility of moving further out without the expense and hassle of a daily commute.’ Matt added that demographics also come into it, as younger people are increasingly priced out of the rental market, and so are sharing in places beyond where might be expected. ‘Younger people are increasingly priced out of the rental market, and people are flatsharing to later in life. The stereotype of the young professional housemates living it up in the city is becoming less recognisable. Priorities are changing.’
Top Rising Areas for Renter Interest
- Waltham Abbey, Essex (average monthly room rent Q1 2026: £784, change in searches between 2024 and 2025: 113%)
- Regents Park, London (£1,229, 96%)
- Baldock, Hertfordshire (£789, 62%)
- Hillingdon, London (£807, 62%)
- Sudbury, London (£830, 60%)
- Broxbourne, Hertfordshire (£712, 60%)
- RG12, covering Bracknell, Binfield, Birch Hill, and Winkfield Row in Berkshire (£680, 56%)
- E1, covering Aldgate, Bishopsgate, Whitechapel, and Surrey (£985, 55%)
- Silvertown, London (£987, 50%)
- Walton-on-Thames, Surrey (£781, 50%)
Source: SpareRoom.
