How to Find a Studio Apartment in London
A studio apartment – or studio flat – is accommodation with a living/sleeping area, bathroom and kitchen. Many expats opt to rent a studio flat when they first move to the capital to work or study.
Browsing for Studio Apartments Online
Although it is unwise to base your research purely online, you can get a rough guide about what you might get for your money.
Online accommodation websites such as RightMove, Find a Flat, Zoopla and SpareRoom, plus general classified websites with property sections (e.g., GumTree and Loot) are well-designed and packed with helpful search features. You can narrow down results by accommodation type, area, desired radius, price, with some sites even enabling you to draw a box on an interactive map to highlight your area of interest.
Loot, one of the UK’s first ever classified newspapers, often attracts positive comments from expats living in London.
Start with Location
As the well-known estate agent maxim goes; location, location, location are the three most important factors in choosing a property. In terms of expats working or studying in London you will want somewhere within convenient reach. Unfortunately, if that happens to be in Central London, you are unlikely to secure a nearby studio apartment without parting with a considerable amount of money.
For many expats, a compromise needs to be made between cost and travel distance. London is well-serviced by public transport, with many Londoners making use of the Underground tube system to move around the city (although cycling is becoming more popular all the time).
Timetables for the various ‘fare zones’ can be found on the Transport for London website. On average, you can add three minutes of journey time for each tube station between your living quarters and your workplace. Find out as much as you can about the different areas of London before committing to anything as each one has its own unique culture which may or may not suit your lifestyle. Renting a flat in Kensington or Fulham will be a very different experience to living in a bedsit in Wimbledon or Tooting.
After location, what is next most important to you?
The more you browse the copious studio apartment listings online, and see what’s on offer, the easier it will be to narrow down your accommodation preferences.
Would you be happy to share a flat with someone else? Flat sharing is one way to keep costs to a minimum, and Spareroom specialise in this area. If you would consider sharing a bathroom with another tenant, you could widen your search to include bedsits.
When can you move in and how long will you be staying for?
If you can move in immediately you may be able to get a special deal from landlords looking for a quick sale. Likewise, short-term contracts often attract a good price. If your stay is only for a few days, you might be better paying nightly for a room in a holiday home or a serviced apartment through a company such as HomeAway.
When comparing rental rates, find out whether utility bills, council tax, TV license and Internet are included in the price or whether you will have to budget for these too.
See if you can get a general idea about the studio’s surroundings: is it green and leafy or set beside a main road? Are there any busy roads or nearby pubs and clubs that might cause noise disturbance? Is there nearby parking?
Other factors that might impact your decision include whether the studio apartment is furnished or unfurnished and the overall size of the living quarters. If you don’t want to pay for space you aren’t going to use, you might be suited to a ‘Bachelor Apartment’ or ‘Efficiency Apartment.
Some expats prefer to live in studio apartments from a particular era (e.g. Victorian, 1960s or modern), since apartments come in all shapes and sizes, although you will probably find that compromises will have to be made somewhere along the line.
Visiting in Person
Of course, there is no substitute to visiting properties in person, and if you can base yourself in the capital for a few days, you can make use of locally based resources to find your apartment. When in London, you should pick up a physical copy of Loot (for £1.50) and visit various letting agents such as Interlet or Foxtons. Estate agents tend to get mixed reviews from expats, and the smaller ones often have a better reputation than the big chains. However, you would probably be wise to stay away from firms offering themselves up as ‘Introduction Services’; while there are undoubtedly good examples out there, many expats have reported scare stories of being charged for viewing properties or of ‘phantom properties’ which are used only as bait.
You might want to consider saving money by approaching landlords direct, but that route can be risky too for inexperienced expats.
Finalising the Deal
Before signing any paperwork you should, of course, view the property yourself. If you have the opportunity, visit at different times of the day to assess traffic, noise, neighbours and the amount of light you will get inside.
Make sure you have copies of as many relevant documents that you can think of including character references, passport photos, bank details, birth certificate and employer’s letter proving you have work in London.
Find out whether rent will be collected weekly or monthly and over what period it is calculated. You will almost certainly have to pay a security deposit which you will get back at the end of the tenancy minus any damage caused during your residence. It is a legal requirement for landlords to place your deposit in a government deposit scheme, and they are also legally bound to provide copies of appliance instructions and a gas safety certificate.