Where to look for a flat in London?

Hello!

I'm moving (hopefully) to London for a year to work on my MA with my partner, who is also going to be working on her MA. We want to share a flat or apartment, just the two of us, and are looking to rent one. I'm just having a bit of trouble because I feel very overwhelmed at where to find a place. We'll be studying at Birkbeck, University of London, where the majority of our classes will be around Mayfair/Euston/Gower Street area. I'd like to get a place fairly close by, although I'm unsure what to be looking for or how to go about it.

The place we get needs to be fully furnished, as we won't have time to go looking for furniture or time to sell it when our studies are over. Our budget is 1600 pounds sterling MAX and if it's going to be that much it needs to include utilities (power, heating, water, gas, etc) and be really close to the college. We're looking for a 2 bedroom place that'll be available at the latest September 18th (preferably before then, as we're going to London around the 7th-10th and we want to get settled in before orientation).

Obviously we both prefer a cheaper place, somewhere around 800-1200 pounds perhaps (doesn't need to include utilities at those prices but does need to be furnished), but I'm unsure if that's even possible. I see a lot of places advertised on websites but I'm always wary because of scams. I need to start looking now even if I don't quite book viewings yet, because I'd like to run things by her before I book the viewings. Mostly I just don't really know where to go to search or what resources to use.

I also have no idea which areas are safer than others. I'd preferably like to be in a neighborhood that has things like a supermarket and such nearby. Again, I'm very unfamiliar with London and I don't know anyone who's been or is from the area so I just am very lost at where to begin.

Any suggestions?

It's really much better if you look at places before you decide to rent one. You should look on the university's website for accommodation information as a start. You will be hard pressed to find a decent 2 bedroom for less than £1600 per month in the areas you've mentioned.

Geeta's suggestion to check with your university is a great one. Also seconding that the budget is a bit unreasonable.

Thanks guys for your help and consideration. : )

Unfortunately, I've already checked the university's accommodation website. The private student housing filled up for autumn 2013 about five months ago and neither of us want to reside in a dormitory situation, as we've both had rather terrible experiences with it. The university isn't recommending anything outside of private student housing and the university housing, which I've already checked and had really no luck with.

I understand our budget is smaller, but I have found hundreds of places within that budget already and neither of us can actually afford anything higher than that. Mostly, I was just wondering if anyone knew of any particular housing search or landlord websites that are known scams. Because our budget is lower I'm very anxious about being scammed or not knowing something I should know while I'm shopping.

Apartment shopping is very different here in the US. I've never been asked for landlord references before and it's always rent by monthly and not weekly like it is in the UK. There's a lot of other smaller nuances I'm unused to. Do you have any suggestions aside from university accommodation? Do you know of any apartment search websites that tend to have a good reputation?

We are definitely going to be booking viewings before signing anything or spending any money on a place, so there's no worry to convince me there. We're going a couple weeks early to search for a place. : )

Oh! And also we really don't HAVE to live in the Mayfair area. I just would like to still be within the city still, not out in Surrey, etc. What other neighborhoods are good for university students to live in? What areas should I stay away from?

Check out:
Gumtree.com
Rightmove.com
Fridayad.com

You can get a palace in Crystal Palace for 1600 per month, and it is safe, and there are good train links, and it is a cute area.

Aside from that area, I do not know much else, as it is my first place in London in about 16 years!

There are tonnes of nice parts of London and I am sure other people on here will chime in soon!

Just to be clear, London rental prices are quoted weekly but you don't actually rent by week.  You'll pay monthly.  Also, furnished flats are common here.

Euston and Gower Street are in Bloomsbury as is the University.  Mayfair is another area completely and not really anywhere near the University.  It is also one of the most exclusive and expensive areas in London which you will not be able to afford on your budget.

I agree with the others that your budget and your expectations are pretty unrealistic even for Bloomsbury. If you are seeing things in the area within your budget they are more than likely for 1 bedroom in a 2 bedroom flat share and not for a 2 bedroom flat.


The University is close to both the Euston and King's Cross/St. Pancras tube stations.  I would suggest looking at places north of there on the tube in Zones 2 and 3.

Gumtree does not have the best reputation.

http://golondon.about.com/od/londonneighborhoods/London_Neighborhood_Descriptions.htm

http://andoverhere.com/2010/07/08/london-neighborhoods/

http://www.ludlowthompson.com/renting/london_area_guide.htm

Also, expect to possibly have to go through a letting agent, and expect a fee.

I have found that the fees can vary. Hugely.

And, yeah, I have never found anything on Gumtree. We used Rightmove both times.

I lived in a (small) 2-bedroom flat for £1,450/mo (not including utilities). It was 5 minutes' walk from Old Street, so relatively close to Euston. Being in zone 1 was definitely handy, but I don't mind being out in zone 2 now (especially as we're in a large 1-bedroom flat for £950/mo - haven't really lost any usable space as the 2-bedroom flat was a weird layout). For your budget, you'll likely need to be looking further out (I didn't find anything for < £2,000 in central London that was further west of Old Street/Shoreditch), or looking at a larger 1-bedroom rather than a 2-bedroom.

FWIW, I found the Old Street flat, and my current flat, on Gumtree.

Like all the other posters, I believe your budget is much too small for the area you are looking at.

I understand our budget is smaller, but I have found hundreds of places within that budget already and neither of us can actually afford anything higher than that. Mostly, I was just wondering if anyone knew of any particular housing search or landlord websites that are known scams. Because our budget is lower I'm very anxious about being scammed or not knowing something I should know while I'm shopping.

I would assume any 2 bed property that was within your budget in Bloomsbury is a scam. I live in Zone 2, but 2 beds here start at £350/week.

Remember you must pay council tax on top of your rent, which in some areas could be around £130 extra a month which you will need to fit in your budget with utilities. It is really unusual for flats to include all utilities and/or council tax, but there are plenty of furnished flats are abundant in London.

It depends on what type of neighborhood you are interested in- but with your budget I would look more at zone 2/3 where rents will be closer to £320/week. Some places that will have 2 beds in your range, with just a 10 min tube ride to the University would be Finsbury Park, Kilburn, Whitechapel. These are areas with lots of amenities and students, but because they have a diverse population and going through re-gentrification not desirable to everyone (hey- that's why they're cheap!).

Just a note about gumtree: before renting a property from there, call the council and see who the actual landlord is and if the property is allowed to be rented. DHs cousin works for Camden council kicking out people who are unwittingly illegally subletting & she says a lot of those people had found their place through gumtree.

Good luck on your search!

Thank you so much, everyone, for being so helpful. I really really appreciate it, being rather ignorant of everything in the area. : ) I'll take all this into consideration. I'll post how it all goes I suppose when I get some more information.

Also, for budgeting purposes, remember you'll need to add in travel costs if you decide to live a bit further out.

Not sure if someone mentioned it already, but when you rent, landlords usually calculate it as 4.3 weeks in a month. So a place for say 105 per week would be 451.5 per month. Also, as a student, you do NOT pay council tax.

Not sure if someone mentioned it already, but when you rent, landlords usually calculate it as 4.3 weeks in a month. So a place for say 105 per week would be 451.5 per month. Also, as a student, you do NOT pay council tax.

Absolutely.  This caught me out my first month renting in London. Take the weekly rental, multiply it by 52, then divide it by 12 to figure out the monthly equivalent.

Warning!! Really long post!! Might want to put the kettle on. 

A couple things you should consider. I would recommend to keep your budget around £1400/month to be safe (about £325/wk). I would put aside £200/month for utilities, not including council tax (as you are both students). Gas bills are mucho expensive! I would also open up your search to 1 beds. There will always be more inventory for 1 beds than 2, and you'll definitely find a 1 bed in your budget. That would be the big compromise. I recently was on the Kentish Town/Holloway border and paid £1600 for a massive conversion flat - 700 sq feet - and I know for a fact that the 2 bed upstairs from us paid less, but it also was not anywhere near as nice  ). It took about 15 minutes by bus to get to UCL.

Areas to look at that would be pretty easy to get to Birkbeck UCL by bus and tube (northern line). All the areas below I would consider to be safe, but with dodgy ends. I lived on the K Town/Holloway border (by Brecknock Road and Camden Road) and felt safe taking the bus back late at night. Plenty of council estates and not so pretty parts, but super convenient and cheaper than nearby des res areas Highgate & Hampstead.

All these areas are residential enough that you'll not feel like you are in the city, but close to the centre of London so really convenient.

Kentish Town 
Tufnell Park
Dartmouth Park
Gospel Oak
Holloway
Archway
Crouch End

Take a look at tfl.gov.uk at the bus map to see which buses take you to UCL. Off the top of my head I can think of the 393 which goes to Archway and 29 which finishes in Wood Green. Buses will be your cheapest form of transport, cutting down on your monthly spend. Also think about cycling, which will cut down on transport costs. It's very quick to get from most of the areas above down to UCL. My husband did K Town to Soho in well under 20 minutes.

When it comes to finding property, if you are going to go via estate agent, which is the most common way to find a flat, you can take a look at these websites where they all list their stock. Keep in mind that 90% of the time what you see is already gone. But you can get an idea on inventory for your chosen areas:

rightmove.co.uk (great "draw a search" function)
findaproperty.co.uk
gumtree.com (select "agency" from the seller type drop down menu)
vebra.com

Once you take a look at these sites, chose your area, get an idea of prices, property types etc, take note of the estate agents and then call them directly. You will want to register with all the estate agents for the area you are looking to rent. Make sure when you call that you mention you are international students. There could be a very strong possibility you will have to pay 6 months up front, and best to know that sooner than later. Also, the inventory that they will have will be available mainly a month from when you call. It is very rare to find properties available immediately (but not unheard of). Tenants give 2 months notice to end a lease so take that as an idea of how long it could take you to find a flat. That could mean that you are in temporary accommodation upon arrival, like a sublet or house share. House sharing, although not ideal, is an excellent way to get a foot hold in an area. Foxtons has cornered the market on short term flat lettings and frankly, they are taking the piss with prices. Extortionate!

If you decide to rent privately, avoid Craigslist altogether. I use gumtree (choosing "private" from the seller types drop down). I can't give you any advise about scams, however your security deposit should be no more than 6 week's rent, which is standard with the estate agents. Private lettings will generally be less expensive because they don't have to pay the commissions to the estate agents. But keep in mind, if it is too good to be true, it usually is.

One last bit of advice. The price that is listed is just an asking price. The estate agents will take offers from as many potential tenants as possible until they find the one they like. And they will try and convince you that they have loads of offers - so hurry! They are like used car salesmen in their reputation, so be careful! But if you love love love it, offer asking. But I would recommend requesting a 6 month "break clause" just to protect yourself from finding out you hate the flat/landlord/24hr night bus that drops off drunken revellers outside your front door  etc etc... In the end, it's a negotiation. So since above I recommend looking for places that are £325/week, you could up your search to £350 safely.

I hope this helps! Feel free to PM me with any questions about the particular areas above.