How Big Is the Average Flat to Rent in London?

The median one-bedroom flat to rent in London was 538 sq ft (50 m²), and the median two-bedroom flat 775 sq ft (72 m²). The median studio was 345 sq ft (32 m²). That is from 72,957 whole-home ads with a stated floor area, first seen 15 July to 12 October 2026. Rent ran at a median £4.00 per sq ft a month.

Published 15 October 2026. Asking rents and advertised floor areas in London ads first seen 15 July to 12 October 2026.

Only 38.2% of the 190,954 whole-home ads in that window stated a usable floor area, and those ads asked more rent than ads without one. Read every size here as the size of homes whose ads give one.

Key numbers

The space standard in the last row is the government's Nationally Described Space Standard (NDSS). It sets minimum floor areas for new homes. It does not apply to existing homes being let, so a flat below it is not breaking that standard. The section on minimum flat sizes below explains what it covers.

Use the calculator to see how much space your budget rents in a neighbourhood.

How big is a flat in London, by number of bedrooms?

The median London flat ad with a size was 538 sq ft (50.0 m²) for one bedroom, 775 sq ft (72.0 m²) for two and 1,034 sq ft (96.1 m²) for three. Four-bedroom homes had a median of 1,405 sq ft (130.5 m²) from 4,605 ads.

• Studio: median 345 sq ft (32.1 m²) from 6,248 ads. The middle half ran from 255 to 428 sq ft.
• 1 bedroom: median 538 sq ft (50.0 m²) from 21,101 ads. The middle half ran from 462 to 594 sq ft.
• 2 bedrooms: median 775 sq ft (72.0 m²) from 28,038 ads.
• 3 bedrooms: median 1,034 sq ft (96.1 m²) from 12,965 ads.
• 4 bedrooms: median 1,405 sq ft (130.5 m²) from 4,605 ads.

These are sizes the ads state. Ads do not say how they measured, and some may count space that a surveyor would leave out.

How big is a studio flat in London?

The median London studio ad with a size was 345 sq ft (32.1 m²), across 6,248 ads. A quarter were 255 sq ft (23.7 m²) or smaller. 3,966 of them (63.5%) were under 37 m² (398 sq ft), the smallest new home the space standard describes.

Studios were smallest in Central and West London. Both had a median of 312 sq ft (29 m²), and 79.7% of Central studio ads (of 696) and 71.7% of West studio ads (of 1,964) were under 37 m². East London studios had a median of 400 sq ft, and 49.2% of 1,000 ads were under 37 m².

By neighbourhood, among the 45 with at least 30 studio ads with a size:

• Pimlico & Victoria: 96.9% of 64 studio ads were under 37 m². Harrow & Stanmore: 94.9% of 214.
• Bermondsey & Rotherhithe: 2.5% of 239, with a median of 401 sq ft. Stratford & Olympic Park: 6.1% of 99, median 472 sq ft.

Some small studio ads describe a shared bathroom. Before you view, check that the kitchen and bathroom are your own.

How big is a one-bedroom flat in London?

The median one-bedroom flat ad was 538 sq ft (50.0 m²), from 21,101 ads with a size. That is right on 50 m², the space standard's minimum for a one-bedroom home for two people. 51.0% of the ads (10,771) were under it. 10.4% (2,184) were under 37 m², the minimum for one person.

Among the 95 neighbourhoods with at least 30 one-bedroom ads with a size:

• Largest medians: Belgravia & Knightsbridge 624 sq ft (169 ads), Walthamstow 587 sq ft (633), Southall, Greenford & Northolt 582 sq ft (286).
• Smallest medians: Edmonton & Ponders End 430 sq ft (73 ads), Wanstead, Woodford & Snaresbrook 448 sq ft (42), Sutton & Carshalton 448 sq ft (140).

How big is a two-bedroom flat in London?

The median two-bedroom flat ad was 775 sq ft (72.0 m²), from 28,038 ads with a size. The middle half ran from 674 to 883 sq ft. 21.9% (6,132) were under 61 m² (657 sq ft), the space standard's lowest minimum for two bedrooms, which assumes three people.

Median sizes moved less between regions than rents did. A one-bedroom flat had a median between 527 sq ft (South and West) and 549 sq ft (East). Central London was the exception for larger homes: its two-bedroom median was 859 sq ft, against 753 to 785 sq ft elsewhere.

What is the rent per square foot in London?

The median London whole-home ad asked £4.00 per sq ft a month (£43 per m²), from 72,957 ads with a size. That is £48 per sq ft, or £517 per m², a year. The middle half ran from £3.17 to £5.21 per sq ft a month.

Smaller homes cost more per square foot. The median was £5.43 for studios, £4.26 for one bedroom, £3.77 for two, £3.64 for three and £3.29 for four bedrooms.

• Highest: Soho & Covent Garden £7.22 per sq ft (1,754 ads), Belgravia & Knightsbridge £6.52 (666), Mayfair & St James's £6.28 (657).
• Lowest: Purley, Coulsdon & Sanderstead £2.37 (170 ads), Erith & Thamesmead £2.51 (99), Romford & Hornchurch £2.60 (207).
• By region, one-bedroom flats: Central £6.08, West £4.63, East £4.15, North £3.97, South £3.84 per sq ft a month.

The neighbourhood figure mixes all home sizes, and the mix differs by area. For a like-for-like view, use the one- and two-bedroom sizes in the table below or the calculator above. For rents without sizes, see average rent in London by neighbourhood.

How much space does £2,000 a month rent in London?

At £2,000 a month, 8,250 one-bedroom ads with a size asked that much or less, with a median size of 495 sq ft (46 m²). At £1,500, 1,884 studio ads with a size were within budget, with a median of 276 sq ft (26 m²).

• 2 bedrooms at £2,500: 10,181 ads with a size, median 689 sq ft (64 m²).
• 2 bedrooms at £3,000: 15,892 ads, median 726 sq ft (67 m²).
• 1 bedroom at £2,500: 13,709 ads, median 517 sq ft (48 m²).

Set your own budget and neighbourhood in the calculator near the top of this page. To see where a flat fits a set budget at all, our report on where in London you can rent a flat for £1,500 ranks every neighbourhood by the share of ads within budget.

What is the minimum size for a flat in London?

The Nationally Described Space Standard sets the smallest new home at 37 m² (398 sq ft): one bedroom for one person, with a shower room. With a bathroom it is 39 m². For other homes, Table 1 of the GOV.UK standard gives:

What the standard covers: the GOV.UK text says it "deals with internal space within new dwellings". It is a planning standard, not a building regulation, and it applies where a council has adopted it in its Local Plan. The London Plan applies the same floor areas to new homes in London. It does not set a minimum for existing homes that are let, so being below it does not on its own make a letting unlawful. Other rules, such as those on overcrowding and shared houses, are separate; your council can advise on them.

How we compare ads to it: we do not know how many people each home is for, so we use the lowest figure for each bedroom count. Studios and one-bedroom flats are compared to 37 m², two bedrooms to 61 m², three to 74 m² and four to 90 m². By that test, 19.8% of all 72,957 whole-home ads with a size (14,458) were below the standard. Ads may measure floor area differently from the standard's gross internal area, so treat this as a guide, not a survey.

Do ads that show a size ask more rent?

Yes. Ads with a usable floor area asked more than ads without one, for every home size. The median studio with a size asked £1,800 a month, against £1,436 for studios without one. For one-bedroom flats it was £2,250 against £1,950.

Part of that gap is where the ads are. 46.0% of Central London ads stated a size, against 33.7% in South London. The gap stays inside each region, though: in South London, one-bedroom ads with a size asked £1,900 and those without £1,750. Property portal ads stated a size more often (42.1% of 148,738) than ads on letting agents' and building websites (24.4% of 42,216).

So the sizes above describe the somewhat pricier part of the market that publishes a floor area. They are not a measure of every flat for rent in London.

How we measured London flat sizes

• Data: London rental ads RentReboot collected from property portals, letting agents' own websites, landlord-direct sites and classified boards, first seen from 15 July to 12 October 2026 (90 days). We do not name or count individual listing sites.
• Homes: whole homes from studio (0 bedrooms) to 4 bedrooms, with the same rules as our London average rent pages: the latest ad for each property record, asking rent between £300 and £30,000 pcm. Rooms in shared homes are left out. Weekly rents are converted at 52 weeks ÷ 12 months.
• Floor area: the size field on the property record, or a structured floor-area field that some agents' websites publish. We do not read sizes out of the ad text. 74,775 ads carried a size and 72,957 passed the checks below.
• Size checks: we kept sizes within set bounds per home: studio 150 to 1,000 sq ft, 1 bedroom 250 to 1,600, 2 bedrooms 350 to 2,500, 3 bedrooms 450 to 3,500, 4 bedrooms 550 to 5,000. We left out 394 values that look like square metres typed as square feet (for example 50 for a two-bedroom flat), 975 that were too small to be a home (587 of them 1 sq ft or less) and 449 that were too large. Counting the likely square-metre values after converting them changes no median by more than 3 sq ft.
• Rent per square foot: each ad's monthly asking rent divided by its floor area, then the median. 1 m² = 10.7639 sq ft.
• Areas: each ad's ward is mapped to one of our 100 London neighbourhoods and five regions. A neighbourhood figure needs at least 30 ads with a size of that home type.
• Duplicates: London property records do not always join the same home across sites, so a flat posted on two sites can count twice. If we count each combination of bedrooms, size, rent and ward once (47,943 ads), the medians barely move: studio 333 sq ft, 1 bedroom 528, 2 bedrooms 764. The share of studios under 37 m² rises to 69.6% (2,578 of 3,705). This test could also merge two identical flats in one block.
• Asking rents: these are the rents in ads, not the rents tenants agreed.

The queries and results are in our code repository under scripts/analysis/london-flat-size-2026.

London flat size FAQ

What is the average size of a flat in London?

In ads first seen 15 July to 12 October 2026 that stated a size, the median London one-bedroom flat was 538 sq ft (50 m²) and the median two-bedroom flat 775 sq ft (72 m²). The median studio was 345 sq ft (32 m²). Only 38.2% of 190,954 whole-home ads stated a size, and those asked more rent than ads without one.

How many square feet is a one-bedroom flat in London?

The median one-bedroom ad with a size was 538 sq ft (50 m²), from 21,101 ads. The middle half ran from 462 to 594 sq ft. 51.0% were under 50 m², the space standard's minimum for a one-bedroom home for two people.

How small are studio flats in London?

The median London studio ad with a size was 345 sq ft (32 m²), from 6,248 ads, and a quarter were 255 sq ft or smaller. 63.5% were under 37 m² (398 sq ft), the smallest new home in the national space standard. In Central London the median was 312 sq ft.

What is the average rent per square foot in London?

The median London whole-home ad asked £4.00 per sq ft a month, or £48 per sq ft a year, from 72,957 ads with a size (15 July to 12 October 2026). Studios were the most expensive per square foot at £5.43 a month, and four-bedroom homes the least at £3.29.

What is the rent per square metre in London?

The median was £43 per m² a month (£517 a year) across 72,957 whole-home ads with a size. It ranged from about £26 per m² in Purley, Coulsdon & Sanderstead to about £78 in Soho & Covent Garden.

Is it legal to rent out a flat smaller than the space standard?

The Nationally Described Space Standard covers new homes through planning, where a council has adopted it. It is not a rule for existing homes that are let, so being below it does not on its own make a letting unlawful. Rules on overcrowding and shared houses are separate. In our data, 19.8% of whole-home ads with a size were below the lowest minimum for their bedroom count.

Where in London do you get the most space for your money?

By median rent per square foot, the cheapest neighbourhoods were Purley, Coulsdon & Sanderstead (£2.37 a month, 170 ads), Erith & Thamesmead (£2.51) and Romford & Hornchurch (£2.60). The most expensive were Soho & Covent Garden (£7.22), Belgravia & Knightsbridge (£6.52) and Mayfair & St James's (£6.28).

How big a flat can I rent in London for £2,000 a month?

8,250 one-bedroom ads with a size asked £2,000 a month or less, and their median size was 495 sq ft (46 m²). For a two-bedroom flat, budget nearer £2,500: 10,181 ads with a size were within it, with a median of 689 sq ft (64 m²).

Get alerts for London flats that fit

RentReboot watches London portals, letting agents' sites and landlord-direct listings, and emails you new flats that match your budget, size and neighbourhoods. We try to filter out likely scams, but always view the home and check the agreement before you pay. Set up London rental alerts.

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