Moving to London: What New Residents Need to Know

Greater London is home to roughly 9.09 million people across 33 local authorities — the 32 London boroughs plus the City of London Corporation — sitting alongside the Greater London Authority, which handles city-wide functions like transport rather than local services. Each borough sets its own Council Tax rate on top of the shared GLA precept, and the spread is real money, not a rounding difference.

Those figures span different budget years because each council publishes its own — the point isn’t the exact number, it’s that Kingston’s bill runs well over double Westminster’s. Check the specific borough you’re moving into rather than assuming a neighbouring one applies, and see Reloca8’s Council Tax guide for how to notify your old and new councils.

Unlike Council Tax, water doesn’t vary by borough. Thames Water is the sole regional supplier across London and the Thames Valley, serving around 16 million customers — and as with every UK regional water company, household customers can’t shop around for a different one. See Reloca8’s water supplier guide for getting the closing and opening readings right.

If you plan to drive regularly, check your vehicle before you rely on it. The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) charges non-compliant cars and vans £12.50 a day, operates 24 hours a day (except Christmas Day), and covers all 32 boroughs plus the City of London — not just the centre. The separate Congestion Charge is £15 a day within its own, smaller central London zone. Neither charge is tied to your address or DVLA registration the way Council Tax is — they’re tied to the vehicle and the route, so check both on tfl.gov.uk once you know your commute.

For the main September intake, all 33 boroughs use the Pan-London Coordinated Admissions Scheme, which standardises the application timeline and paperwork regardless of which borough you’re applying to — a genuine convenience if you’re moving between boroughs with a child already at school age. Moving mid-year is different: there’s no pan-London in-year scheme, so you’ll apply directly to the local authority covering your new address. Reloca8’s in-year admissions guide covers that process in full.

Recycling and rubbish collection is set by each borough individually — some collect weekly, others fortnightly. Lambeth is one example of a borough running fortnightly rubbish collections. It’s a small thing, but it’s exactly the kind of detail that doesn’t transfer from your old address — check your specific borough’s website once you’ve moved in, rather than assuming your old schedule still applies.

Average private rent across London was £2,253 a month in August 2025, up 5.7% over the previous 12 months, per the Office for National Statistics. That’s a citywide average — borough-level rents vary at least as much as Council Tax does, so treat it as a starting point for budgeting rather than a quote for any specific postcode.