I can’t believe how hard finding an apartment in London has been. Since I was willing to pay a decent price for the right room, and knew the turnover rate was high at this time of the year, I thought it would be a breeze. However I found myself getting increasingly fussy as I saw more rooms. I ended up e-mailing roughly 300 people, and went for over 20 flat viewings.
On the flipside, the potential flatmates turned out to be fussier than I expected too. I was repeatedly questioned about my background, personal life and interests. Most unexpectedly, I had to undergo multiple rounds of various sorts of interviews- one-on one, panel discussion, group discussions- you name it. I’ve finally managed to find a beautiful flat, but I thought I’d share my experience to save you some of the pain.
First off, I wouldn’t recommend going through an agent if you’re interested in renting a room. You’re small fry to them- they’d much rather be selling bigger properties or at least renting out multi-bedroom apartments. They have a limited choice themselves too of course- why restrict yourself? I was disappointed by every room I saw through an agent- and this is not taking into account their signing fee that ranges from 200 to 400 quid on average.
The flatshare websites are amazing, there’s a surprising amount of choice out there, and numerous way to whittle down your search- smoking, sexual preference, age group, profession, south of the river, and so on. I’d highly recommend flatshare.com- easyroommate.co.uk and moveflat.com are worth considering too.
Nevertheless, finding a flat to share with others is as hard and sticky and uncertain as starting a new relationship- which of course you are doing. Not only are you going to have to live with these people for an extended period of time- you skip the dating phase and move directly to a live-in relationship.
A word of advice- make your profile on these websites as attractive as possible. It’s worth spending a little time and effort as this way interesting offers will come to you, instead of you having to spend hours searching for them. Call the really good places, don't bother e-mailing them- I learnt this the hard way. The best apartments go within hours, so make sure you get in there and schedule a viewing as soon as possible. One of the people I interviewed with showed me his phone- he had 80 people e-mail him within two hours of his putting his ad up, and was only able to set up viewings with the first twenty people to cal him.
Moreover, there are so many things to consider- of course location is key. London is very defined when it comes to areas, so it's fairly easy to decide where you'd like to stay, after doing a bit of research. Pull out the tube map, and try and make sure you don't have to change lines while getting to work, if possible. Clearly, living in zone one means you pay a few hundred a month more, add a few more hundred if you expect your own bathroom. It's hard to recommend an area as it really depends on your life-style- are you willing to spend a thousand pounds to rent a tiny room in Pimlico or Marylebone but live in an absolutely lovely area, or would you rather have a large room in West Hampstead, and pay for the space by commuting to work? Would you rather live in edgy and ‘cool’ Shoreditch, or in fashionable Fulham?
After the obvious considerations of location and price though, there are key details that will make or break your stay. Are bills included or not in the price quoted? Does that include council tax? Who is they landlord? Does the landlady stay in? Reconsider this if they do- remember you’ll be in their home and they have full control. I had a few landladies who seemed perfectly nice on the surface show nastier sides when we came closer to signing the contract. Are they willing to let you share their living room? How much shelf-space will they give you? How long is the lease? Will your name be on it? What’s the notice period? How easily can they through you out? What utilities are included? Is there Internet? Does the shower work? Do they have a washing machine? What’s the storage space like?
Then there's the wholly more complicated issue of flatmates. How many people are you willing to share with? How many people are sharing a bathroom? What are their work timings? What do they do? What are the rules for bringing people over? What sort of lifestyle do they want and expect? Try to meet all the flat mates at least once. Go for as many viewings as you can- it’s hard to get an idea of space and price and quality until you’ve seen a few places.
The pressure game’s important to remember- many people will tell you have to pay now- and unfortunately its true. Until you put a deposit down, they’re going to keep showing the flat to others- and there’s a good chance someone will get there before you. Try not to select the first place you see, but when you do like something, don’t hesitate, make an offer on the spot.
It’s awkward meeting new people- be friendly and polite. Dress nicely; make sure your hair and nails look god. They’ll be assessing your suitability and cleanliness- your appearance counts. It's disturbing how many people told me they were relieved to talk to someone ‘normal’- there’s a lot of weirdos out there, and this is not the time to be opinionated or interesting.
During the interview itself, be as honest as possible. Don't lie about your lifestyle or preferences,they're going to find out anyway. Why waste time and effort finding a place, only to be asked to leave? Try and make them laugh, and find common interests. Neverthless, if its awkward or not working, move on- if you cant spend twenty minutes with them, you don’t want to live them.
Good luck- you'll need it.
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