Renting property in Chelsea, London SW3
Residential Land is London's largest private landlord and has over 1200 flats to rent in central London postcodes. If you are looking to rent an apartment in Chelsea, London SW3, please
contact us or browse through our
properties to rent in Chelsea. Our dedicated in-house lettings team, building surveyors, property managers and maintenance experts are ready to answer all your tenancy-related questions, move you in within 24 hours of agreeing the rent and make renting a property in Chelsea an enjoyable and stress free experience.
Why rent a flat in Chelsea?
Chelsea, with its trendy image and central location makes the area one of the most expensive places for rental property in London. Occupying the SW3 postcode area and located adjacent to the River Thames, there is no shortage of houses and apartments and studio flats to rent in Chelsea. Anyone opting to live further away from the river bank towards the areas of Pimlico and South Kensington will find a wider choice of beautiful town houses to let.
Until 1965 the region formed its owned Borough however it is now twinned with Kensington to form the London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. The area has had many famous residents over the years, one of the most notable being Spike Milligan who lived in central Chelsea. The area has also been the setting of many famous books.
Property in Chelsea
Chelsea boasts an elegant mixture of traditional town houses and mansion flats, like Residential Land's
Pelham Court and apartments at
161 Fulham Road, interspersed with small pretty garden squares. There are smaller houses to the north of the SW3 area, and Chelsea Harbour offers many riverside flats to rent and houses.
Dotted between these more traditional properties, you will find that Chelsea also has a number of more modern town houses and purpose-built apartment blocks offering a variety of rental property in Chelsea.
Peony Court for instance is a collection of 12 luxury apartments located in a modern, gated development on the fashionable Park Walk, between Kings Road and Fulham Road. These Chelsea apartments benefit from high specification interiors and Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea parking permits.
History of Chelsea
In old English, the word Chelsea means "landing place [on the river] for chalk or limestone". The first record of the Manor of Chelsea precedes the Domesday Book whilst Chelsea's location as we now know it was, in 787AD, the site of the Synod of Chelsea.
Chelsea has attracted a lot of royal interest over the years. The Manor has seen a number of royal residents including King Henry VIII who acquired the manor of Chelsea from Lord Sandys in 1536 and lived there with two of his wives, Catherine Parr and Anne of Cleves. In addition, before she was crowned, Queen Elizabeth I was also a resident of the Manor. James I established a theological college on the site that is now the Chelsea Royal Hospital which was later founded by Charles II.
By 1694, Chelsea, which has always been a popular location for the wealthy, and once described as "a village of palaces", had a population of 3,000. Despite this, Chelsea remained a rural area and served the city of London to its east as a market garden. This continued until the 19th century when a development boom in the area caused the district to finally be absorbed into the metropolis of the city.
King's Road which runs through the heart of Chelsea was named as such after Charles II, recalling it as the King's private road from St James's Palace to Fulham, a route which was maintained until the reign of George IV. One of the more important buildings remaining in Chelsea can be found on the King's Road: Chelsea Town Hall, a fine neo-classical building which contains important frescos and is also now home to the Chelsea Public Library.
Attractions in Chelsea
Carlyle's House
This Queen Anne house is found in the back streets of old Chelsea and is the former home of writer and historian Thomas Carlyle who lived here from 1834 until his death. The house, which contains original furniture and many books, portraits and relics of his day, was visited by many illustrious Victorians, including Dickens, Chopin, Tennyson and George Elliot.
Chelsea Football Ground, Stamford Bridge
Stamford Bridge is home to Chelsea Football Club. The complex comprises of a 42,000 capacity football stadium, whilst the area surrounding it, formerly known as "Chelsea Village", contains two hotels, apartments and studio flats for rent; bars, restaurants, the Chelsea Megastore, and an interactive visitor attraction called Chelsea World of Sport.
Chelsea Arts Club
A private members-only club, currently with 2,400 members, the Chelsea Arts Club is a place where artists, poets, writers, dancers, actors, musicians, photographers and filmmakers gather together. Anyone wishing to join must be sponsored by a current member and join the waiting list. The Club's premises include a snooker room, dining room, former "ladies bar" turned private party room, bedrooms and a garden.
Shopping in Chelsea
The Kings Road which cuts through the centre of Chelsea became famous in the 1960s for its fashion boutiques. Although it is no longer considered to be the epicentre of modern fashion, there are still a large number of upmarket independent and chain clothes shops together with contemporary furnishing stores, and Chelsea still remains a location of choice to startup companies looking to launch themselves onto the high-end retail scene.
Restaurants in Chelsea
Aquasia
Aquasia restaurant, bar and terrace is an award winning destination with an east-west fusion menu.
Aubergine
Opened by Gordon Ramsey over 15 years ago, this Michelin starred restaurant offers the finest in French haute cuisine in the centre of Chelsea.
The Five Fields
Offering "elegant and playful” modern British cuisine, The Five Fields in Blacklands Terrace is one of the most popular restaurants in Chelsea at the moment and a customer favourite judging by TripAdvisor's classifications.
L'Etranger
If you're in a mood for something special, take the opportunity to book an evening at L'Etranger, an award-winning restaurant on Gloucester Road offering Japanese-influenced French cuisine.
Blue Bird
An all-time favourite in Chelsea, Blue Bird on King's Road offers a glamourous modern-European brasserie-style restaurant, destination bar, Cafe, Courtyard, Food Store, Wine Cellar, Bakery & Private Dining Rooms.
Chelsea Riverside Brasserie
For dinner with fabulous views over the river Thames, there is no better place than the Chelsea Riverside Brasserie, located in the Wyndham Grand Hotel in Chelsea Harbour.
Ready to rent in Chelsea?
Get in touch with our lettings team, we'll be happy to answer any questions related to renting through Residential Land and show you our available flats in Chelsea or surrounding areas.