London Houses for Rent

Moving In

As a general rule, you will have to pay the rent of the first month and any agreed fees before moving in. Once you have been settled there are things that may help you enjoy your new place in a safe way:

• Check that all meters are working fine (electricity, gas, water). Call them to indicate the date you are moving in and write down the meter readings. In this way you will have a solid ground to pay only from that day on.

• Since the insurance of the landlord won’t cover your own belongings, you may want to insure them.

• Check (again) that all appliances are working and that you know how to use them properly; check as well

• Keep the phone numbers for the emergency services (repairs, local police, ambulances, gas and electricity companies) in a visible place, for example in fridge magnet.

Keeping your rented London house in good shape

Whenever you damage your house, you will have to pay for fixing it. In case you do not do it the landlord will discount it from your deposit. The damage does not include natural wear and tear issues.  So as a general rule return the rented house in the same condition was given to you. And in case you have to leave the house for some time, remember that:

• You still are expected to pay the rent,

• You are still responsible to keep it in good condition

• It is always a good idea to give the landlord and way to contact you in case of emergency.

The Last CheckList

To wrap up this report, we present you some final advises to consider when renting a house in London:

• Insurance. Check with the landlord what is exactly covered by the insurance so you can plan accordingly.

• Letting agent’s costs. Check whether the letting agent will charge you for processing you application and taking care of the paperwork.

• Reference costs. Verify who will assume the costs for the credit checks and references.

• Service reconnecting costs. You will usually not have to pay to reconnect gas, water or electricity, only for the phone.

• Moving costs. Check with the removal company the cost of moving your belongings to the new house. The price will obviously vary depending on the quantity, weight and distance.

 
Final thoughts

Finally I would like to thank you all for the support mails I have received (I did not realize how many people is looking for the same thing I am). This will help me keep writing with more advises and tips about London houses.

Special thanks to Larry P., Linda S. and Wolfang K. for your thorough suggestions.
As a result of some reader’s ideas and advises, I will gather news about the house renting market in London. These days there are a lot of news about the economy that affects directly the house market,  I am by no means an expert on these matters but I have a direct interest in knowing their evolution (for my own safety) therefore I will definitely investigate this matters and write about them.

Thanks everyone and come back soon to London houses rent!