Rent, landlords, finding somewhere to live

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[edit] Whereabouts in London should I live?!

Have a look at Areas of London to see if you find something you like.

There are some sites that may help you determine where in London you want to live.

The Rentonomy Map, although based on the average rent of a 2 bedroom flat, will give you an idea if an area is expensive or not.

And Mapumental can help you figure out where you could live based on how long you want to commute.

[edit] Finding a place

[edit] Flatshare

[edit] What's a Flatshare?

To describe it simply, living in a flatshare means you rent a bedroom and share the rest of the house (kitchen, bathroom, living room) with other flatsharers.

[edit] What can I expect in a flatshare?

[edit] Renting a Flat

[edit] Real Estate Agents

Some agents (e.g. Foxtons) are unnecessarily expensive and should be avoided if possible. Also, remember that "expensive" could play itself out in hidden charges that crop up later (changing a flat mate, no problem that'll be 100 pounds, professional cleaning when leaving: 250 pounds. "Did no one tell you?")

A Redditor's Tale: Personal bad experience with Foxtons by vishnoo
Some of this was exacerbated by the fact that my dealings were not direct, but through my employer, so some things I couldn't even contest. On the other hand, I probably would have gotten screwed more on my own without the employer's legal and administrative backing.
  • Price. Pushed me into a higher price bracket with the second "Typical" trick below. After I reluctantly accepted the price (I was abroad, and had limited time and negotiating ability) I noticed a 10% surcharge of "agency fees", contradictory to what they told me that the short let price quotes are "ALL INCLUSIVE".
  • Service. The apartment we received was dirty, not filthy, but not clean. (e.g. hair in the tub) We had cleaned it ourselves coming in. Also curtains were deteriorating when we came in, we wanted to add (and pay for) more channels on the TV, we chased them around 2 weeks before giving up on that.
  • Being inconsiderate. We had many unannounced visits showing the flat to potential buyers.
  • Hidden fees, late deposit return. We were told that if we didn't want to get the place cleaned they would do it for us for 250 pounds (which I am sure they also took from the last guy.) 2.5 months later, when my employer got back the deposit, it was sans 250 pounds for cleaning, even though we left the place spic and span by my wife's standards(and that's saying something).
  • addendum - almost forgot , they "stole" a day. I'll try to explain what i mean - if you were to check into a hotel at 18:00 and leave the next day at 08:00 the hotel would charge you for 1 day. Foxtons would charge you for two . they divide the weekly rate by 7 , and multiply that by as many days or part of calendar days you occupy the flat for (so when they are renting it out same day, they double charge on that day.) - lesson learned, make sure the contract has a time, as well as a date specified clearly.

You may want to check out http://www.allagents.co.uk/ for agent listing and ratings (but remember that dissatisfied customers have more incentive to post).

Typical Sales tricks:

Agent says:

"We have 3 other guys coming to see it this evening." - There are always 3 other guys coming to see anything any evening, ignore this statement entirely, it is a pressuring technique.

"Well, this is a bit above your budget, but if you are serious about it, we can try to make a lower offer." - BS, this is a way to get you to spend more money. When you put it like this , the lower offer will always fail, the retort should be: "THIS IS MY BUDGET, if the landlord is willing to meet it, I will be serious."

[edit] Things to look for before moving in

Windows

Do they close properly? This isn't the biggest deal in June but you'll loathe a drafty apartment in January.

Are you very near a pub/above a bar?

Smokers outside for a drunken conversation, fight. Beer delivery men rolling empty/full kegs on concrete makes a massive racket at 5am when the streets are clear enough to load/unload kegs.

Mold

It really is not very good for your health.

Security

Is there any? Peace of mind is worth it. Also, get flat insurance.

Check out crime reports in the area. How close are you to transport? Can you use it late at night? Walk around your potential new neighborhood at night to test the terror factor.

Vermin

I had a beautiful flat in Southbank near Waterloo that had repeated mouse infestations. Not fun. I also viewed a flat just above a restaurant, the rental agent wasn't able to hide the huge can of rat poison before I arrived at the flat. No, I didn't take it.

Neighbours

Try and get an idea who they are. if you live below someone that gets frequent visits from random people out of their skull between 11pm and 4am it will get old quickly. Look at the state of the common areas (halls, stairways etc), since it can give you some clues to the general tone.

Who owns the place?

Does the owner live in Turkey? Does he ever return to London? Who do you talk to day to day? If there is a burst pipe in the middle of the night, who do you call? Who pays? Do you need permission to get it fixed? These issues won't usually be important, until they are the most important.

Make sure the tenancy deposit is insured. Make sure you take dozens of photos of your new flat before you move in your belongings and send all of your photos to your landlord. This way he will know not to invent charges you aren't responsible for, and you will be better able to claim damage as normal wear and tear.

Lastly, really read your lease agreement. If it says no posters on the walls and you overdo it with bluetac and Lord of the Rings posters, you will be charged for repainting.

Source

[edit] The process of moving in somewhere

Once you've actually found a place to live, actually getting inside the door can be an art in itself. Read on for tips.

[edit] How much does it all cost?

Figures vary. Estate agents will normally charge you some sort of "admin fee" or "signing fee". This is usually a couple of hundred pounds although again, it varies. This can be required simply to register your interest in a place and doesn't always guarantee you'll get it.

After that you'll pay a deposit - typically between 1-2 month's rent (5/6 weeks is generally standard). Finally, you'll pay the first month's rent in advance too. Yep, living in London is expensive.

Make sure you get in writing the entire costs - signing fee,checking in, checking out, 2 X inventory, paper signing,professional cleaning, referencing. (these tend to get tacked on later, one by one)

[edit] How long will it take?

Once again, it varies, but most places will want to run background checks on you before giving you a place - former landlord references, letters from your workplace to prove you can afford it, etc. Not everywhere does this, but allow at least a week or two minimum for this process. Bear in mind bank transfers take time too (3 days if you don't splurge an extra 10-20 pounds for expediting it) and you won't be allowed inside till you've paid up everything you need to pay.

[edit] What else should I look out for when i move in

Cleanliness Some rental agreements specify that you have to carry out professional cleaning when leaving, although sometimes, they 'only' require that you leave it in the condition it was in when you arrived. If it is not in a clean state when you move in, document it so you don't have to pay for cleaning when you leave.

Inventory/inspections Do not just accept an inventory, go over every item. They will do the same to you when you leave. Take a digital camera and photograph any damage so you can show it was not you that caused it later. If they send you a summary of the inventory that misses damage then reply mentioning it so it is noted. (This reddior lived in a place where the inventory clerk missed a previosuly broken window and only avoided paying for it later due to a photo and paper trail!).

[edit] What extra stuff will I need?

[edit] Council Tax

Don't forget that Council Tax is your responsibility.

Protip: Sort out Council Tax early on, tempting as it may be to leave it for a bit. It's a fixed amount each year, payable by the end of the tax year (April 1st) so if you don't start paying it till a few months after you move in, your payments will increase to make up for the ones you missed, which is never fun. Sort it out!


Do it on the day you move in, just phone them up. They'll ask you a few questions but once you're done it's done.

Protip #2: If you're getting a flat by yourself tell them when you phone up as you will get a 25% discount!

[edit] Utilities

Get this sorted early on too, when you move in check your electricity meter and take readings. Then just phone the utility company you desire (perhaps do a bit of research to see about the best deals you can get) and tell them your readings.

Do the same for water, some properties have water meters and some are 'unlimited' in usage. Check how the water is regulated in your property and phone up the water company (usually Thames Water for most of London, or Veolia Water) to set up payment etc. Many estate agents will contact the water company about your tenancy so there's no point in hiding.

[edit] TV License

The BBC shows Formula One (although they only get half of the coverage now :( but even if you do want Sky, you'll have to get a tv license), Top Gear, Richard Attenborough Documentaries, Championship Football, Doctor Who, Horizon - please support them in doing this. The last time I checked the direct debit for this works out at about £13 a month. 43p a day for excellent BBC coverage? Get it done.

[edit] Mail

Get your post redirected. Doesn't cost much: http://www2.royalmail.com/delivery/inbound-mail/redirections

[edit] Moving Your Stuff

Reddit thread with advice on various moving companies: http://www.reddit.com/r/london/comments/udosd/moving_companies_in_london_those_who_package_up/

[edit] Final Word

Still confused? I blogged about the process of househunting and signing up last year.

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