Rent in London: 7 steps guide to smartly find your home
Here are 7 steps to help you to find and rent your dream house in London!
1. Search the completely right address from the house
Ask your landlord or agent for the “postcode” of your house. Type the postcode directly into GoogleMaps and it will show you the exact location. When you know the specific location of the house, you can investigate the surrounding environment of the place and whether it is convenient for you to go to school or work.
2. Facilities for renting
British rental housing is basically the same configuration as the British university dormitory. Bed, chest, desk, central heating are some, but bedding to prepare their own. If there has the kitchen, then the general amber, freezer, microwave oven, and some basic establishment will be also included, toilet also has stages of shower and washstand.
3. Seek professional services
The quickest way to get useful information before you decide to rent is to consult a professional rental agency. As intermediary companies, they must strictly abide by the code of practice, they can provide customers with financial security and solutions to solve problems, which can provide you with protection when problems occur. (Email us to help you)
4. The rent
How much is the rent? Does it have a direct impact on your finances? When you ask about the rent, don’t forget to know whether the rent includes all kinds of Bills, such as water, electricity and Council Tax, because it’s a lot of money. The Council Tax needs to be detailed here, The British government stipulates that all houses need to pay a certain amount of tax every month, which is used for security management, environmental cleaning and so on. The Council Tax price is not regulated by the landlord or the intermediary. Instead, the government classifies the house into ABCD levels by evaluating the value of the house, energy consumption and your area. Each level of Tax is different.
Therefore, rent +Council Tax is the money you have to pay every month, so make sure you read it carefully. But if you are a student, you can apply for a student certificate from the school and send it to the local government. However, the tax-exempt time is the same as your student certification letter time.
5. Confirm the qualification of housing subdivision license
If you’re planning to share a home with someone else, check in advance if the landlord is qualified to rent it out to multiple people. In the UK, it is illegal to group houses without an HMO qualification. Of course, the requirements for this regulation vary from region to region or city to city.
6.Know something about the house before you look for it
Even in a hurry and with no experience, you need to have several important priorities in mind, such as location (walking distance to school/work or direct public transportation), security, and convenience (whether there are supermarkets or stores nearby).
7. Lock doors and Windows to prevent fire and theft
When renting a house, try to choose areas with good public security. The statistics of the crime rate in London can be found in maps.met. police.uk. Don’t neglect to close your living room or kitchen window when you fall asleep. If you’re worried about the property being stolen, you can also buy property insurance for your laptop, mobile phone, iPad, etc.
