Flats to Rent in Bromley

Flats to Rent in Bromley

Looking for London living with a countryside feel, excellent schools, and one of the capital's lowest crime rates? The London Borough of Bromley offers something unique among London boroughs: genuine rural character within Greater London's boundaries. As London's largest borough by area, stretching 59 square miles from urban Penge to the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Bromley combines village charm, historic attractions including Charles Darwin's Down House, and fast rail connections to central London.

Whether you're a family seeking outstanding grammar schools and safe streets, a professional wanting suburban tranquillity with reasonable commuting times, or someone drawn to London's greenest borough where 30% of the land is farmland, this comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about renting in this exceptional corner of the capital.

About Bromley

The London Borough of Bromley is London's largest borough by area, covering 59 square miles (153 square kilometres) in the southeastern corner of Greater London. It's also the southeasternmost borough, bordering both Kent and Surrey, and this position gives it a distinctly different character from inner London—parts of the borough feel genuinely rural despite being within the capital.

With a population of approximately 332,000, Bromley is partly urban in the north (very much part of suburban London) and partly rural in the south, with the majority designated Metropolitan Green Belt. Remarkably, about 30% of the land in Bromley is farmland—the highest figure of any London borough—and it's the only London borough to include part of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (the Kent Downs AONB).

The borough contains around one-third of London's ancient woodlands, 93 Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (including six Sites of Special Scientific Interest), and five Local Nature Reserves. This extraordinary green infrastructure, combined with the 2nd lowest air pollution levels in London, creates an environment markedly different from most of the capital.

Demographically, Bromley reflects its affluent, suburban character. The population is predominantly White (76%), with a median age of 41.6 years—older than the London average—reflecting its appeal to established families. A 2017 study found Bromley had the second lowest poverty rate (15%) of any London borough. The employment rate of 81.8% ranks 8th among London boroughs, indicating economic stability.

Bromley has notable historic significance. Down House, where Charles Darwin lived for 40 years and wrote "On the Origin of Species," is now an English Heritage property open to visitors. Biggin Hill played a crucial role in the Battle of Britain, with fighters from the airfield claiming 1,400 enemy aircraft. Crystal Palace Park preserves the legacy of the famous Victorian exhibition hall.

Rental Market Overview

Bromley's rental market offers genuine value compared to inner London while providing excellent quality of life. The average monthly private rent was £1,644 in October 2025, representing a 4.5% increase from £1,574 the previous year—slightly above the London-wide increase of 4.3%.

Breaking down by property size, Bromley's affordability becomes clear:

Studio flats: £923 per month (6th most affordable in London)
One-bedroom flats: £1,160 per month
Two-bedroom flats: £1,460 per month
Three-bedroom properties: £1,848 per month

These figures represent significant savings compared to the London average of £2,265 per month. Families seeking three-bedroom properties save approximately £400-500 monthly compared to the capital's average.

Property prices in Bromley average around £524,000 (September 2025), with 3.4% annual growth. Significant variation exists across postcodes:

BR7 (Chislehurst): £769,685 average, £570 per sq ft—the borough's premium address
BR1 (Bromley town): Mid-range pricing with good transport links
BR3 (Beckenham): Popular with families, good value for quality
BR6 (Orpington): Suburban pricing, spacious properties
SE20 (Penge): £395,393 average, £556 per sq ft—most affordable, highest yields

For investors, rental yields range from 3.10% to 4.70% across the borough. Penge (SE20) delivers the strongest yields at 4.70%, while Chislehurst's premium prices result in lower yields around 3.10%. The borough's green spaces, excellent schools, and solid transport links create consistent rental demand from quality tenants.

Popular Neighbourhoods

Bromley's diverse neighbourhoods range from affluent villages to more affordable urban areas, each with distinct character.

Bromley Town Centre

The borough's commercial heart, Bromley town centre offers the most comprehensive amenities and best transport links. The Glades shopping centre and surrounding high street provide extensive retail options, while restaurants, cafes, and entertainment venues serve the area. The Churchill Theatre presents year-round performances.

Bromley South station offers fast trains to London Victoria (18 minutes fastest, 31 minutes average), making the town centre popular with City and West End commuters. Modern apartments in the town centre suit professionals seeking urban convenience within a suburban borough.

Beckenham

Combining a bustling high street with leafy residential roads and excellent transport connections, Beckenham has a village-like centre that makes it perennially popular with families and professionals. The high street features independent shops, restaurants, and cafes creating genuine community character.

Parks including Kelsey Park and Beckenham Place Park (a 96-hectare former golf course transformed into parkland with a swimming lake) provide extensive green space. Beckenham Junction offers rail services and Tramlink connections to Croydon and Wimbledon, adding transport flexibility.

Property here attracts families seeking good schools and green spaces with reasonable central London access. Rental prices sit in the borough's mid-range.

Chislehurst

One of Bromley's most prestigious areas, Chislehurst combines village charm with substantial homes set in generous plots. Victorian and Edwardian properties line tree-lined streets, while expansive common land (Chislehurst Common covers 59 hectares) adds to its semi-rural character.

The historic Chislehurst Caves—22 miles of tunnels originally formed by chalk and flint mining—provide an unusual local attraction. Scadbury Park offers 300 acres of ancient woodland and meadows. The village centre has independent shops, pubs, and restaurants.

At £769,685 average property prices (the borough's highest), Chislehurst attracts affluent families and executives. Rental properties are less common but command premium prices when available.

Orpington

A bustling suburban town in the southeastern part of the borough, Orpington offers a mix of traditional family homes and newer developments with comprehensive amenities. The town centre provides extensive shopping, restaurants, and entertainment options.

High Elms Country Park—a designated nature reserve with woodlands, meadows, and formal gardens—lies nearby, as do the ancient Orpington Priory ruins. The area suits families seeking space and affordability while maintaining London connections.

Orpington station provides direct services to London Victoria and Charing Cross. Property prices are more accessible than Chislehurst or Beckenham, making it attractive to families prioritising space over prestige.

Penge and Anerley

Located in the western part of the borough, Penge offers a strong sense of community with Victorian and Edwardian homes alongside newer developments. The high street features independent businesses, vintage stores, and artisan cafes, creating a distinctive local character.

Crystal Palace Park, with its famous Victorian dinosaur sculptures, is nearby. Penge may be further from central Bromley, but it offers a quieter, more affordable alternative with good transport links—Crystal Palace Overground station connects to the East London Line.

At £395,393 average property prices, Penge is the borough's most affordable area and delivers the strongest rental yields (4.70%). It suits renters and investors seeking value within an improving area.

Hayes and West Wickham

These neighbouring areas in the south of the borough offer quintessentially suburban character—tree-lined streets, family homes with gardens, and a peaceful atmosphere. Local parades provide essential amenities, while the surrounding countryside is easily accessible.

Hayes station provides direct services to central London. The areas particularly suit families with children seeking safe, quiet environments with good schools. Property prices are mid-range for the borough.

Biggin Hill

At the southern tip of the borough, Biggin Hill combines aviation heritage with semi-rural living. The famous Battle of Britain airfield (now London Biggin Hill Airport serving business aviation) dominates the area's identity, with the Heritage Hangar preserving historic aircraft and the Grade II listed RAF chapel open to visitors.

Living here means accepting limited public transport (bus services only) in exchange for countryside surroundings within Greater London. The area suits those working locally or with cars who prioritise rural character.

Downe

This small village is famous as Charles Darwin's home for 40 years. Down House, now managed by English Heritage, allows visitors to stand in the study where Darwin wrote "On the Origin of Species" and walk the "thinking path" where he took daily strolls. The surrounding Kent countryside provided the "landscape laboratory" where Darwin formulated his evolutionary theory.

Rental properties in Downe are rare, but the village represents Bromley's most rural character—a genuine Kent village that happens to fall within Greater London.

Transport Links

Despite having no Underground stations, Bromley benefits from excellent National Rail connections, with 26 railway stations serving the borough and multiple routes into central London.

Main Rail Services

Bromley South: The borough's principal station, served by Southeastern and Thameslink. Fast trains reach London Victoria in 18 minutes, with 8 trains per hour during off-peak times. Peak services add connections to Kentish Town and Luton via Thameslink.

Bromley North: Connects via Grove Park to London Charing Cross, Cannon Street, and London Bridge. Average journey time 28 minutes, fastest 22 minutes.

Beckenham Junction: Provides rail services plus Tramlink connections to Croydon and Wimbledon.

Orpington: Direct services to London Victoria, Charing Cross, and Cannon Street.

Typical Commute Times

From Bromley South: Victoria 18-31 minutes, Blackfriars 25-35 minutes
From Bromley North: Charing Cross 28 minutes, London Bridge 25-30 minutes
From Beckenham Junction: Victoria 20-25 minutes, London Bridge 20-25 minutes
From Orpington: Victoria 25-30 minutes, Charing Cross 35-40 minutes

Tramlink

Tramlink serves the western part of the borough, with routes from Beckenham Junction and Elmers End to Wimbledon via Croydon. Services run every 10 minutes (15 minutes on Sundays), providing useful connections to Croydon's shops and amenities and onward travel to Wimbledon.

A proposed extension to Crystal Palace could eventually improve tram connectivity, though this remains unfunded. Plans to extend to Bromley town centre have been discussed but face economic challenges.

Bus Network

Comprehensive bus services connect all major towns and villages within the borough. Key routes include connections to Crystal Palace, Croydon, and Lewisham. Night buses N3 and N199 serve Bromley South.

Road Access

The A21 and A232 provide main road connections through the borough. Easy access to the M25 (junction 4) enables travel to Gatwick Airport (approximately 30 minutes) and connections to the wider motorway network. London Biggin Hill Airport offers private aviation facilities.

Schools and Education

Bromley has exceptional schools, with 50 Ofsted Outstanding-rated schools serving over 16,000 students—one of the highest concentrations in London. The borough's selective grammar schools are particularly notable.

Grammar Schools

St Olave's and St Saviour's Grammar School: Founded in 1571 by royal charter, this Outstanding-rated selective boys' grammar (with mixed sixth form) consistently ranks among England's top-performing state schools. Over 90% of A-level grades are A*-B, while 91% of GCSEs achieve grades 7-9. The student-teacher ratio is 17:1.

Newstead Wood School: An Outstanding-rated girls' grammar school with a student-teacher ratio of 18:1, providing a nurturing environment with excellent academic results.

Outstanding Secondary Schools

Harris Academy Beckenham: Outstanding-rated secondary school serving the Beckenham area.

Hayes School: Outstanding co-educational secondary with strong emphasis on personal development and a broad curriculum.

Overall, 37.48% of Bromley pupils achieve grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSEs—significantly higher than England's average of 30.84%.

Independent Schools

The borough has several independent schools serving families seeking private education, contributing to Bromley's reputation for educational excellence.

Parks and Green Spaces

Bromley is one of London's greenest boroughs, with over 160 parks, 28 square kilometres of parkland and woodland, and unique natural heritage.

Crystal Palace Park

This historic 200-acre park preserves the legacy of Joseph Paxton's famous Crystal Palace (destroyed by fire in 1936). The park's Grade I listed dinosaur sculptures—the world's first attempt to model extinct animals at life size—remain a unique Victorian legacy. Facilities include a farm, maze, playgrounds, and sports facilities.

A £52 million regeneration programme is underway in partnership with Crystal Palace Park Trust, who assumed management in September 2023. A new cafe and visitor centre opened in 2019.

High Elms Country Park

A designated nature reserve offering diverse landscapes including woodlands, meadows, and formal gardens. Species include frogs and great-crested newts. Walking trails explore the Kent countryside, with educational facilities explaining local ecology.

Beckenham Place Park

This 96-hectare park was transformed from a golf course into London's newest major parkland, featuring a wild swimming lake, restored Georgian mansion, ancient woodland, and extensive meadows. The regeneration has created a major recreational asset for western Bromley.

Chislehurst Common and Scadbury Park

Chislehurst Common covers 59 hectares of heathland, woodland, and ponds. Adjacent Scadbury Park offers 300 acres of ancient woodland and meadows with marked trails and the remains of a medieval moated manor.

Kent Downs AONB

Parts of southern Bromley fall within the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty—the only London borough with this designation. This protects the landscape's natural character and provides genuine countryside within Greater London.

Darwin's Landscape

The countryside around Downe, described as Darwin's "landscape laboratory," can be explored through walking trails and audio tours. This unique heritage asset connects scientific history with natural beauty.

Historic Attractions

Bromley offers several significant historic sites:

Down House (English Heritage)

Charles Darwin's home for 40 years, where he wrote "On the Origin of Species." Visitors can see Darwin's study, explore the gardens that inspired his research, and walk the "Sandwalk" thinking path. A multimedia tour narrated by Sir David Attenborough guides visitors through the house. The first floor contains exhibits on Darwin and his wife Emma, including a replica of Darwin's cabin on HMS Beagle.

Open daily April-October, weekends November-March. Accessible by bus from Bromley South or Orpington stations.

Chislehurst Caves

Twenty-two miles of tunnels originally formed by chalk and flint mining, later used as an air raid shelter during World War II (accommodating 15,000 people). Guided lamp-lit tours explore the caves' history.

London Biggin Hill Airport Heritage

The Battle of Britain airfield where fighters claimed 1,400 enemy aircraft. The Heritage Hangar maintains historic aircraft, and the Grade II listed RAF chapel (with replica Spitfire and Hurricane gate guardians) commemorates the 453 Biggin Hill aircrew who lost their lives.

Safety and Crime

Bromley consistently ranks among London's safest boroughs, making it particularly attractive to families.

The borough is the 6th safest in London (of 33) when ranked by crime rate. The overall crime rate of 50.55 per 1,000 residents places Bromley at rank 310 out of 331 UK areas—significantly safer than average. At 88.26 crimes per 1,000 population (and 27.49 for violent offences), Bromley stays comfortably below London's average.

As of 2025, the crime rate in Bromley is 11% lower than London and 5% lower than the England, Wales, and Northern Ireland overall figure. The London borough of Bromley stands out with a crime rate that's 28% lower than London's average.

Within the borough, significant variation exists. Chelsfield is the safest ward (42 crimes annually), while St Paul's Cray has the highest rate (237 crimes)—a difference of 195 crimes. Violent crime decreased by 1% year-over-year in the period to September 2025.

The combination of low crime, excellent air quality, and green spaces makes Bromley particularly appealing to families prioritising children's safety and health.

Local Amenities

Bromley offers comprehensive amenities across its various town centres.

Shopping: The Glades shopping centre in Bromley town provides extensive retail. Beckenham and Orpington offer secondary shopping centres with a mix of chains and independents. Bromley town's restaurant and cafe scene has grown significantly.

Culture and Entertainment: The Churchill Theatre presents professional productions year-round. Crystal Palace Park hosts events and festivals. Down House, Chislehurst Caves, and the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar provide unique attractions. Local museums explore borough history.

Sports and Leisure: Multiple leisure centres serve the borough. Crystal Palace National Sports Centre (in neighbouring Lewisham but bordering Bromley) provides Olympic-standard facilities. Over 100 miles of cycle routes traverse the borough. Golf courses, tennis clubs, and sports pitches are widely available.

Food and Drink: Traditional pubs serve the villages, while Bromley and Beckenham town centres offer diverse restaurants. Farm shops and farmers' markets reflect the borough's rural character.

Healthcare: Princess Royal University Hospital in Farnborough provides the borough's main NHS acute services with A&E. Numerous GP surgeries and dental practices serve local communities.

Who Should Rent in Bromley?

Bromley's unique character suits several renter profiles:

Families prioritising education: Two grammar schools (St Olave's and Newstead Wood) plus 50 Outstanding-rated schools make Bromley one of London's best boroughs for education. Families relocate specifically for school catchment areas.

Those seeking safety: As the 6th safest London borough with crime rates 28% below London's average, Bromley offers peace of mind for families and individuals prioritising security.

Nature lovers: London's greenest borough, with ancient woodlands, the Kent Downs AONB, country parks, and 30% farmland, suits those wanting countryside access without leaving London.

Professionals accepting commutes: Fast trains from Bromley South (18 minutes to Victoria) enable reasonable commutes in exchange for suburban quality of life. Those working in Canary Wharf or the City face longer journeys but gain significantly in living environment.

History enthusiasts: Down House, Chislehurst Caves, Crystal Palace Park's dinosaurs, and Biggin Hill's Battle of Britain heritage provide unique local attractions.

Value-seeking renters: With studios from £923 monthly (6th most affordable in London) and three-beds at £1,848, Bromley offers genuine value—particularly in Penge and Orpington.

Why Rent in Bromley?

Bromley offers a compelling combination for London renters:

Exceptional schools: Two grammar schools and 50 Outstanding-rated schools make Bromley one of London's best boroughs for education, with GCSE results significantly above national averages.

Safety: The 6th safest London borough with crime rates 28% below London's average provides peace of mind for families.

Green space: London's largest and greenest borough, including the only AONB designation, 160+ parks, ancient woodlands, and 30% farmland—unmatched countryside access within the capital.

Air quality: The 2nd best air quality in London, significantly better than inner boroughs, benefits health and wellbeing.

Transport connectivity: Fast trains to Victoria (18 minutes), extensive rail network with 26 stations, and Tramlink connections provide good central London access despite the outer location.

Value for money: Rents significantly below London averages—studios from £923, three-beds from £1,848—deliver more space for less money.

Historic character: Darwin's Down House, Crystal Palace Park, Chislehurst Caves, and Biggin Hill's Battle of Britain heritage create unique local interest.

Affluent, stable community: Second lowest poverty rate in London, high employment, and established families create stable neighbourhoods with well-maintained properties.

While the lack of Underground means longer commutes to some central London destinations and the borough lacks the urban buzz of inner London, for renters prioritising schools, safety, green space, and value, Bromley represents one of London's most attractive suburban options.