The London Borough of Havering is the easternmost London borough, part of Outer London with a population of 259,552. Romford is its principal town, and Hornchurch, Upminster, Collier Row and Rainham make up much of the rest. The borough is mostly suburban, with large stretches of Metropolitan Green Belt, while its southern edge runs into the London Riverside part of the Thames Gateway. Wikipedia counts over 7,000 businesses based in Havering.
We are a broker, not a lender. We arrange business mortgages for trading companies that want to buy or refinance the premises they work from anywhere in the borough. This is commercial finance secured on your company's own shop, office or unit; it is not a residential mortgage. We go through your accounts and the building, then shortlist the lenders whose criteria match a Havering deal.
Which buildings do firms in the London Borough of Havering buy with an owner-occupier mortgage?
Two very different property markets sit inside one borough. Romford is the commercial hub, with a small office district close to the railway station, a retail core built around the Liberty Shopping Centre, the Mercury Mall and the Brewery, and Romford Market to the north. It also has one of the highest concentrations of bars and nightclubs anywhere in Greater London outside the West End. Hornchurch and Upminster add long high streets of shops, cafes and professional offices.
The south is industrial. Between Rainham and the Thames there are working sites such as the Rainham Steel headquarters, and the Centre for Engineering and Manufacturing Excellence was opened to encourage new industrial development. Light industry elsewhere has declined, and the old Star Brewery has closed, so many of the companies we hear from are retailers, hospitality operators, trade suppliers and fabricators. Our guide to owner-occupier mortgages explains how a lender assesses a company buying the building it occupies.
One in four Havering firms is a builder or trade contractor
ONS UK Business Counts 2026, local units.
Show as a table
| Sector | Businesses | Havering share | UK share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction and building trades | 3,095 | 25.1% | 12.5% |
| Professional, scientific and technical | 1,285 | 10.4% | 13.9% |
| Retail | 1,075 | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| Business support services | 1,070 | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| Health and social care | 715 | 5.8% | 5.6% |
| Restaurants, cafes and pubs | 705 | 5.7% | 6.2% |
| Transport, logistics and storage | 630 | 5.1% | 4.2% |
| Information and communication | 615 | 5% | 6.2% |
| Personal and other services | 525 | 4.3% | 4.1% |
- 2.1xsecurity services135 businesses
- 2.1xbuilding construction1,015 businesses
- 2.0xspecialist building trades1,930 businesses
- 1.6xcivil engineering150 businesses
A figure of 2.0x means the trade makes up twice the share of local businesses that it does across the UK.
Construction dominates the Havering business count. Building trades account for 25.1% of the borough's 12,320 firms, double the UK figure of 12.5%, with specialised contractors such as electricians, roofers and groundworkers at 2.03 times the national share. Security and investigation firms are also unusually common.
Contractors buying premises usually want a yard, a lock-up unit or a small depot near the A12 or A127. A lender will look at turnover through the cycle, retentions and how lumpy the order book is, so two or three years of filed accounts make the strongest case.
How do the A12, A13 and M25 affect a commercial property loan in Havering, Essex's old corner of London?
Road access matters to a valuer. The M25 forms part of the eastern boundary, the A12 passes near Romford and the A13 near Rainham, and the A127 to Southend starts at Gallows Corner. A unit with quick access to those routes is easier to relet if the business ever moves, and lenders weigh that when they decide how much to advance.
Rail does the same job for shops and offices. The District line crosses the middle of the borough, the Great Eastern Main Line serves Romford, Gidea Park and Harold Wood with Elizabeth line stopping services, and c2c trains on the London, Tilbury and Southend line pass through in two places. A Romford office near the station is a different proposition from a converted building on a quiet parade.
Romford and Rainham property stock: offices up a quarter since 2016
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 warehouse1,500properties on the rating listUp 7.9% since 2016Average rateable value £46,100factories, workshops, warehouses and trade units
- Offices870properties on the rating listUp 26.1% since 2016Average rateable value £17,900offices, including converted buildings
- Shops and retail2,210properties on the rating listDown 0.9% since 2016Average rateable value £31,300shops, showrooms and retail warehouses
- Other commercial1,440properties on the rating listUp 4.3% since 2016Average rateable value £44,000pubs, hotels, surgeries, nurseries, garages and more
Where the Havering trades work from: Dovers Corner, Sterling and more
Named estates and parks listed on Google Maps near Havering, October 2026. Listed to show where premises trade locally; we have no connection with the owners or agents.
- Dovers Corner Industrial EstateRainham RM13 8LY
- Dovers Corner Industrial ParkNew Rd, Rainham RM13 8QT
- Sterling Industrial EstateDagenham RM10 8QR
- D Boomes Industrial EstateRainham RM13 8PH
- Mudlands Industrial EstateRainham RM13 8RH
- Stafford Industrial EstateHornchurch RM11 2SJ
- Heathway Industrial EstateDagenham RM10 8PN
- Suttons Business ParkRainham RM13 8DE
- Ferry Lane Industrial EstateRainham RM13 9YY
- Midas Business ParkDagenham RM10 8PS
- Albright Industrial EstateRainham RM13 9BU
- Noakes Industrial EstateRainham RM13 8DJ
Havering's office stock has grown sharply. The rating list shows 870 offices now against 690 in 2016, a rise of 26.1%. Industrial stock grew 7.9% to 1,500 units, with an average rateable value of £46,100, while shop numbers dipped 0.9%. For a contractor or haulier, a bigger pool of units means more comparable evidence for a valuer, which helps when the building is the security for the loan.
What cash does a company need for business property finance in Romford and the rest of Havering?
For a Havering purchase, lenders active in owner-occupier lending tend to cap the loan at 70 to 75% of the lower of price and valuation, stretching to 80% where the accounts are strong. Indicative pricing is 6.0 to 7.5% a year, over 5 to 25 years, with arrangement fees of 1 to 2%, all subject to status, accounts and valuation. A shop with a flat above counts as semi-commercial, typically up to 75% loan to value.
Havering is in England, so Stamp Duty Land Tax applies: HMRC charges 0% up to £150,000, 2% from £150,001 to £250,000 and 5% above £250,000 on non-residential property (rates as at October 2026; check the current rates before you buy).
Illustrative example. A steel fabricator buys a freehold workshop near Rainham for £750,000. A 75% loan is £562,500, so the deposit is £187,500. SDLT comes to £27,000, taking the cash needed to about £214,500 before legal and valuation fees. Our commercial stamp duty guide shows the bands in full.
Who signs off planning and security on refinancing premises in Havering, London?
The planning authority is Havering London Borough Council. Before a lender releases funds, its solicitor checks that the building's current use is lawful, which matters in Romford where shops, bars and offices sit side by side and changes of use are common. Green Belt land covers much of the borough, so extensions on edge-of-town sites can be harder to approve.
Havering deals are secured by a first legal charge at HM Land Registry, with a debenture or a directors' guarantee normally sitting alongside it. Commercial lending to a limited company is unregulated and falls outside the FCA's regulated mortgage perimeter. Where a deal would fall inside the FCA perimeter, for example lending to a sole trader or individual, or a building where the borrower or a close family member will live in part of it, we refer it to an appropriately authorised firm. For neighbouring boroughs and the wider capital, see our London business mortgages page.
Business districts across Havering
Romford
The borough's main town carries most of its commercial floor space: station-side offices, the shopping arcades and the long-running market. Its night-time economy means bar, restaurant and club owners are a large part of the buyer pool, and lenders look closely at trading history for licensed premises. Retailers buying their own shop units are just as common.
Hornchurch
One of Havering's garden-suburb districts, Hornchurch has an extensive high street that supports independent shops, dental and medical practices, estate agents and restaurants. Owner-occupiers here usually buy a single shop or a small office building, sometimes with residential space above, which brings semi-commercial lending into play.
Upminster
At the eastern end of the District line and served by c2c, Upminster has its own extensive shopping area. The buildings are mostly modest parades and period high-street properties, suited to professional firms, salons, cafes and specialist retailers that want to stop paying rent and own the space they trade from.
Rainham and the riverside
The south of the borough between Rainham and the Thames is the industrial end of Havering and part of the London Riverside regeneration area. Fabricators, trade suppliers, haulage and storage firms look here for yards, workshops and warehouses, with the A13 close by for routes into London and out to Essex.
Collier Row and Harold Hill
These northern neighbourhoods are largely residential, but local parades serve them with convenience shops, takeaways, pharmacies and trade counters. Buying a parade unit is a typical first property purchase for an established small business, and a lender will want to see that the location supports the trade.
Gidea Park and Harold Wood
Both sit on the Great Eastern Main Line with Elizabeth line stopping services, which makes small offices and clinics near the stations attractive to professional practices. Accountants, solicitors and healthcare businesses often buy here to secure a long-term base close to their clients.
