how to find and rent a flat in England

Hi guys, i was hoping someone could give me some general advice/info on what is involved in renting a flat in England? I will be moving in september and I really have no idea what to expect. Is it similar to USA where you fill out application with all your references, check your credit, past places etc etc? Also, Ive heard about how nothing in really included in rent, --power etc is all extra. is that true? Also, what should I expect as far as deposits? Is it first last and damage, like in USA? Any other info is really appreciated. thanks!

It often depends on the landlord, the area, or the letting agent... Look at Rightmove.com. Look at what they ask for - that should give you an idea!

But, sometimes there is a letting fee, sometimes there is not... letting fees vary massively... normally nothing else is included like council tax or gas... but sometimes it is... deposits vary... we paid one month for this place, but the one before asked for 6 weeks... and an extra pet deposit for a cat...

They do a reference/credit check and you pay for it - that amount varies too.

Actually, as I am writing this, I'm thinking it really should be more regulated and standardised... LOL!

It also depends on the timing of your move/where you plan on living.  For example, in September/October, University is starting.  This is always the time that I've *conveniently* had to move, so there's been a lot of competition for places, (and therefore increased prices). 

You may not get the standard american experience where you fill out an application and they approve it and you get to move in....You may find that the flat you went to view at 2:00pm was actually snatched up by the person who viewed it at 1:40pm.  We were lucky enough to be the ones who snatched a place up without too much fuss in Nottingham, but had gotten rejected several times in London because of our unluckiness.

I've found that most places will charge around £35 for a credit check.  I've also heard of paying either a Security Deposit equal to 6 week's rent (ie: 1.5 months' rent), and/or some other nonrefundable Agency fee in addition to paying your first months rent upfront.

Some student places include bills, but otherwise, you'll be facing bills for Gas (if your place has it), Electricity, Water, and Council Tax.  In order to watch TV, you'll need a TV License too, which gives access to the "Free" Channels.

Where will you be moving to? If it's London, good luck...like PickledSakura I've had the experience of losing out on a flat despite calling back within an hour. Think of it as being like NYC. Also seconding the below comments on deposit - in London for a one-bed flat I think you can expect it to be at least £1000 (and depending on the area and number of beds, closer to £2000 or more).

You can avoid some of the extra fees by using Gumtree - my husband and I once found a flat in NW London using that and were able to negotiate with the landlord directly. But there are some shady people on there as well.

Be warned that some landlords expect a direct debit to be set up so that the rent comes out of your bank account automatically each month. Many places don't allow animals (we had to get special permission for goldfish). If you want phone and Internet, that can be a hassle depending on what phone hookup is in your house (usually British Telecom) and if you want something other than BT you will probably have to pay an extra "line rental" fee and possibly engineers fees as someone will have to be sent out to your house.

There's also the annoying way that they present flats - make sure you see a floor plan with room sizes noted, or you may find your "2 bed flat" is one bedroom of 10'x9' and a second "bedroom" of 6'x8' (no exaggeration). Rooms are notoriously small and cramped.