Average Rent in Merton 2026
The average monthly private rent in Merton is £2,181 as of September 2026, +5.5% on a year earlier. That is £157 a month below the London average of £2,338.
Merton is the 20th cheapest of London’s 32 boroughs with published data. ONS figures for September 2026, published . Next update after the ONS release on .
What that costs relative to local pay
A home of any size in Merton against what people living in Merton actually earn.
How to read this. Earnings are gross — before tax and National Insurance — so the share of take-home pay is materially higher. The earnings figure is for 2024, the latest year GLA London Datastore publishes, while the rent figure is current; pay has risen since, so the true present-day ratio is somewhat lower than shown. Both are medians for people living in the area, not for jobs located there.
Merton rent by bedroom count
Merton rent by property type
| Property type | Average monthly rent |
|---|---|
| Flat or maisonette | £1,938 |
| Terraced house | £2,474 |
| Semi-detached house | £2,981 |
| Detached house | £2,935 |
How Merton rent has changed
Year-by-year figures
| Year | Average monthly rent |
|---|---|
| 2015 | £1,525 |
| 2016 | £1,567 |
| 2017 | £1,546 |
| 2018 | £1,557 |
| 2019 | £1,573 |
| 2020 | £1,636 |
| 2021 | £1,627 |
| 2022 | £1,748 |
| 2023 | £1,809 |
| 2024 | £2,007 |
| 2025 | £2,080 |
| 2026 | £2,181 |
Boroughs priced near Merton
Getting around Merton
Merton has 12 rail stations in zones 3, 4, served by 3 lines. Rent along a line varies by far more than it does between neighbouring stops, so the line pages are usually the faster way to find somewhere affordable with the commute you need.
Common questions
What is the average rent in Merton?
The average monthly private rent in Merton is £2,181 as of September 2026, according to the ONS Price Index of Private Rents. That is +5.5% compared with a year earlier.
Is Merton cheaper than the London average?
Yes. Merton is £157 a month cheaper than the London average of £2,338, making it the 20th cheapest of London's 32 boroughs (September 2026).
Is rent in Merton affordable on a local salary?
Average rent in Merton is £2,181 a month against median gross full-time pay of £3,797 for people living there, so rent takes 57.4% of gross earnings. The commonly used guideline is 30%. Earnings are before tax and are for 2024.
How much is a one-bedroom flat in Merton?
A one-bedroom property in Merton rents for an average of £1,645 per month, and a two-bedroom for £2,032 (September 2026, ONS).
How much has rent risen in Merton?
Average rent in Merton has gone from £1,635 to £2,181 since 2021 — up £546 a month, or 33.4%.
Rentals available in Merton
See what is actually available in Merton right now, listed directly by their landlords.
Earnings data: GLA London Datastore — Earnings by Place of Residence, Borough (ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings). Median gross full-time weekly pay, by place of residence, 2024. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.