Living in London
When you first arrive in London, you're going to need somewhere to crash while you look for jobs and a more permanent place to live. Having this organised before you leave will help with your budgeting and ensure a much less stressful arrival - especially if you end up on a crazy flight arriving at 1am!
Here are a few popular accommodation options for Australians and New Zealanders touching down in London:
Crashing on a mates couch
If you're lucky, you'll already have a mate in London with a spare bed or couch. Staying with friends is apparently called 'dossing' but if I'm honest, I've been in London 6 months and haven't actually heard anyone use that term.
There are a bunch of websites that will tell you there are official dossing rules but really, it's up to you and your mates to come up with an agreement. Common sense should rule - don't crash there too long and don't drink their last beer.
Staying in a Guest House
MyOE are one of the UK soft-landing agencies with a guest house. It's basically just a big house where you rent out an individual room and share facilities such as the kitchen and laundry areas.
Guest houses are a great option as they know what you're going to need as a new arrival to the UK - MyOE have free phone & internet access with a printer and a scanner for sorting out job, NHS and rental applications.
Hotels & Hostels
Not many people coming to the UK on a Youth Mobility Visa have the luxury of a bottomless savings account. Because of that, you may want to avoid hotels - if you're searching for a flat for a couple of weeks that's going to end up being a pretty nasty bill at the end.
Check out the map below that shows some of the hostels in London. Click through to see the Google reviews that other users have placed - they're really helpful in ensuring that you pick a great place for your first impression of London.
Renting a Flat in London
If you’re moving to London on a 2 year working holiday visa and aren't loaded with cash, you really only have 2 options: Rent or Flat. There are positives and negatives for both options. With Renting you may need to pay a lot more money up-front but it gives you the chance to pick your own flatmates (or not have any). With flatting you will likely only have to pay a fraction of the bond but may end up with some interesting flatmates.
Firstly, lets look at the renting option. The rental market in London is dominated by Letting Agents, private listings are rare but are out there.
What to look for:
- Consider the location of flats and their proximity to public transport. If you think you'll be taking the tube to work, see if there are multiple lines that service the area. Some lines (such as the Circle line) have frequent closures. View London tube map
- Before signing, ask your landlord about a lease break. This allows you to terminate your lease earlier if you do not wish to stay for the full duration.
- Find out what furnishings are included in the flats that you are looking at. Many flats in London come fully furnished but some come with next to nothing - make sure you check before signing!
Where to look:
- Online. Some popular websites include: Gumtree.com, RightMove.com, FindaProperty.com
- Walk into a Letting agency. This is the best way to ensure that the listings you are looking at online are actually still available. Also, many agencies will actually take you to visit flats which makes the process a whole lot easier.
- Newspapers and noticeboards. Visit cafes in areas that you like to find local noticeboards.
What to pay
If you're looking to rent you'll need to be prepared to pay a fair amount of cash upfront. Agencies typically ask for:
- A letting fee. This can range significantly so be sure to ask the agencies you visit what they charge
- A months rent in advance. Rent is paid monthly on most properties.
- 1-2 months bond
- You will also need to factor in council tax which is payable monthly. Ask your landlord or letting agent what the council tax is on your flat before you sign the lease.