The London Borough of Ealing covers part of west London and a small part of north-west London, bridging Inner and Outer London. It is made up of seven towns: Acton, Ealing, Greenford, Hanwell, Northolt, Perivale and Southall. With 385,985 residents as of 2024, Wikipedia ranks it the third most populous London borough and the eleventh largest by area. Its administrative centre is Ealing Broadway, and it has long been called the "Queen of the Suburbs", a term coined in 1902 by the borough surveyor Charles Jones.
We are a broker, not a lender. We arrange business mortgages for companies in all seven of Ealing's towns that want to buy or refinance the premises they trade from. Because the loan is secured on a company's commercial building, it is not a residential mortgage. We assess your accounts and the property first, then approach the lenders whose criteria fit the case.
What property do Ealing companies buy with an owner-occupier mortgage?
Ealing is a borough of distinct towns rather than one centre, and each has its own commercial character. Ealing Broadway and Acton carry offices, shops and restaurants; Southall has busy high streets of independent retailers and food businesses; and Greenford, Perivale and Northolt, further out towards the UB postcodes, are where workshops, warehouses and trade premises are more common.
Across those towns the typical owner-occupier is a small or medium-sized company: a retailer buying its shop, a restaurant buying its freehold, a dental or medical practice buying a converted building, a builder's merchant or engineer buying an industrial unit, or a professional firm buying offices. Lenders treat each differently, and our page on owner-occupier mortgages explains what they look for in the accounts and the building.
Broadcasters, food makers and wholesalers in the Ealing borough
ONS UK Business Counts 2026, local units.
Show as a table
| Sector | Businesses | Ealing share | UK share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional, scientific and technical | 2,835 | 14.2% | 13.9% |
| Construction and building trades | 2,760 | 13.9% | 12.5% |
| Retail | 2,185 | 11% | 9.4% |
| Information and communication | 1,785 | 9% | 6.2% |
| Business support services | 1,555 | 7.8% | 8.1% |
| Wholesale | 1,130 | 5.7% | 3.7% |
| Property | 1,100 | 5.5% | 4.4% |
| Restaurants, cafes and pubs | 1,095 | 5.5% | 6.3% |
| Transport, logistics and storage | 1,015 | 5.1% | 4.2% |
- 3.9xbroadcasting55 businesses
- 2.6xfilm, TV and music production590 businesses
- 2.1xfood manufacturing145 businesses
- 1.6xcreative and performing arts355 businesses
A figure of 2.0x means the trade makes up twice the share of local businesses that it does across the UK.
Ealing's 19,935 business units include a notable broadcasting cluster, at 3.88 times the UK share, and film and TV production at 2.6 times. Food manufacturing runs at 2.13 times, and wholesale makes up 5.7% of firms against 3.7% nationally, much of it around Park Royal and the A40.
A food producer or wholesaler buying a unit needs space with loading and often cold storage. Lenders look at whether the building would suit another occupier, since heavily specialised fit-out can reduce what a valuer will put on it.
How does the borough's suburban character affect commercial property loans in Ealing, west London?
Much of Ealing is residential, with many parks and tree-lined streets, two garden suburbs at Brentham and Bedford Park, and 330 hectares designated as Metropolitan Green Belt. Commercial property is concentrated in the town centres and along the main roads, so buildings that combine a shop or office with flats above are common.
Lenders call these semi-commercial and fund them up to around 75% loan to value at an indicative 6.5 to 8.5% a year, subject to status, accounts and valuation. If you or a close family member will live in part of the building, the loan may fall within regulation. Our page on semi-commercial premises explains how lenders approach them. In conservation areas such as the garden suburbs, the solicitor will also check any restrictions on alterations and use.
Ealing's office and specialist stock grows by a fifth
Valuation Office Agency, non-domestic rating stock of properties, March 2026. Average rateable value is the VOA's estimate of annual rent, not a sale price.
- Industrial and warehouse3,020properties on the rating listUp 9.8% since 2016Average rateable value £65,100factories, workshops, warehouses and trade units
- Offices2,070properties on the rating listUp 20.3% since 2016Average rateable value £21,100offices, including converted buildings
- Shops and retail3,660properties on the rating listUp 0.5% since 2016Average rateable value £28,100shops, showrooms and retail warehouses
- Other commercial2,220properties on the rating listUp 22% since 2016Average rateable value £43,100pubs, hotels, surgeries, nurseries, garages and more
Ealing estates from Great Western to West Cross and Boston Business Park
Named estates and parks listed on Google Maps near Ealing, October 2026. Listed to show where premises trade locally; we have no connection with the owners or agents.
- Boston Business ParkLondon W7 2QA
- River Brent Business ParkRiver brent business park, Trumpers Way, London W7 2QA
- West Cross Industrial ParkBrentford TW8 9EX
- Great Western Industrial EstateLondon UB2 4SB
- Barratt Industrial EstateLondon UB1 3AF
- Middlessex Business CentreSouthall UB2 4AE
- Witley Industrial EstateSouthall
- Endsleigh Industrial EstateSouthall UB2 5QR
- Dominion Industrial Estatedominion industrial estate, Dominion Rd, Southall UB2 5DP
- Gordon Industrial EstateSouthall UB2 5QE
- Clocktower Industrial EstateIsleworth
- Featherstone Industrial EstateSouthall UB2 5DP
Office entries in Ealing rose 20.3% to 2,070, and the other category grew 22% to 2,220. Industrial units rose 9.8% to 3,020 and carry a high average rateable value of £65,100. Shops held steady at 3,660. A business buying a unit here should expect a substantial loan, supported by a good supply of comparable industrial buildings.
What deposit and tax does buying business premises in Ealing Borough need?
Lenders active in owner-occupier lending typically advance 70 to 75% of price or valuation, whichever is lower, with up to 80% for strong cases, at an indicative 6.0 to 7.5% a year over 5 to 25 years, subject to status, accounts and valuation. Arrangement fees run at about 1 to 2%. Ealing is in England, so SDLT applies to non-residential purchases at 0% up to £150,000, 2% from £150,001 to £250,000 and 5% above £250,000 (HMRC, rates as at October 2026; check the current rates before you buy).
Illustrative example. A restaurant company buys the freehold of its premises in one of the borough's town centres for £750,000. A 75% loan is £562,500, leaving a deposit of £187,500. SDLT is £27,000, so the company needs about £214,500 in cash before fees. The commercial stamp duty guide shows the bands in full.
Who handles planning for premises finance in Ealing, London?
Ealing London Borough Council is the local authority. Its planning records confirm whether a building's current use is lawful, and the lender's solicitor checks that before releasing funds. Changes of use are frequent in town centres, from shop to restaurant or office to clinic, so make sure any consents are in place before you apply.
Transport links matter too. Wikipedia lists numerous National Rail and Underground stations across the borough, and the council voted in April 2009 to ask Transport for London to look at a North and West London Light Railway. An Ealing lender will register a first legal charge at HM Land Registry over the property. Commercial lending to a limited company is unregulated and falls outside the FCA's regulated mortgage perimeter. Where a deal would be regulated, for example lending to a sole trader or individual, or a property where the borrower or a close family member will live in part of it, we refer it to an appropriately authorised firm. Our London business mortgages page covers the neighbouring boroughs, including Harrow.
Business districts across Ealing
Ealing (W5, W13)
Ealing Broadway is the borough's administrative centre, with shops, restaurants and office buildings around the station. Professional firms, clinics and hospitality operators buy freeholds and long leases here, and the Queen of the Suburbs reputation supports demand for well-kept premises.
Acton (W3)
Acton sits on the eastern side of the borough, closest to Inner London, with East Acton across the boundary in Hammersmith and Fulham. Its town centre and surrounding streets combine shops, offices and small business premises, and buyers here include trades, creative firms and service businesses wanting a base near central London.
Southall (UB1, UB2)
Southall, in the west of the borough, has busy high streets lined with independent retailers, restaurants and food businesses. Many operators trade from buildings with flats above, so lenders often treat purchases here as semi-commercial and rely on the business's trading accounts alongside the valuation.
Greenford and Perivale (UB6)
Greenford and Perivale share the UB6 postcode in the north-west of the borough. Alongside local shopping parades, these towns have business and light industrial premises, suiting manufacturers, distributors and trades that want to own a unit with parking and loading space.
Hanwell (W7)
Hanwell lies between Ealing and Southall and keeps a smaller, village-like centre. Its commercial premises are mostly shops, cafes and small offices, and owner-occupiers here are typically independent businesses buying the building they already rent, often with a flat above.
Northolt (UB5)
Northolt, in the far north-west of the borough near Hillingdon, is largely suburban with local shopping centres. Commercial buyers here tend to be service businesses, pharmacies, nurseries and trades buying a shop unit or small workshop close to their customers.
