By Daniela Forresu
KFH sign. Credit: Daniela Forresu
For many people in the Holloway area, rents are going up too fast, making living hard. This raises concern not only for residents but also for landlords.
What was considered an affordable area for younger people, such as students and working families, is becoming increasingly out of reach for many.
According to the Office for National Statistics, the average monthly private rent was around £2,699 in March 2025, an annual increase of 10.6% from £2,439 in March 2024.
Increasingly unaffordable area
Catalina Cortubos, 32, a full-time waitress at Randall & Aubin in central London, used to live in a two-bedroom flat with her friend near Holloway – but not anymore.
‘I was paying nearly £2,000 for a two-bedroom flat, it just became too expensive, so I had no choice. I had to move out and find a room which is a little more affordable for me,’ Cortubos said.
She now lives in a small single room, but even that rent is not much different from what she was paying earlier, as it costs her around £850 per month.
‘It becomes unaffordable not only for me but also for my friend, so we decided to move into a small room for £850 per month, where at least the bills are included so we pay less than before,’ she says.
This problem is not only in the Holloway and Islington areas. Average rent prices have continued to rise in all over London in the last few years.
Photo collage of the Holloway area rent prices. Credit: Daniela Forresu
In Right Move Properties, the average price for a small one-bedroom flat in Angel in the Islington area is £2,400 per month, and in the Kings Cross area, one-bedroom apartments reach £3,358 per month.
What landlords say
According to an article in Landlord Today News, 85% of landlords will raise their rent this year. Of these, 36% of rental properties will rise by 5%, while 37% plan to raise it between 6% and 10%.
Stephen Salinger, 48, a full-time landlord who owns properties near Crouch Hill in North London, explains why this is happening.
‘I had to increase my rent for a one-bedroom flat from £1,500 per month to 1£,800 per month, and a two-bedroom from £2,000 to £2,300,’ Salinger said.
‘It’s not like we are making easy profit. Being a landlord now is stressful and we get a bad name, but trust me is not easy for us either,’ he says.
‘Unfortunately with the increase of the bills and maintenance costs, it’s becoming hard to manage. I’m even considering trying to sell them. Is not just the renter who is affected – costs have gone up for everyone,’ he said.
Martyn Gerrard sign in the Crouch Hill area. Credit: Daniela Forresu
Salinger believes that many landlords in the area are considering doing the same, as they are experiencing the same struggles. ‘When landlords sell up, this means there are fewer rental properties on the market, and when there is less supply, prices go even higher,’ he said.
According to the Letting a Propriety article rules 2025 if a tenant disagrees with the new rental increase, they can try to negotiate with the landlord or challenge it by the rent assessment committee within 21 days.
What do these costs mean for the Holloway area?
Rising rents are tragically felt across the community, young people who just moved to London for work or study are struggling to find affordable places to live and working professionals have to cut their expenses just to pay rent.
‘I have lived here for almost 10 years, but now I don’t know how long I will stay here in London. Year to year, it is getting more expensive,’ Cortubos says.
Pool created on Instagram. Credit: Daniela Forresu
Salinger agrees that something needs to be changed for everyone. ‘The whole system needs to change Renters are unhappy, the landlord feels under pressure, and the government doesn’t seem to have a plan – this story can’t keep going like this.’
Video outside the Stadium estate agency shows the prices in the area. Credit: Daniela Forresu
Outside local estate agencies Stadium proprieties on Holloway Road, listings are showing bed-room flats priced at £2,850, whil two-bedroom apartment prices are £545 per week. The rising numbers are visible and are alarming many locals.
What is causing the rent rise?
According to the Investors Chronicle News in 2025, the five reasons why the rents are going up are:
1- Higher costs- meaning landlords are paying more for mortgages and bills.
2- Lack of new homes- not enough new houses are building.
3- More demand- more people, including migrants and students, are looking to rent.
4- Landlords are leaving- landlords are choosing to sell up, reducing the rental supply
5- Switching to alternative options- Landlords are choosing short-term lets like Airbnb, or selling up and removing properties from the regular rental market.
The future of renting remains uncertain not only in the Holloway area. Some believe government needs to give more support, while others believe more proprieties need to be built to meet the demand.
According to The Negotiator, London boroughs – including the Islington are -, are now calling on the government to push for a mandatory national registration scheme to track and limit the short lets.
Airbnb supports the changes, saying they bring clarity for hosts and help the local council in managing this impact, according to the BBC.
They are doing this to bring the properties back into the long-term rental market and ease pressure on tenants.
Residents of the area like Cortubos, who are just trying to get by, say: ‘I love Holloway, it was a great place to live and is still a great place for me, and I am sure many others think like me.
‘I hope soon prices will go down again and the government will do something about it,’ she says.
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