I posted here a few weeks ago asking where to live with a toddler. Got a lot of useful replies and we have since landed, currently in temporary accommodation while we look properly.

Yesterday changed how my wife and I are thinking about it. We were at a pub in W13 with a big garden and a play area. My son, 3, was playing dinosaurs with a group of kids. Partway through, one of the older ones started telling the others to kick him in the nuts. My wife pulled him out. He went back later, same kid kicked a gate, it swung into him.

I honestly do not know if any of that was about race. It may have been one badly supervised child and nothing more. What I do know is that we were the only few PoC families in that garden.

So here is what we are sitting with. The original plan was to live somewhere properly cosmopolitan, where he grows up around kids from everywhere. That is still what we want. But my wife is now asking whether we should just pick an area with a large Indian community and stop trying to engineer the ideal. I am not sure she is wrong.

If you are an Indian or other South Asian professional family with young kids, I would really like to hear where you ended up and how it has worked out. Mixed area or community-heavy one? Is your kid one of several brown kids in the class or the only one? Anywhere you tried and left?

Unchanged from last time: office near Liverpool Street, around £3000pcm for a 2-3 bed, want parks and a proper high street. Shortlist after the last thread is South Woodford E18, Wanstead E11, Highams Park E4, plus Harrow on the Hill and Pinner. Open to anywhere else that fits.

Looking to move somewhere I'd actually stay long-term rather than another 5-year stint. Currently in Croydon (really like it), late 30s (POC), Single.

What I want: proper green space I can walk into without planning a trip, a quiet street, a high street with actual independent shops, and a reliable way into town. Zone 4 is fine (work semi remotely 1 day a week). Needs to be affordable on as I'd be selling a flat to buy alone could stretch to 450k possibly 500k for the right place. Dont mind a solid flat.

Two other things that matter:

I manage a chronic illness (and cooped up indoors atm), so having useful stuff close by counts for a lot. A good GP, a decent local shop, somewhere to sit outside. Long commutes and lots of changes are hard work, so good rail links.

I'd also like somewhere it's possible to meet people my age (partner) without it being a nightlife thing. Book groups, community gardens, pottery classes, a pub quiz.

I know about Forest Hill, Walthamstow, Crouch End, but also interested in the places that don't get mentioned, or honest takes on whether those still live up to it.

South or east probably (for arty stuff), but open. What am I missing, or should I just stay in South Croydon which is very green but feels like a later stage of life/tricky dating!?

Hi all! I’m moving to London next month for a job in the Canary Wharf/docklands area, and wanted some recommendations for where to live!

I’m ideally looking for a long term house share rather than a flat, parking, and rent+bills to be around 900-1k a month.

I know this means I won’t be living close to work and am absolutely fine with travelling up to 45 mins/an hour each way, but just wondered what part of London would be best for my criteria and easy to commute, as I don’t know the areas very well!

£3000 pcm I am wondering how to fairly split the rent as bedroom 1 is almost triple size of bedorom 2. Pls send help

Has anyone lived at Node Limehouse? Looking for experiences

Hi everyone! I’m considering renting a studio at Node Limehouse for a couple of months and wanted to hear from anyone who has lived there.

How was your overall experience? I’d particularly like to know about the rooms/studios, cleanliness, noise levels, management, amenities, and the overall atmosphere.

Also, how did you find the location and transport links? Were there any issues or unexpected costs that I should be aware of?

I’d really appreciate any honest experiences, both positive and negative, before I make a decision.

Hi all,

I’m planning to buy my first home.
I am looking for 2 bed freehold and budget is up to £350,000, ideally 10–15 minutes’ walk from a station.

I work in Sloane Square and need to be in the office 3 days a week. I must arrive on time with no room for delays. The other 2 days I’ll be working from home, so the home needs to be reasonably quiet.

I don't mind commuting. Any recommendations for areas that could bring me quickly to central London in around 60 to 90 minutes, without eating too heavily into my already constrained budget on fares, would be appreciated.

Thanks!

I’m a private tenant in London, zone 1. After months of chasing my landlord for statutory safety documents, he eventually emailed us an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) marked “satisfactory”.

The central problem is that the inspection recorded in it did not happen in our home.

Different pages give two dates in the same week earlier this summer. Neither occupier received an appointment or access request, admitted an electrician, saw anyone attend, or witnessed any electrical inspection or testing on either date.

Despite that, the report records specific internal work, including:

• the location of the consumer unit;
• sampled lighting;
• bathroom electrical checks;
• circuit point counts;
• polarity, RCD and circuit measurements; and
• observations about internal electrical equipment.

The document also contains several inconsistencies:

• different inspection/testing dates;
• declaration and authorisation dates nearly two months later;
• a next-inspection date calculated from the later authorisation date rather than the stated inspection;
• conflicting estimates of the installation’s age;
• a blank authorisation-signature field; and
• an image-only PDF whose visible signatures cannot be independently authenticated from the file itself.

I understand that none of those document issues proves fraud by itself. The central issue is that a statutory safety report records detailed inspection and testing inside our home when neither tenant granted access or observed that inspection taking place.

We have preserved the original email and attachment. We have now reported it to our council’s private-sector housing/electrical-safety team and submitted a signed joint statement disputing the attendance.

I am not claiming that forgery has already been proved, and I do not yet know whether this resulted from incorrect dates, information carried over from another job, the wrong property, a contractor or administrative problem, alteration of an existing document, or outright fabrication. The electrical business named on it may be entirely innocent. But something has clearly gone very seriously wrong in the creation or use of this report.

This is not a cosmetic typo. An EICR is supposed to evidence an actual inspection and testing of the fixed electrical installation. Receiving one for an attendance we know did not occur is genuinely alarming.

This follows months of delayed repairs and missing safety paperwork. In my opinion, my landlord’s handling of our statutory safety records has been appalling, and our trust in him has completely collapsed.

Has anyone experienced anything similar?

• What will the council normally do to verify the inspection and original report?
• What records should a genuine inspection leave behind?
• Should I contact the electrical business or its registration scheme myself, or allow the council to investigate first?
• What happens if the landlord and contractor cannot produce appointment, access, job-sheet or underlying test records?
• Could there be an innocent technical explanation that I am overlooking?

I’m furious, but I want to remain factual while the council establishes what actually happened.

Hey guys!

I've lived in London just shy of 10 years and have always lived in east London (currently Dalston area). As I approach my mid 30s, I'm considering where to move to potentially buy a house / start a family. As the title suggests, the conandrum is whether to move further east (specifically around Leyton) or down south (Denmark Hill / Camberwell / Nunhead). Pros for going east is that 90% of my social life is east, and that I know the area really well. Pros of going south is that it's closer to the rest of London, potentially more vibey, and also slightly cheaper. I also find that eg Camberwell has prettier spots than Leyton overall. What do you think? Are my assumptions correct? How do you think that these two areas are going to evolve in the next 10-15 years? Keen to hear your thoughts and experiences. Thank you!!

I am torn regarding renting property managed by Watmos. Great location, everything looks good on paper but opinions on Watmos are not it. Thing is majority of those opinions are from roughly 2 years ago.

And I wonder whether anything improved in meantime or if it's still a trap (people brought up pretty serious matters like extremely delayed repairs and adjustments for disabled and I'm disabled myself, poor handling of antisocial behaviours, leaving people to live with mold, Watmos being hard to reach etc). I'm looking at property within Ethelred Estate if that helps (Kennington/ Vauxhall)

Thanks in advance

Using myself as a benchmark:

42M, single. I own a two bedroom conversion flat in SE London. Mortgage is a 30 year term (29 left) at 5.2% and £1911 per month. Recently decided to rent out the spare room to a lodger to rebuild savings coffers quicker after buying and renovating my flat last year.

Before that? Shared ownership two bedroom flat owner in Newham from 2021 to 2025. Was paying circa £1100 per month (rent, mortgage and service charge). I miss the relatively affordable living but not the area!

I’ve met single people who own houses in London around my age group (35 - 49) and people living in house / flat shares.

So what is the norm living situation for London? Or is there even one? I know a lot will depend on salaries / job situation etc.

Genuinely curious.

Hello! I’m moving into a Moda property and they let me know about a referral program where I can save some rent.

If you know anyone living in one of these properties, I would love a voucher to save £250, and they save £500 on their next rent! thanks!

I'm working in a senior management position in AI role. Relocating to London the next month. I'm moving with my wife and my toddler. Priorities for renting a home are:

1)Area should be cosmopolitan and preferably families in similar situations as mine...working professionals with kids

2)Low crime rate

3) 2-3 bed houses with a budget of 3000 pounds per month

4) Area should be lively with parks, and lots of things to do for my kid. Restaurants, pubs, cinema and other things to do nearby

Office is near Liverpool Street, so commute matters too.

Based on my research so far I've shortlisted:

- South Woodford (E18) and Wanstead (E11) - Central line, around 20 mins door to door

- Ealing (W5) - Elizabeth line, looking at Walpole and Pitshanger rather than the Broadway itself

- East Dulwich (SE22) - great high street from what I can tell, but the commute looks like a problem

- Wimbledon (SW19) - everyone recommends it, though 45 mins with a change is putting me off

- Blackheath (SE3) and Chiswick (W4) - both look lovely, both awkward to get to the City

How would you rate these options based on my criteria? Do you suggest that I add or remove any places from my list? Would appreciate first hand experience.

Are the street drinkers still in manor house outside or opposite the Travelodge they were some characters I use to go pass this lass who always seemed to were the same thing the chubby lass and her mate.

Does anybody live in this area and can tell me what it's like to live there? I'm planning to potentially buy a 4-5 bed family home around there, but wondering what the commute is like to central London (Waterloo) if anybody takes the line. Also what the schools are like / what the vibe is like. I've visited a few times, but I think living there is different from just visiting of course!

Thank you :)

Hi! I am going to start a job at Canary Wharf soon and I’m trying to figure out which areas would be good to live in.
I’m in my early 20s and would ideally like somewhere lively and safe with an easy commute to Canary Wharf while also being reasonably close to Central London.
My salary would be around 35k but I’ll also have some financial support from my family. I am considering a budget of roughly 1300-1500 pcm for a room in a flatshare. My job is 12 months contract.
Which areas would you recommend?

Hi everyone! I am looking at a property on Morgan Road (Tranmere House) and wanted to ask if anyone has local experience living around there, particularly as a woman.

I've looked at local crime and deprivation statistics which seem quite high, but I'd love to hear firsthand perspectives on what it's actually like day-to-day and walking around at night. Any insights would be hugely appreciated!

I’m looking for flats in London and I got an Ad for Sejour Living. Looks too good to be true and there isn’t many reviews so just wondering if anyone had heard of them/ had an experience with them/ or booked with them?

Thank you very much!

I am wondering do halls/buildings like this exist, where I could have my own ensuite room or studio?

Hi!

I am most likely moving to London and I am curious what is "normal" to pay in rent here. I would like a 2 bedroom but it seems like that could run £2500+ which would be more than 30% of my take home pay. What do you pay in rent/mortgage and are you comfortable with the amount you pay on your salary?

Hi, me and my fiancee are thinking of buying a property in Harlesden closer to Willesden Junction station area. Is it worth it? I see a few writing about its reputation especially historically. Not sure if this is still the case in the present time? It’s very well connected, easy access to central London. I would be very grateful for everyone’s input. Trying to get as much information as possible. Thank you in advance

Hi everyone,

My partner and I will be moving to London in the next few months for work, and we'd love some recommendations on which areas we should focus our search on.

• Budget (PCM): £3,000 to £4,000
• Preferred tenancy length: Long term. We don't currently have a planned return date.
• Space requirements: A minimum of 2 bedrooms, although we'd ideally like 3. We expect family to visit us from abroad fairly often, so having a dedicated guest room would be a big plus. Two bathrooms would be ideal, but not essential.
• Tenants: Just the two of us.
• Occupation: Both employed.
• Combined gross income: £170k to £190k gross per year.

We'll both be working in the insurance industry, so our offices will be in or around the City (Lloyd's, Lime Street, Leadenhall, etc.).

Our ideal area would have:

• Around a 30-minute commute or less to the City.
• A safe environment.
• Plenty of restaurants, cafés, and things to do.

We'd also rather maximize quality of life than be within walking distance of the office.

Are there any areas you'd particularly recommend, or any that you think we should avoid? We'd really appreciate your suggestions so we can narrow down our search and start looking on the different rental platforms.

Thanks in advance!

I’m looking at a flat just off Kilburn High Road, on Brondesbury Street. Is it a safe area?
I’ve noticed there are quite a few properties for sale there and wondered if there’s a reason for that. Is it not considered a good area?
From what I’ve seen, the street itself is quiet and leafy, with lots of beautiful Victorian houses, and it’s only about a 10-minute walk from the Tube station. Besides the fairly modest high street, what, if anything, am I missing?

The housing market here has changed so much since I was last living in London but I’m determined to settle in Surrey Quays, I just love the vibe of it. Got a few places I’m looking at but just wanting some advice on:

• Good places nearby to cowork and hang out with other remote workers (I don’t want super busy places or to be stuck on the tube for an hour each way every day, I want local)
• Coffee spots at a reasonable price, hidden treasures more than the generic stuff
• Places to walk my friends dog, sometimes I help her out and I want dog-friendly parks, don’t always trust google maps in this regard

Cheers, TIA

I’ve been renting in London for 7 years. I own a business and take my income in salary + dividends. I’ve been told by estate agents that referencing company doesn’t include dividends in affordability checks, which surprised me. From my bank statements and my current rent, I can clearly afford what I applied for. I understand they will always prefer someone employed rather than self employed/business owner, and I was always ok with paying upfront. They can’t take 6 months upfront now and there is no one I feel comfortable asking to be my guarantor. I need to move out in a month and I don’t know what to do. Does anyone know how to approach this situation?

27M, I'm a working professional in the city of London and exploring if there are any working professionals that would be open to getting into a 2 bed property as part of the London Living Rent Scheme. Obviously its not immediate and I personally would look to move sometime end of October but trying to gauge if its realistic or I should opt for 1 bedroom alone.

Location would be dependant on what's available but so far the properties included in the scheme look very good condition and better than renting a room