Average private rents have increased by as much as 31% in three years across three north east London boroughs, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
These statistics highlight the continued pressure on residents across London but particularly in these boroughs.
Average monthly rents in Islington rose from £2,165 in May 2023 to £2,828 in May 2026, an increase of roughly 31%.
Ranya Lamani, a 25 year-old Camden resident, explained the rising cost of renting has left her questioning whether she could afford to remain in the borough she called home for most of her life.
Lamani said: “I’ve lived in the borough almost my whole life, but it’s becoming more and more unlikely that I can live comfortably here.
“It’ll be the choice of living versus surviving if I want to be here for the long-term future”
Her borough recorded a 19% rise in average rent from £2,327 in May 2023 to £2,759 May 2026.
Meanwhile, Hackney saw a larger rise of 26% over the same period increasing from £2,076 to £2,622
Lamani added housing costs now take up most of her income, leaving her with little room for other spending.
She said: “Most of my income is going towards the home – so rent being a large part of this, alongside other utilities and general upkeep.
“Unfortunately, it has just meant the monthly budget is tighter and having to be more thought out.”
She expressed disappointment at feeling pushed out if the borough she had lived in almost her entire life and said she worried Camden would lose its diverse community which had long defined it as the area becomes less affordable, making it harder for lower earners to remain in the area.
The figures underscore ongoing affordability crisis in London, where wages have struggled to keep pace with the skyrocketing housing costs.
The concerns were echoed by London Renters’ Union campaigner, Jae Vail, who said rents were leaving many tenants across the city, but especially in these boroughs, struggling to remain in their communities.
Vail said: “This data doesn’t surprise me at all. Across the city we’ve seen rents rise year on year.
“People are cutting back on the basics, whether that’s food – in the winter, that’s also energy and utilities, like having the heating on, it’s just so expensive.”
He warned that more key workers, working class people, and ethnic minorities are being increasingly pushed out of boroughs they played a major role in shaping as they are today – particularly places like Hackney, Camden, Lewisham, and Newham.
He highlighted the case of a woman who grown up in Hackney and whose children attended school there, but had been placed in temporary accommodation in Brent and spent a lot of time sofa-surfing on her friend’s sofa so she could get the children to their school in Hackney.
Vail claimed some landlords were using the cost-of-living crisis to drive up rent increases which often exceed their own costs, adding a report by The Guardian in 2023 found some mortgage-free landlords would still raise rents.
He added tenants are not seeing any of the money going to rent being reinvest into the homes to tackle ongoing issues with mould, damp, ventilation and heat problems.
The campaigner noted renters now have a clearer pathway to challenge rent increases through a tribunal system introduced under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, allowing tenants to challenge unfair rent increases.
While some renters have successfully managed to cancel out the increases, he noted this was not a solution to rising rents.
He shared data from a report by the charity Z2K fighting poverty, which found that 71% of renters who challenged their rent increase were successful – and on average £1,140 a year better off.
London Renters’ Union and other organisation also developed a website, Resist Rent Rise, to help people check their rent increases and challenge them.
The tool allows users to compare local rents and submit evidence about their property including disrepair as part of formal challenge process, which they said can still delay rent rises even when cases are unsuccessful.
Overall, the figures reveal continued pressure on renters in inner London, where rising private rents have outpaced incomes and left many households struggling financially.
Feature image: Free to use from Pexels
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