It is now possible to compare average rent levels for homes across the capital, using a new interactive website. This looks likely to be a useful resource for relocating employees, their managers, and relocation companies.

The London Rents Map shows the average rents for private accommodation for each postcode area in the capital. Unlike search portals which show asking prices posted by estate agents and individuals rather than rents achieved, it is based on actual market rents. It also provides a range of advice and information for both tenants and landlords.

The new website shows that the current average rent for a room in a shared house is £92 per week. The cheapest place to rent in London is Dartford, with a two-bedroomed home costing an average of just £160 per week. The most expensive postcode, in terms of average rent for a two-bedroomed home, is South Kensington, at £625 a week.

Over 650,000 households in London rent their home in the private market, making London’s private rented sector by far the largest of any region in England.

Mayor Boris Johnson said, “It is hugely important for London’s economy, diversity and dynamism to have a thriving private rented sector, which accommodates people from all walks of life and encourages newcomers to the capital. We know that people looking to rent sometimes don't know where to go for the right information, so this new website is about supporting the market by making that information available. The rents map is a brilliant one-stop shop which will enable tenants and landlords to make sensible choices.”

Tim Eden, director of Housing Allowances at the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), which provides the rental data, said, “In a sector that is looking to expand and offer a genuine alternative to social housing or buying, information about the rents private tenants pay, rather than those advertised, is extremely helpful. Our lettings information is gathered on a goodwill basis from agents, landlords and tenants.”

The Rents Map can be found at www.london.gov.uk/rents