Best Places to Live in London for Cheap Council Tax

Wandsworth and Westminster are amongst not only the cheapest council tax in London but also the country. In fact the Guardian has recently reported that a house worth roughly £155k in Newark, Nottinghamshire and a house worth £7.5m in Westminster pay almost the same council tax of around £1300 per year. So with this in mind, how can you benefit from the situation? The answer is by finding out the best places to live in London for cheap council tax. Below we list 10 areas that you might consider living in the Wandsworth and Westminster boroughs. It’s worth remembering that certain areas are covered by 2 or more council boroughs, so be sure to choose to live in the part which falls within Wandsworth or Westminster. For details on the current rates of council tax for each band of property within these areas, please view our Council Tax in London page.

In Wandsworth…….

• Balham – a trendy and popular area of South London, near to Clapham and the open spaces of Clapham Common, Wandsworth Common and Tooting Bec Common. The high street is small but offers the basics such as Marks and Spencers Simply Food, Boots and Sainsburys. There are a good selection of pubs and coffee shops in the area. For more information on Balham, please read our Balham Area Guide.
• Battersea – on the South bank of the River Thames, a stones throw from Chelsea on the other side. Battersea is quite a large area, the better parts are the beautiful Battersea Park and the central hub of Clapham Junction and the buzzing Northcote Road which is a popular area for independent shops, bars and restaurants. Battersea is situated in a convenient position for easy access into Central London. For more information on Battersea, please ready our Battersea Area Guide.
• Putney – also located on the River Thames, but a little further West and on the opposite side of the river to Fulham. Putney is a pretty area which for obvious reasons is popular with the rowing community and for less obvious reasons with the Australian community and rugby fans. Putney is also home to the vast open space of Putney Heath. For more information on Putney, please read our Putney Area Guide.
• Wandsworth/Earlsfield – SW18 is a large postcode area in South-West London and contains Wandsworth Town (only a part of Wandsworth Borough), Earlsfield and Southfields. Wandsworth Town is on the Thames and has some great riverside pubs such as the Alma. Wandsworth Common in the east is vast and nearer areas such as the Northcote Road in Clapham Junction or Balham in SW12. They’re all desirable areas with great pubs and restaurants, fast rail journeys into London and a great community spirit. To find out more about Wandsworth, please view our Wandsworth Area Guide.
• Tooting – Tooting is located in South West London and is home to the open space of Tooting Bec Common which contains the famous Tooting lido. Tooting is situated on the Northern line allowing quick journeys into places such as Leicester Square or Tottenham Court Road. If you’re into your curries, then you’ll be very pleased about the enormous variety of curry houses on offer in Tooting – it’s second only to Brick Lane in terms of quantity. To find out more about Tooting, please read our Tooting Area Guide.
• Streatham – the area known as Streatham Park only
  Streatham is a large area consisting or Streatham Hill in the north, Streatham Common and Streatham Vale in the south and Streatham Park which is located between Streatham Common and Tooting Bec Common. Make absolutely sure before you sign a tenancy agreement that the property you’re interested in falls into the Wandsworth postcode area rather than Lambeth. Streatham has fast rail connections into London Victoria or London Bridge. The rugged open space of Streatham Common is particularly pleasant for walks – you can also visit the attached formal gardens of the Rookery. The best pubs in the area lie at the Streatham Common end of the high road and on Greyhound Lane. To find out more about Streatham, please view our Streatham Area Guide.

In Westminster ……..

• Bayswater – Bayswater is located in West London on the north side of Hyde Park. Due to it’s particularly central location and proximity to one of the Royal Parks, prices are quite expensive but it’s a good spot if it’s within your range. For entertainment and leisure, Bayswater contains some great pubs (The Cow and Prince Bonaparte are popular), Whiteleys shopping centre and a branch of American-style bowling alley, All-Star Lanes. For more information on Bayswater, please view our Bayswater Area Guide.
• St John’s Wood – St John’s Wood is located in north-west London to the west of Regent’s Park and Primrose Hill. It’s a well-to-do area filled with posh but trendy peeps who love the access to excellent pubs, bars and restaurants on the high street. St John’s Wood is on the Jubilee line – you can be at Bond Street within about 6 or 7 minutes. To find out more about St John’s Wood, please view our St John’s Wood
• Pimlico – Pimlico is situated in Central London around the Victoria area and goes all the way down to the River Thames. What makes it an affordable living option for some is the amount of ex-council property available in the area. For entertainment it can be difficult to find pubs and restaurants that aren’t aimed at the faces and wallets of tourists (tip – steer clear of busy roads around Victoria station), but you can find some very decent options off the beaten track. For culture and sightseeing you have the Tate Britain, Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey on your doorstep. For leisurely walks you have the options of many nearby parks (Green Park, St James’s Park or even Hyde Park are all within walking distance) and of course beautiful riverside strolls. For more information on Pimlico, please view our Pimlico Area Guide.
• Maida Vale – Maida Vale and Little Venice are situated in West London in the postal district of W9. Little Venice is built on waterways down which you can take a lovely barge tour, or alternatively just relax in a canal-side pub or restaurant. It’s a very pretty part of town which is obviously a good reason to live here, but another would be it’s proximity to Central London along with the great transport links in the area. To find out more about Maida Vale in W9, please view our Maida Vale Area Guide

Residential areas within walking distance of Central London

Most of you who are moving to London will have to rely on the transport system in order to get from A to B. Sometimes our transport system lets us down, for instance if there is a tube or rail strike, bad weather conditions or terrorist threats. On these occasions, London descends into chaos as Londoners do everything they can to get from home to work and back again using as many inventive methods of travel as is humanly possible.

So how can you get around this?

Well many of you will just learn to live with it and not worry yourselves about something that only happens on a few random days of the year. Others will decide that they’d rather live somewhere within walking distance of Central London, so that they can travel to work on foot on either a regular basis (it’s a great way to exercise and to see our great city) or in case of a travel emergency.

Whilst many areas within easy reach of Central London are understandably expensive, there are other more affordable areas that are well worth a look at if you have your heart set on donning a pair of trainers every day.

Here are 10 areas within walking distance of Central London that you might want to consider living in:

Bethnal Green
Bethnal Green is situated in East London in the postcode area of E2. Famed for it’s association with the Kray brothers, it’s extremely handy for nearby Shoreditch and of course the City of London. It’s approximately 1.5 miles from Bethnal Green to Liverpool Street making it perfect for those who want to work in the country’s financial capital. If you’re more brave and fancy walking to the West End, then it’s about 4.5 miles away.
For current rental prices and rooms to rent, please visit Easyroommate .

Kennington
Kennington is situated in South-East London in the vicinity of the Oval Cricket Ground. It’s a reasonably trendy area to live in with some good local pubs. In terms of walking distances, it’s a brisk 2.5 miles across the river into Victoria where there are plenty of offices located. If you need to get to the West End, then that will take you a further 20 mins.
For current rental prices and rooms to rent, please visit Easyroommate.

Islington
Islington needs no introduction. It’s an extremely popular area for graduates and young professionals to live in. The area is centred around Upper Street which is lined from top to toe with trendy shops, bars, restaurants, pubs and cafes.
The distance between Islington and the City is approximately 2 miles.
For current rental prices and rooms to rent, please visit Easyroommate.

Bayswater.
Bayswater is situated in West London approximately 2.3 miles from the West End, which is perfect if you happen to work on or near Oxford Street or Soho.
A walk between the two usually involves walking through Hyde Park, so it really is a lovely commute.
For current rental prices and rooms to rent, please visit Easyroommate.

Stepney Green
Another area located in the East End of London is Stepney Green. Although it could arguably be described as being historic more than it is glamorous, it is in a perfect location sandwiched between the City and Canary Wharf which are both 2 miles away.
For current rental prices and rooms to rent, please visit Easyroommate.

Battersea
Battersea is located in South London. As it’s only a short distance across the river from Sloane Square, parts of the area attract the wealthy, although you can also find some decent, affordable flatshares and property rental here.
The distance from Battersea to Victoria is approximately 2.6 miles, but if you need to go further into the West End, it’s more like 3.5 miles.
For current rental prices and rooms to rent, please visit Easyroommate.

Hackney
Hackney is another favourite East End haunt that is probably most famous for the Hackney Empire and it’s market. Hackney is referred to as both a council borough and a town, but in this instance, we’re talking about the town.
Hackney is most appropriately located for those who want to walk to work in the City of London which is approximately 3.2 miles away.
For current rental prices and rooms to rent, please visit Easyroommate.

Stoke Newington
Stoke Newington is located in North London. Slightly further out than some of the other residential areas mentioned on this page, it is an area that has recently ‘up-and-come’. Stoke Newington is often described as being great for families and has a young atmosphere to it. The popular road to hang out on is Church Street. A journey into the City of London covers approximately 3.5 miles of road.
For current rental prices and rooms to rent, please visit Easyroommate..

Peckham
Most people don’t hear ‘Peckham’ without conjuring up images of the Trotters living in Nelson Mandella House. Well it’s a long time since ‘Only Fools and Horses’ was on our screens and in that time, Peckham has moved slowly up the ranks and is now considered a satisfactory place to live, not least because of the fact that some decent watering holes have opened up and that it’s close proximity to Central London. The distance between Peckham and London Bridge is approximately 3.2 miles.
For current rental prices and rooms to rent, please visit Easyroommate.