Flats to rent in Anerley & SE20 and Houses to rent in Anerley & SE20

There are very few areas better for the first time buyer, or for the family looking for space to move and the best of town and suburb, than Anerley. Yet many people have never heard of it, with consequential lack of focus, and thus competitive prices to this day.

The reason is simple - for Anerley has never really been classed as an entity, and is a general area to the west of Penge and south of Crystal Palace. Yet it has its own rail station, is only 15 minutes from London Bridge, and more importantly for the shrewd property buyer looking for a bargain, has benefited from the extraordinary resurge of popularity in the Crystal Palace and Sydenham areas without the same rise in prices.

Houses in Anerley are distinctly of a Victorian mien, with rows of semi-detached properties off the Croydon Road, and some very fine villas lining the hill as the Anerley region blends seamlessly into Crystal Palace proper, most of which have been converted into flats and small mansion blocks. Streets are clean and quiet, as the Croydon and Anerley Roads which line the area take the vast majority of the traffic, and almost all the properties have good gardens to the rear.

A perfect area for growing families, Anerley gives access to Crystal Palace and other local green spaces, as well as to the facilities of the larger and more well known areas it's to an extent in the shadow of. This means trendy restaurants and bars, great refurbished local pubs and bars, and fantastic local shops and grocers, which is another reason why young couples are choosing Anerley over more expensive places. Also in the region are plenty of bigger stores in Sydenham, Norwood, Penge and Crystal Palace itself, which means that shopping for the family is a doddle.

Anerley may not have a big name, but the blessing this gives the nifty buyer is that it's yet to get as pricey as areas around it. With generous houses and flats in plenty, it's an area that upwardly mobile couples and families looking for great amounts of space should consider looking at.

Anerley is in the Borough of Croydon which holds the responsibility for delivering services in your area.
For specific information on this borough, or to contact individual departments please click here to visit their website.

Borough of Croydon website: Borough of Croydon

In General:
The London boroughs are administrative centres responsible for collecting local taxes (Council Tax and Business Rates) and then spending the funds received on local services. They are run by Borough Councils who are elected by borough residents on a four year cycle. The totals that they spend will depend on the rates of tax that they levy plus funds allocated from central government and other sources.

While many of the services (schools, roads, planning, rubbish collection and social services) are standard, levels of provision will vary according to the overall political will as expressed by the voters.

Your tax liability (as a resident) will be based on the council tax band of your home. These bands are set by Valuation Officers and there is scope for appeal. The rate bands are then used to determine the amounts of tax levied. So, while the bands will remain largely constant the levels of tax can go up and, in theory, down.

You may claim discounts or exemptions based on your circumstances. For example, as the only adult in a property you can get a 25% reduction on your bill. Other reductions are available for qualifying second adults and Council Tax Benefit claimants.

There is more information available at the HM Customs & Excise website.

Borough of Croydon Council Tax