Who can actually afford to rent in central london?

[Devinor]

Who can actually afford to live in zone 1 london? I mean full paying rent, not subsidised council or credits. It’s crazy.

I saw a studio for £2,000 a month. A 45sqm 2 bed for £3000 a month. I wasn’t even looking somewhere posh like mayfair! £2,000 seems to be the going rate for a started 1 bed flat in Zone 1.

I know people can live further out if they choose to. But just wondering who it is that can afford and picks to live in central?

I used to live in London, though not central, and always wondered who would pay such huge amounts for studios when they could get better just a couple of zones out. I could never understand it but someone must be paying it mustn’t they?

Zone 1 covers a wide range of areas and there are a suprising number that are further in but Zone 2. So you could get a share in a 2 bed flat in SE1 for £1000pcm or a one bed for £1600. If you are commuting into the City then the bit of the northern line south of the river but north of Clapham Common is Zone 2 but much easier transport wise (and closer) than say zone in Kensington.

I'm further out, my rent is still hideous. I'm a teacher and I really don't know how those new to the profession will manage to live anywhere near work anymore, it will be the same in many other jobs also. To get my current place, my annual gross income had to be at least 32x the monthly rent, or I needed proof of savings to top that up.

This was why I ended up moving away. I just couldn’t find anyone willing to rent to me on my salary. I lived in houseshares for a while and lived with a couple of newly qualified teachers so I would guess most are either in houseshares or still live with parents.