Croydon is a lot of things, but maybe most important, it’s affordable when compared to Central London. A two-bedroom rental home here will set you back on average about £1,200 per month. Whereas in London proper that same two-bedroom home will cost more than £2,700 per month. 

That’s an enormous difference and goes a long way toward explaining why older couples, retirees and families watching their money wind up renting here. But it’s not just the price that draws these people from the city centre. It’s also the more laid-back atmosphere, the fresh air, the more livable scale and the other amenities, that we’ll take a look at now.

Whether you are a nightclub night owl or simply love hanging with your mates in the pub you’ll find plenty of reasons to like Croydon. High tech dance clubs abound including Phase, Story, the Dice Bar, the Funhouse and others, while traditional pubs dot the landscape including the Dog & Bull, the Orchard, the Builders Arms, the Old Fox & Hounds and several more. 

If you like to socialise over a good meal you might be amazed at the number and variety of choices you have here. These include Taste of Kerala Indian food, Ponte Nuovo Italian food, Apatura Turkish BBQ, Vujon Indian, Wei Dao Chinese, the Yumn Brasserie, Galicia Tapas, Livity Vegan, Pizza Express, Real Flavour Caribbean and many, many more.

Many of the people interested in houses to rent in Croydon are stay and eat at home types. Fortunately, they have numerous places to gather the raw materials for their culinary endeavours. There’s Sainsbury’s, M&S Simply Food, Waitrose & Partners, the Mediterranean Food Centre, Family Choice Supermarket and many more markets and greengrocers.

If you’re more into clothes shopping than food shopping you’ll find plenty to like too. The Whitgift Mall is one of the largest malls in Greater London, but it’s not alone. There’s also the Centrale Shopping Centre with more than 50 retail stores inside, and the nearby Mega Mall. But wait, you’ll also find H&M, Marks and Spencer, TK Maxx and countless boutiques, bespoke clothiers and more.