What it's like to live in Hastings
Hastings is a seaside town on the East Sussex coast, home to around 91,000 people, with a character all its own: steep hills, an old town, a working beach and a creative, slightly offbeat streak. It suits people who want sea air and a proper town centre rather than suburbia. West Hill and Priory Meadow Shopping Centre sit minutes from the middle of it.
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Hastings sits on the East Sussex coast in the South East of England, with St Leonards joined to it along the seafront and Bexhill, Eastbourne and Rye all within reach along the coast. London is a train ride north, and Brighton lies further west along the Sussex shoreline.
People move here for a few clear reasons. Social rents in the council area are low by southern England standards. The sea, the Old Town and the hills give the place a strong identity that bigger commuter towns often lack. And for a town of about 91,000, it carries a surprising amount: a mainline station, two shopping centres, three cinemas and a general hospital at Conquest, a couple of miles out.
It is an honest sort of town. Hastings has long had pockets of real hardship alongside streets of handsome Victorian housing, and work can be harder to come by here than in much of the South East. Anyone considering a swap should weigh that against the cost of living, the coast and the community feel. Plenty of people find the trade works well for them.
Swapping to Hastings: key facts
Can I swap my council or housing association home to Hastings?
Yes, if you are already a council or housing association tenant. Mutual exchange means swapping homes with another social tenant, so it does not depend on the council waiting list: you need a tenant in or near Hastings who wants your area, and both landlords must agree. Landlords have 42 days to decide and can only refuse on set legal grounds.
How long is the council housing waiting list in Hastings?
1,721 households were on the Hastings housing register on 31 March 2025, up 8% on a year earlier. 267 social homes were let through the council in 2024 to 2025, roughly 6.4 households for every home let. Source: Local Authority Housing Statistics, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
How much is social rent in Hastings?
Average weekly social rents in the Hastings council area in 2024/25: 1 bed £137 council, £88 housing association; 2 bed £167 council, £99 housing association; 3 bed £208 council, £119 housing association. Affordable rent homes cost more, typically 60 to 80% of market rent. Source: Regulator of Social Housing.
How much social housing is there in Hastings and who owns it?
14.3% of homes in the Hastings council area are social housing (council 2.3%, housing association 12%), against 17.1% across England, according to the 2021 Census. The biggest social landlords there are Southern Housing (4,357 homes), Orbit Housing Association Limited (1,338 homes) and Orbit Group Limited (171 homes).
How Busy Is The Swap Market In Hastings?
Figures as of 21 October 2026, updated every night. The waiting list figure is from 2024 to 2025 government data.
Which homes are available to swap near Hastings?
Homes are shown near their address, not on it. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right. Source: Office for National Statistics, Open Government Licence.
No homes listed within 5 miles at the moment. New homes are listed every week: see homes across East Sussex, use the alert form below, or list your own home so tenants here can find you.
What is housing like in Hastings and who lives there?
Hastings is more of a private renting town than most. In the council area, 56.6% of homes are owned, 28.6% are privately rented and 14.3% are socially rented, below the England figure of 17.1%. Only 2.3% is council housing, with housing associations holding 12%.
That shapes who your landlord is likely to be. Southern Housing is by far the biggest, with around 4,357 homes, followed by Orbit Housing Association with 1,338 and Orbit Group with 171. Hastings Borough Council holds 137 homes directly, and BHT Sussex around 102. Average weekly social rents in 2024/25 were about £88 for a one bed, £100 for two beds and £121 for three.
The age profile tilts older than England as a whole: 20.2% are 65 or over against 18.4% nationally, and 28.1% are aged 45 to 64. There are slightly fewer under-16s and young adults than average. At 31 March 2025 there were 1,721 households on the council's housing register, with 267 social homes let that year, which is part of why mutual exchange matters here.
Council waiting list and lettings
Households on the register by the size of home they need.
That is roughly 6.4 households waiting for every social home let in a year. Mutual exchange doesn't use the waiting list: if you already have a council or housing association home, swapping with another tenant can be a quicker way to move to Hastings.
A register counts households who have applied, so it isn't a simple queue: some are already social tenants hoping to transfer, and people can be on more than one council's list.
Typical weekly social rents in the Hastings council area
| Size | Council | Housing association |
|---|---|---|
| Bedsit | £0 | £75 |
| 1 bed | £137 | £88 |
| 2 bed | £167 | £99 |
| 3 bed | £208 | £119 |
| 4 bed | £216 | £131 |
Social rent averages for 2024/25. Affordable rent homes cost more, typically 60 to 80% of market rent.
Biggest social landlords in the council area
- Southern Housing4,357 homes
- Orbit Housing Association Limited1,338 homes
- Orbit Group Limited171 homes
- Hastings Borough Council137 homes
- BHT Sussex102 homes
- Places for People Homes Limited85 homes
- Sanctuary Housing Association80 homes
- Anchor Hanover Group54 homes
What is it like to live in Hastings?
Day to day, the town centre does the heavy lifting. Priory Meadow and St Andrews Shopping Mews cover the high street names, Morrisons and Lidl handle the big shops, and Trinity Wholefoods and the Co-op fill the gaps. Kamsons Pharmacy and Pharmacy@Station Plaza are both within a short walk of the station, and Hastings Library is close by too.
Green space is never far. Wallinger's Walk Gardens, Cornwallis Gardens, Linton Gardens and Linton Crescent are small and local, while West Hill gives you the big views over the town and the sea. The streets around TN34 are a mix of Victorian terraces, converted houses and flats, and the hills mean some walks home are steeper than others. Ore and Hollington each have their own community library, so neighbourhoods outside the centre have a focal point too.
What are the schools and family life like in Hastings?
There is a good spread of primary schools close to the centre. St Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School, Ark Castledown Primary Academy and Torfield School are all around 0.7 miles away, with St Paul's Church of England Academy and Mulberry Baird Primary just beyond. Check admissions and Ofsted reports yourself, as catchments and ratings change.
For older children, Ark Alexandra Academy William Parker Campus is 1.4 miles away, with The Flagship School, New Horizons School, Mulberry Academy St Leonards and Saxon Mount School all within two miles. Conquest Hospital, just over two miles out, is the main hospital for the area.
Family life leans on the town's community spaces. Hastings Town Family Hub is about 0.3 miles from the centre, with Activ8 nearby and halls at All Saints, Concordia and St John's Church spread across the town. Hastings Library is a short walk, and Ore and Hollington libraries serve their own neighbourhoods. Add the beach, West Hill and the smaller gardens, and free days out are not hard to find.
Primary schools
- St Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School0.7 mi
- Ark Castledown Primary Academy0.7 mi
- Torfield School0.7 mi
- St Paul's Church of England Academy0.8 mi
- Mulberry Baird Primary0.9 mi
Secondary schools
- Ark Alexandra Academy William Parker Campus1.4 mi
- The Flagship School1.6 mi
- New Horizons School1.9 mi
- Mulberry Academy St Leonards2 mi
- Saxon Mount School2 mi
Parks
- Wallinger's Walk Gardensnearby
- West Hill0.3 mi
- Cornwallis Gardens0.3 mi
- Linton Gardens0.4 mi
- Linton Crescent0.4 mi
Libraries
- Hastings Librarynearby
- Ore Community Library1.7 mi
- Hollington Library1.7 mi
What shops and everyday essentials are in Hastings?
Supermarkets
- Trinity Wholefoodsnearby
- ESKnearby
- Morrisons0.3 mi
- Lidl0.8 mi
- Co-op Food1.1 mi
Pharmacies
- Kamsons Pharmacynearby
- Pharmacy@Station Plazanearby
- Hillview Pharmacy1.2 mi
- Asda1.4 mi
- Osbon Pharmacy1.7 mi
Hospitals
- Conquest Hospital2.1 mi
- Woodlands Centre for Acute Care2.2 mi
Shopping centres
- Priory Meadow Shopping Centrenearby
- St Andrews Shopping Mewsnearby
How do you get around Hastings?
Hastings station is right in the middle of town, around a 0.2 mile walk from the centre, with the main bus station beside it. That makes the town unusually easy to manage without a car: trains, buses and the high street all sit in one spot.
There are more stations than you might expect. Ore is 0.9 miles out and serves the east side of town, while St Leonards Warrior Square is a similar distance west. Marine Parade and Rock-a-Nore stations sit near the seafront and Old Town, within half a mile or so of the centre.
On foot, the centre is flat and compact, but Hastings is a hilly town and the climb up to West Hill and the streets above the centre is a real one. Buggies, shopping bags and dodgy knees all notice it, so it is worth walking a route before you commit to a swap. Drivers have the A21 heading north and the coast roads east and west, though town centre parking is the usual seaside juggling act.
Train stations
- Hastingsnearby
- Marine Parade Station0.3 mi
- Rock-a-Nore Station0.6 mi
- Ore0.9 mi
- St Leonards Warrior Square0.9 mi
Bus stations
- Hastings Town Centre, Railway Stationnearby
What is there to do in Hastings?
For a town this size, Hastings is well served for going out. There are three cinemas within a mile: the Odeon in the centre, the independent Electric Palace about half a mile away, and Kino-Teatr a mile out. The Crypt covers late nights.
Pubs are everywhere in the centre, from 180 Sports Bar and The Clown to Moda, The Clarence and The Havelock, all within a few minutes' walk. That density means you can find a quiet corner or a busy room depending on your mood.
If you like being active, The Gym sits right in the centre, with Falaise Fitness Centre a short walk away and Zeus Gym, PureGym and Helenswood Sports Centre further out. Outdoors, West Hill is the one to know: the climb pays off in views across the rooftops to the sea. Wallinger's Walk Gardens, Cornwallis Gardens, Linton Gardens and Linton Crescent are gentler, closer options for a sit down or a short stroll.
Gyms
- The Gymnearby
- Falaise Fitness Centre0.4 mi
- Zeus Gym1.6 mi
- PureGym1.9 mi
- Helenswood Sports Centre2.3 mi
Cinemas
- Odeonnearby
- The Electric Palace0.5 mi
- Kino-Teatr1 mi
Pubs and bars
- 180 Sports Barnearby
- The Clownnearby
- Modanearby
- The Clarencenearby
- The Havelocknearby
Nightlife
- The Cryptnearby
Community centres
- Activ8nearby
- Hastings Town Family Hub0.3 mi
- All Saints Hall0.6 mi
- Concordia Hall0.8 mi
- St John's Church Hall1.2 mi
What is work and the local economy like in Hastings?
Be realistic about work here. In the Hastings council area, 54.7% of adults are in work, below the England figure of 57.4%, and unemployment runs at 3.8% against 3.5% nationally. By September 2026, 5% of working-age people were claiming unemployment-related benefits, compared with 4% across England.
That gap is the main thing to weigh up before swapping. Jobs locally lean towards the sort of work a seaside town generates, plus the health sector around Conquest Hospital and retail in the town centre and its two shopping centres.
The station helps. With the mainline running from the middle of town, commuting west along the coast or north towards London is possible, though the journey is long and season tickets are not cheap. Plenty of people here combine local work with remote work, or travel a few days a week. If your job or your partner's job can move with you, Hastings becomes a much easier proposition.
Figures are for the Hastings council area, Census 2021 and ONS claimant count.
How safe is Hastings?
Like every town centre, Hastings has police incidents logged each month. In August 2026 there were 718 within about a mile of the centre, made up of:
- Anti-social behaviour reports178
- Vehicle crime47
- Shoplifting140
- Other theft24
- Theft from the person4
- Criminal damage45
Source: data.police.uk street-level crime. Counts cover a fixed one-mile radius around the centre, so busy high streets and stations always record far more than the residential streets around them, and most incidents are minor. Compare like with like: a similar-sized town centre, not a village.
Is Hastings a good place for social housing tenants?
If Hastings sounds like your sort of place, the practical next step is to list your own home. A clear, honest advert with decent photos, the number of bedrooms, the floor, any outside space and a note on the condition does more than anything else to attract the right swap partner.
Then set Hastings as a desired area. Tenants here looking to move elsewhere will see your home come up, and that two-way interest is how exchanges actually happen. It is worth being specific about which parts of town suit you, because the hills, the Old Town and the areas around Ore and St Leonards all feel quite different.
Before you agree anything, visit. Walk the route from the home to the nearest shops, school or station, and do it in the rain if you can. Check with your landlord that you are eligible to exchange and that any rent or repair issues are sorted. Swaps take patience, so keep your listing up to date and reply quickly when someone gets in touch.
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