Housing

Finding the perfect place in London may take you a couple of weeks or more, so make arrangements in advance to stay at a B&B or with friends. Some law firms will arrange and finance your first month's accommodation. Before beginning your search, it is important to know that flats in London are quite expensive and small. The best option for candidates moving to the UK is to share accommodation either with friends or with other professionals. It might be a great way to establish some new acquaintances in your first few weeks in the city.

A lot of professional Australian and New Zealanders seem to live in Fulham, Putney, Maida Vale, West Kensington or Earls Court or London's trendy East End. There are plenty of options though and once you have arrived in London, it is worth spending a day or two checking out different neighbourhoods.

If you want to find your own flat or start your own flat-share with friends, the main sources to finding a flat are agents, websites and newspapers. If you are looking to share accommodation in an existing flatshare, websites and newspapers are going to be the most helpful.

Estate Agencies

The best place to start with your housing search are the property agencies located in the area where you wish to live. Usually, agencies work within a limited area, so don’t expect them to show you properties all around London. Go into every agency you see in the area you wish to live. It may seem frustrating when each agency has only one or two apartments to show, but that is precisely why you should target all of them. Registering with them, or taking property details away with you is free of charge. Be prepared to do an application when you see flats. Bring a reference letter from your bank at home certifying creditworthiness and a letter from your new employer if you have one - otherwise you may need to show a bank statement with sufficient funds and some proof that you are a lawyer. You should also bring a reference from your landlord in Australia if you had one. Remember that you will not be given much time to decide on whether you want a flat - the good ones go quickly.

Useful links:
www.foxtons.co.uk
www.aylesford.co.uk
www.farleyandco.co.uk
www.wa-ellis.co.uk
www.winkworth.co.uk

Newspapers

Check the Loot, the Sunday Times, the Evening Standard and the local papers. Once you have been around the neighbourhoods, you will be able to recognize a good deal in the advertisements and make an appointment. And, if you are dealing direct with a landlord, without an agent being involved, you can expect the rent to be less and not to have to pay for the rental agreement. For something with an Australian and New Zealand angle pick up a copy of TNT (check).

Useful links:
www.findaproperty.co.uk
www.loot.com

Websites

The following websites will give you an idea of the properties/rooms which are available:

www.findaproperty.co.uk
www.loot.com
www.londonpropertyguide.co.uk
www.upmystreet.com
www.arla.co.uk (The Association of Residential Letting Agents)

Found the perfect home? ... so what's next?

Generally, you will be asked to pay a small deposit, usually around one weeks rent to secure the property while your offer is taken on by the agent to the Landlord. If you pull out of the deal you lose the deposit, and if the agent/ landlord pulls out, the deposit is returned. This is not required if you are simply renting a room in a flatshare.

Most agents will charge you an administration fee of between 50-150 once you have agreed to take a property and further fees each time you extend your tenancy.

The normal tenancy in the London area is for one year. Most agents will agree that the tenant can have the option to break the agreement after six months by giving one or two months notice. Make sure that you have this "six-month break clause"; you never know what the future might bring you!

You will be required to pay a security deposit of up to six weeks rent to be held until end of the tenancy. You should ask about the interest, although it usually doesn't apply. This may or may not be required when you rent a room in an existing flatshare. It often depends on whether the landlord is also living in the flat.

You will be expected to pay your first month's rent in advance.

Unless you are moving into an existing flatshare, you are responsible of contacting the utilities companies to arrange supply prior to moving into the property. And even if everything is up and running, it also your responsibility to make sure all utilities are under your name.

When you move in you should receive an inventory of the contents and condition of the property. Be extremely detailed when checking the inventory, get a copy and report any discrepancies in writing.