UK questions: accommodation

[someone]

I have the chance to spend 3 months in England this coming year. I’ll be in a city of about 1/4 million. Within a few days, I have to tell the people giving me the grant, exactly when I want to be there.

My first question is how renting works there. Is it like Canada where you usually move into a place at the start of the month (in which case I should plan on arriving a bit before the first of a month). Alternatively, I have lived in other places like New Zealand where rents are fortnightly and start anytime. In this case, I could arrive anytime. Does anyone know how the UK works?

Also, would finding a furnished place with a lease of only three months be hard in the UK? Also, what does furnished in advertisements mean in the UK? In Canada, it tends to mean just furniture but I have been in other countries where furnished includes things like dishes and linen. Given that I will only be there for three months, I am only looking for something basic (cheap) it would be nice not to have to buy a lot of household effects that I would just have to leave behind.

Given my employment in Canada, I can really only pick a three month period between September 1 and December 31. Given that it is sort of a university town, I don’t want to have to compete with students for a place to stay (I have had that problem before). Classes start on September 22 with something called “Introduction week” on September 15. I hope that getting there a couple of weeks early would allow me to beat the rush. Does anyone here know if this is true?

I would appreciate any advice those of you who have spent time in England might have. Also, I am sure that there are other questions that have not occurred to me yet, but if they have occurred to you, please add your comments. Thanks for your help.

Closer to the fall, I’ll likely put a post in the international section regarding hobbying but for now I’m more interested in general questions that I thought the Lobby section would be better for. However, if moderators think this should also be in the international section, by all means, move it.

 

[danmand]

I rented a furnished house in London 5 years ago. The market was expensive and tight.
The house came with everything except a TV. They wanted a minimum of 6 months,
and a pretty large deposit.

 

[alexmst]

When I moved to England for a time, the rents for small bachelor flats in London were per week, with two weeks notice of leaving, and 4 weeks security deposit. When I first went to the Estate Agents I thought the prices weren't that bad, because I thought they were quoting a monthly rental rate when in actuality they were quoting a weekly rate haha. I lot of well off foreign students were competing for the small flats. Of course this was London. A smaller city wouldn't cost as much as London. Nottingham would have cost half what the rate in London was, for example. Avoid the basement/walkdown flats popular in London - they tend to be dank and dreary. The attic/old servants quarters flats in the townhouses can be nice though.

Often a couple will buy a 19th century townhouse and rent out the basement flat (kitchen back in the 19th century where servants prepared food, took deliveries) and attic flat (servants quarters back in the 19th century) to two renters, and use that income to afford the main part of the house (first three floors). I turned down the basement ones but ended up with an attic one and it was fine (this was in the Notting Hill area of London).

 

[Sabiha]

dont go to an estate agency, check out the loot newspaper and gumtree. prices are usually set per week, or pcm (per calendar month) but there are places available all times during the month, starting on any day of the week. most places in london are furnished but i dont know where you are moving to so it might be different. you shouldnt have a problem finding something short term.

make sure to ask if the price is inclusive because council tax, internet and bills add up and can add a chunk to the weekly price. eg a place advertised for 110pound a week is in actuality 160 per week with all the bills. multiply by 4 and it adds up.

places go fast though, so try to pack all your viewings into one or two days, and have money on you for the deposit to put down if you like a place. the last place i moved to, saw it on a tuesday, put money down on wednesday and moved saturday.

furnished means ready to move in with dishes etc. some provide linen some dont, but might be best to invest in your own even if they do!

 

[skypilot]

I rented a place in Poole (on the Channel) by the week for 4 months. Went thru an estate agent before I got there They did all the work and resolved all problems when I was there. It was pretty expensive, but everything over there was too.
I was within walking distance from a massage parlor. Full service is the norm at these places.
Was a wonderful time.

 

[someone]

Thanks for all the useful advice. I have a much better idea as to what is involved now.

 

[Anynym]

If you want a television (or anything that can receive television signals) while you're there (you can rent one easily enough) you'll have to pay for a "television license", which is good for a year (no discount for shorter times), at #139.50