London, probably the most cosmopolitan (English speaking) city in the world, a centre for fashion, culture, football and a variety of alcohols – however if one wants to live there it is pretty expensive by any standard. It may be difficult enough for people living elsewhere in the UK to relocate to London but for people outside the country it can be a daunting task and there are quite a few scam artists quite eager to take advantage of the naive or desperate. So with that in mind here is a helpful guide to finding a place to stay for a long stay (a year or more) and a few helpful suggestions and insights.
A word of caution – NEVER, EVER under any circumstances hand over money just to see or reserve a place, always see a property in person. Even if you know someone who can check things out for you, it is very strongly suggested that a first hand look at a place is a requirement. Using the internet to find places might be easy, but it is probably the worst way to find a decent place just on it’s own.
First and foremost that old adage location, location, location - figure out where you need/want to be and how much you will be willing to travel. Check the London tube system layout, and get familiar with the location of the stations as they are the best landmarks and orientation points. Also for school/work check the nearest station and see what line it is on, then you can look for places along that line. For example The London School of Economics is along the Picadilly line, so finding a place nearest a tube station on that line will make it an easy commute.
Another thing to keep in mind is the zones, if you want to be in zone 1... you are obviously very rich and do not need this guide. Zone 2 and 3 are still pretty pricy but with a bit of searching one can probably find something though it might stretch the budget a bit. Zone 4 and you are a bit out of London but the prices are more reasonable – you get the idea.
With that in mind first check your resources, not just how much money you can spend on rent but if you have any friends or relatives in London or the UK that could help you look for a place or might even have a spare room. It is worth putting some time into this as one could save a lot of time, effort and money with the right contact. Plus if you have someone willing to be your guarantor you can avoid a lot of hassle and upfront fees that foreign nationals have to pay in London (a bit more on that later).
If you don’t have any contacts in London, fret not, but be prepared to do some walking. Checking for places online is a good way to scout out some places but as stated before never put any money upfront without seeing the place in person.
If you are attending a school in London check out the Student housing services first they can give helpful information about where to look and have their own listings for shared accommodations. Most will also provide free telephone and internet use for registered students to help find a place.
Travelling to London:
If you don’t have a place ready for you or just confirmed via the internet plan to spend at least a couple of weeks in London itself to look for a place. You could find a place in a couple of days or within a week but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Hostels are good temporary accommodations and some have secure storage for heavy luggage (be sure to check), so plan a budget of about $50/day which is about 25 pounds just to be safe. There are Hostels that advertise at $20 per day but remember that doesn’t include food and is usually the lowest rate available during off-peak seasons. So just to look for a place have at least $700 set aside for cheap accommodation and cheap food (more on eating in London later)
Things to have ready beforehand:
So now it is the heart of the story, travelling to London to find a place. Assuming you can take care of your travel arrangements let’s look at what you should have with you to make finding a place in London a bit easier.
- A Bank account, for a lot of services, school and some landlords this is a must. You can set up an account with HSBC that would work in London before you leave but for a fee, otherwise one of the first things to do is setup an account with a bank that is close to your school or another central location. Schools also have deals with certain bank branches so check with student services.
- If you are going to school make sure to bring all enrolment and acceptance information (with copies and backups of course) as it will help to get accounts and student deals on services and housing.
- If you can arrange for someone you know in the UK to be a guarantor it will save you having to pay 6 months rent in advance for most landlords and certain fees for services.
- Comfortable shoes, you will be walking around quite a bit so dress appropriately, also an umbrella is a pretty good idea.
Once in London,
After settling in to your temporary space hit the pavement as soon as possible (not literally of course), and unless you really, really, really like walking an Oyster card is must. The cards can be obtained from virtually any tube station including the Airports. Ideally get a weekly pass for the zones you wish to travel, at the time of writing a weekly tube pass for zone 1-2 is roughly $60 which includes a deposit. Just ask the helpful staff at the nearest station and they will be able to explain the fees and system in detail. Or visit http://www.tfl.gov.uk
If you are going to school the first stop should be the student housing services as they will be able to give a lot of help and advice. Otherwise one of the first things you should consider getting is a phone, it will make life a lot easier getting in contact with landlords and services, and the payphones in London are extraordinarily ill tempered (one ate $6 worth of coins and still refused to dial out and requested more money).
There are quite a few options for phones T-Mobil, Virgin, the list goes on. Just stop by the first store and get a cheap phone and a pay as you go plan, you’ll also be introduced to the payment system which is used by the other utilities so a good learning opportunity there as well.
Letting agents.
Probably the fastest and safest way to find a place by yourself, letting agents are locally oriented offices that find renters for landlords. Each office focuses on a small radius around them so even if they belong to the same company if it’s in a different area they usually don’t have information on what’s available. So the best way to find places is to just get off at the tube stop you want to live near and look for the nearest letting agent walk down the main streets and there will be quite a few. The key is to check as many as possible to find a place that is convenient, safe, clean, and within your budget.
Speaking of budget be prepared to spend more than you expect, it is possible to find a place a bachelor apartment for $300 a week (yes PER week) in zone 2 but for $30 more you could find a more ideal location. Since most landlords expect at least a 6 month commitment make sure you want to live there for a while.
This ends the first part, if this is interesting I’ll post more sections that will cover:
-Getting internet,
-Utilities
-Bargaining with landlords
-Things to consider when looking at a place
-Food and grocery shopping
-General advice.
