Flats to Rent in Kingston upon Thames

Renting in Kingston upon Thames

Kingston upon Thames is a riverside borough in south-west London built around an old market town, with Richmond Park on its northern edge. On the ONS measure in the table above, rents are below the London average, and lower than in neighbouring Richmond. Two costs offset that. Kingston has the highest council tax in London: Band D is £2,608.12 in 2026/27 in most of the borough (Royal Borough of Kingston), against a London average of £2,068 (MHCLG). And it has no Underground station, so most commutes into London are by South Western Railway.

The neighbourhoods

Kingston town centre

Kingston is a proper town centre rather than a suburban parade: the Ancient Market Place with its daily market, the Bentall Centre and John Lewis, and a long riverside of pubs and restaurants between Kingston Bridge and the Hogsmill. The Coronation Stone outside the Guildhall marks the town's role in the coronations of Saxon kings in the 10th century. The Rose Theatre stages touring and produced drama, and Kingston University brings a large student population. Kingston station has trains to Waterloo, some of them via Richmond or Wimbledon, so check which service you would use. Evenings around the station and the riverside bars can be loud at weekends.

Surbiton

Surbiton grew up around its railway station in the 19th century, and the station is still the reason to live there: fast South Western Railway trains to Waterloo make it one of the quickest outer-London commutes to central London. The streets around it are Victorian and Edwardian houses and flats, with a café-lined high street on Victoria Road and Claremont Road. It is busier with commuters than Kingston town, and flats near the station are in demand.

New Malden

New Malden's high street is the centre of one of Europe's largest Korean communities, with Korean restaurants, supermarkets and businesses. Away from the high street it is a mainly inter-war suburb of semi-detached houses. New Malden station has trains to Waterloo via Wimbledon, where the District line and Thameslink connect.

Norbiton, Kingston Hill and Coombe

Norbiton, just east of the town centre, has its own station and Victorian terraces within walking distance of both the town and Richmond Park. Kingston Hill runs up towards the park's Robin Hood and Kingston gates. Coombe, beyond it, is a district of large detached houses on private roads, the borough's most expensive homes; it has almost nothing to walk to and is car territory.

Tolworth, Hook and Chessington

The south of the borough, along the A3, is suburban and usually cheaper. Tolworth is changing, with new flats around the Broadway and the station. Chessington, on the edge of the Green Belt, is home to Chessington World of Adventures and has two stations (Chessington North and South) on a branch line to Waterloo with a slower, less frequent service. Much of the area is more convenient by car than by public transport.

Getting around

There is no Underground station in the borough. South Western Railway runs from Kingston, Norbiton, New Malden, Surbiton, Berrylands, Tolworth, Malden Manor and the two Chessington stations to Waterloo, most of them via Wimbledon, where the District line, Thameslink and the tram connect. Surbiton has the fastest trains. The weakness is dependence on one rail operator: when the line to Waterloo is disrupted, there are few alternatives.

Buses fill some gaps: the 65 runs to Richmond and Ealing, the 85 to Putney, and the X26 express to Heathrow Airport one way and Croydon the other. Check a specific commute on the TfL Journey Planner before you sign, especially to east London, where journeys usually involve two changes.

Schools

The borough has two selective state grammar schools, Tiffin School (boys) and Tiffin Girls' School, which admit by entrance test and are heavily oversubscribed; living in the borough does not by itself secure a place. Independent schools include Kingston Grammar School and Surbiton High School. For any school, read its admissions criteria and its latest Ofsted report (or inspection report, for independent schools) before choosing a street for it.

Parks and the river

Richmond Park, the largest of London's Royal Parks, borders the north of the borough, with its deer herds, the Isabella Plantation and Pen Ponds; Kingston Gate and Robin Hood Gate are the entrances from Kingston's side. Across Kingston Bridge, Bushy Park and Hampton Court Palace are in the neighbouring borough of Richmond upon Thames but within walking or cycling distance of the town. Canbury Gardens runs along the Thames north of the town centre, and the Thames Path follows the river through the borough.

Safety

Kingston has a reputation as one of London's quieter boroughs for crime. Reported crime concentrates in the town centre, particularly around the night-time economy and the station. For a specific street, the police's crime map at police.uk shows reported crime month by month, which tells you more than a borough-wide reputation.

Who it suits

Kingston suits renters who commute to Waterloo or can work partly from home, families who want Richmond Park and a real town centre, and people who want more space for their rent than they would find closer in. It suits people less well if they need the Underground, work in east or north London, or are sensitive to council tax: at Band D, Kingston's bill is the highest in London.

Useful links

Kingston Council: kingston.gov.uk (council tax, parking permits, school admissions)
Crime by street: police.uk
Journeys: tfl.gov.uk/plan-a-journey
Richmond Park: royalparks.org.uk

The listings above are homes and rooms advertised by their landlords in the borough now. Each listing shows its address area, so you can check the nearest station and street before you get in touch.