Renting in Kensington and Chelsea: check-in and getting your deposit back

Homes to rent in Kensington and Chelsea

Kensington and Chelsea is the most expensive place to rent in the country, and about four in ten households rent privately. Most homes are flats: lateral and duplex flats in stucco terraces, red-brick mansion blocks and mews houses, many with porters, lifts and shared garden squares. North Kensington is different, with large post-war estates and towers, and the borough saw England's biggest rise in social renting between 2011 and 2021. Short and corporate lets and high-value furnished tenancies are common, so inventories tend to list a lot of contents.

Average rent: £3,739 a month (ONS, September 2026), up 3.0% on a year earlier; the highest average rent of any local authority in the UK. Source

On moving-in day

1. Before unpacking, photograph every room: a wide shot, then each item, with the date and time on every photo.
2. Photograph the meters (gas, electricity, water) and write down the readings.
3. Count the keys and fobs, and test the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
4. Note anything worn, marked or not working, and send it to the landlord or agent within a few days.

Things to look at in Kensington and Chelsea homes

• Furnished high-value lets: photograph each piece of furniture, rugs, curtains and artwork close up, and record makes of appliances.
• Mansion blocks with porters: note fobs, porter-held keys, post box keys and lift access, and photograph the communal entrance.
• Stucco terraces: photograph the front steps, railings, balconies and any cracked or flaking stucco visible from the flat.
• Mews houses: photograph the garage door, its remote and any cobbled forecourt, and check for damp in ground-floor rooms.
• Garden square access: record the garden key or card and any terms that come with it.
• Basement and lower-ground flats: photograph lightwells, vault storage under the pavement, and walls at floor level for damp.

Your deposit

Your landlord must protect your deposit in the DPS, TDS or mydeposits within 30 days and tell you which. At the end, deductions can only be for damage beyond fair wear and tear, cleaning back to the check-in standard, or rent owed. A dated check-in record is your best protection.

Help from the council

The council's environmental health team (private sector housing) can inspect privately rented homes for disrepair and hazards and enforces HMO licensing; contact it through the housing pages of rbkc.gov.uk. Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea: private renting.

Do your check-in free Moving-in checklist