Accommodation in London: my top tips

Accommodation in London can sometimes be a bit of an ordeal.

London's rental market is competitive and expensive, and as expats you can quickly get lost in the process.

Today, I'd like to give you some tips on finding accommodation in this city.

Accommodation in London: article summary

Draw up a budget

London regularly ranks among the world's most expensive cities in terms of cost of living. This is one of the biggest disadvantages of living in the capital. Many people in London spend 40 to 50 % of their take-home pay on rent.

The various estate agencies and landlords also have their own requirements regarding the salary received by their tenant.

Finding a reasonable budget for housing expenses can be difficult for expatriates. Depending on your contract and salary structure, it can be difficult to determine your monthly take-home pay. That's for sure, monthly expenses are not limited to rent.

British tenants must also pay taxe d'habitation, which is the equivalent of taxe foncière. How much you'll pay will depend on the borough you live in, as well as the value of the property.

Research London's neighbourhoods

From chic, quiet Highgate to hip, young Dalston, London offers a adapted to your desires. But with so much choice, it can be difficult to narrow down your search.

The Big Smoke is full of foreign-born residents, but there are a few areas that are considered London expat neighborhoods. For example, there's a large Australian population in Clapham, a prominent Zone 2 neighborhood south of the Thames.

South Kensington and Notting Hill mainly attract American expatriates. And Islington's affordable rental market makes it a popular London expat neighborhood for all kinds of people, including those of the European Union.

Use the Web to find apartments in London

Once you've compiled a list of potential neighborhoods, it's time to take a look inside the apartments for rent. There are tons of apps and websites for finding an apartment in London, such as Movebubble, OpenRent and Zoopla.

Movebubble has a website, but the mobile app is much better. You can create a profile with your budget, mobile calendar and favorite neighborhoods, and it'll keep an eye out for market news you might like.

It will also display properties in neighborhoods similar to those on your list, which is useful for finding new places that have flown under your radar. For some properties, the app will also allows you to request visits and make offers.

OpenRent and Zoopla for a wider choice

OpenRent is an online platform where private landlords list their rental properties. These apartments will be managed directly by the owner, rather than by a real estate agency.

If you're planning to move with pets, I highly recommend checking out OpenRent's listings, as it makes it much easier to search for pet-friendly accommodation on their website.

Zoopla is the most popular website for finding an apartment in London, and its search bar lets you filter results according to your travel time. Simply enter your travel destination, budget and property preferences and you'll be presented with a list of apartments to suit your needs.

Plan your mid-week apartment hunt

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday is the best time to find an apartment in London. Indeed, owners often contact real estate agents at the beginning of the week to list their property.

If you wait until the weekend, you'll be competing with many more potential tenants.

It's also a useful strategy if you're doing your research before the move. You can arrive in London on Saturday and spend the weekend exploring the city's neighbourhoods. That way, you can see for yourself if what you've seen online is right for you.

Accommodation in London: be flexible with your move-in date

Flexibility is the key to a successful apartment search. If you find the perfect place, but it's not available on your ideal move-in date, that's okay. You could move in in short-term accommodation in the meantime.

If the property is available before your move-in date, you can try to negotiate a later move-in date with the owner. They may want a few extra days for repairs or alterations.

If they insist that the contract starts on the advertised availability date, you may have to pay rent for a property you don't yet live in. This can sometimes worth the effort.

Fill in your application form

The next step in the process involves a lot of moving parts and reviewing and signing documents, so it's important to stay on top of things to avoid move-in delays.

You will be asked to pay a deposit when you submit your application. This also includes an agreement with the real estate agency that the property will be withdrawn from the market.

Nothing is legally binding until you and the landlord have signed an official rental agreement, which is the final contract that locks you into the tenancy.

It's essential that you read the rental agreement in detail, as mistakes can quickly become very annoying.

Always make sure the details are correctMake sure you include all the necessary information, such as when rent is due and how much you owe each month. And make sure any additional requests and add-ons are present, such as a pet clause or gardening service.

Once you and the landlord are satisfied, you'll receive a final copy to sign. Once both parties have signed, you'll be allowed to collect the keys on the day your rental begins!

Accommodation in London is not very different from that in other countries around the world. However, there are a few rules you need to follow find the right neighborhood before you land in this beautiful English city.

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