The rent in London is really expensive. It’s payable
monthly but the price is usually shown weekly
(i.e., by calculating rent x 52 / 12 you should be able
to find the price monthly). For a 1 bedroom flat in
the centre of London (zone 1&2) you will find accommodation
about £240/week.
London is a big city and you can go to zones 3, 4-6.
But remember the further you live, the more the cost
of the transport ticket will be (see our section London
Transport for more information; refer also to the
London Transport Website). Don’t be too confident in
public transport, as especially compared to other cities,
there are often problems: signal failures, escalators
repairs, station overcrowded, delay trains every day.
Then you will be able to decide where you want to live. West London is generally
more expensive than east, south and north. Hampstead
with its nice, pleasant, peaceful areas, Little Venice,
Notting Hill with the famous Portobello market, Kensington
and Chelsea with the proximity of Hyde Park (well-known
as the most expensive area, a lot of embassies are there) are among the highest
prices. In contrast, South of the River (that’s how English people call the
left bank) is cheaper. But you can also find expensive area such as Wimbledon
there. Clapham is nice but can vary depending upon
if you are at Clapham Common or South
Clapham. Further, you can take the train at London Bridge and stay near
more popular areas such as Bexley
or Lewisham.
One of the particularities of London is that a lot
of accommodation is shared (err not too amazing when
you see the prices). Sharing a flat or a house with
a few people is the most convenient and cheapest way
to live somewhere when you have just arrived.
A good reference is the Loot (http://www.loot.com/) and MoveFlat (http://www.moveflat.com/).
This newspaper is published every few days and conveniently groups adverts from
owner looking to sell, rent, or shared flats. Average prices for sharing
can be between £50/week (zone 5) to £ 200/week (zone 1 Chelsea)
for a double bedroom depending on the location and the benefits (e.g.,
bills included, nice modern furniture). Charges are often included in the price.
You will find often landlords sharing their flat and will be able to ask them
all the information you desire.
The best day to buy the Loot (in any Newsagents) is the beginning of the week
or the end (especially on Friday). However the Monday edition includes Sunday's
adverts and the Saturday edition includes Friday's ads. Be quick as the sooner
you will phone, the better your options will be. You can also find information
in the Evening Standard (evening newspaper), particularly on Wednesday and during
the weekend when you've got a huge section with adverts.
FLATSHARING : A NEW WAY OF LIFE
Instead of living in a pokey attic room with huge rent, why not try
shared accommodation? Frequently associated with students, sharing is
spreading nowadays towards older established workers and covers people
from 18 to 49 years old. Without falling into a community style of life
such as in the 70's, you can choose to share an accommodation for a
bigger space, less expense.
Flatsharing is a way to meet more and more followers who choose to
break a lonely life, save money or just find an affordable acommodation
in a difficult market. This way of life has numerous advantages in term
of money, practicality or social life. EASYEXPAT
in partnership with EASYROOMMATE
number one for flatsharing, offers this service to its users to present
all the chances to find the ideal flatmate or to join an existing household.
If you've got a room to rent, you can put a free ad for house/flatsharing.
If you look for a room or a flatshare, it's free to search into
the database with thousands of offers.
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You can also consult:
Not very expensive and flexible (usually 1 week notice is enough if you want
to leave). But the queue to get one room is big... Price examples: single 100£,
double 75£/each, dormitory 50£/each.
International Student House (complete the student file 6 months in advance
for long stay)
229 Great Portland Street - London W1N 5HD
Tel : 020 7631 8300
Christian Alliance Center (cac.accom@cwcom.net)
2 Secker Street (Waterloo) - London SE1 8UF
Tel : 020 7450 4601
London Hostels Association (http://www.london-hostels.co.uk/)
97 Queens Gate - London SW7 5AE
Tel : (0)20 7373 4180
Youth Hostels Association (http://www.yha.org.uk/)
14 Southampton - London WC2 E7HA
Tel : (0)20 7836 1036
Piccadilly Backpackers (http://www.piccadillyhotel.net)
12 Sherwood Street Piccadilly - London W1F 7BR
Tel : (0) 20 7434 9009
For acommodation search, you can also visit http://www.cei-frenchcentre.com, a reference in London.
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