Suburbs become rental hotspots as working from home becomes new normal
The Home Counties and Cambridge have become new rental hubs, as people increasingly look to migrate from London.
The rise of working from home amid the coronavirus pandemic has spurred renters to look beyond the traditional commuter areas, according to new data from Rightmove (RTMVY).
Cambridge saw the biggest annual rise, with searches surging 76%, while Chessington in Kingston upon Thames is London's new prime renting real estate. Searches for rental properties in Chessington nearly doubled, rising by 99%.
Tenants in Chessington are paying average monthly rents of £1,258 ($1,625), which is still a 4.3% year-on-year increase, but is £742 cheaper than average rents across London as a whole.
