Renting Property in London
There are some independent letting agents who only deal with letting and property management in London, and there are other agents attached to an estate agent. Many agents do not advertise their properties to the general public, preferring to supply lists of available properties only to those registered on the mailing lists.
The London lettings market moves swiftly, so it is advisable to contact a letting agency as far ahead of the move as possible. They can arrange, or advise on, short-term leasing to provide immediate accommodation while a long-term alternative is sought. It is best to contact a letting agent at the outset of your first visit to the area, so that they can advise you on types of property and locations and arrange some appointments to view. You can waste a good deal of time on a short visit fruitlessly exploring an area without local knowledge of the property market.
Rent is often negotiable, depending upon the supply and demand situation at the time of renting. However, in fashionable areas of London and good expatriate communities, rents are perennially high.
How to rent a property
If you are new to renting property at all, or to renting property in the UK, the guidance in this section may prove useful.
Once you have found a property, you will then need to sign the lease. Most agents have a standard lease or tenancy agreement. Most leases will be for a period of six months or longer, with the option to renew.
Prior to moving in you, will be asked to pay a deposit, which will be returned to you at the end of the letting period less any deductions for damages or replacement items. Payment of rent is usually one month in advance, and you will normally be invoiced ten days ahead of the rent becoming due or asked to pay by standing order.
The leasing agent will produce an inventory of all the property's contents. At the end of the lease, the inventory will be checked, either on the final day of tenancy or the day after moving out. The agent will set a cost, for your approval, of any replacement items, repairs or cleaning necessary. When you have approved these costs, the amount will be deducted from your deposit and the remaining amount returned to you.
During the tenancy, it is usual for the property to be inspected every three months. A report of the inspection will be sent to the owner. If any problems arise during the tenancy requiring maintenance work or repairs, you should immediately contact the managing agent, who will arrange for the necessary work to be carried out. In most cases, the managing agent is the agent through whom you found the property. If this is not the case, the owner of the property will either deal with these problems him/herself or provide you with the name of the person to contact.
Serviced Accommodation
As a short-term solution for expatriates moving to the UK, serviced accommodation is hard to beat. Though hotels can be luxurious and convenient, they can also be very anonymous, and living out of a suitcase quickly loses its glamour. Serviced accommodation offers the best of hotel and rented apartment living combined.
Serviced accommodation provides home-from-home comfort where you can enjoy more privacy and space than a hotel can offer, but with the extras that make life away from home more bearable, from a bottle opener (without the attached exhorbitant cost of the mini-bar) through DVD and CD players to a broadband connection.
Serviced apartments are usually in extremely convenient locations, with good road and rail links on the doorstep and even a gym or golf course in close proximity. They have a round-the-clock concierge and daily maid service, so there will be someone to help you settle in quickly, pass on the benefit of their local knowledge and clean the apartment while you are at work.
