Finding a new home in London can be quite an experience. There are a lot of rentals available but there are also a lot of people looking, so the quicker you are and the more time you have for viewings, the more likely you are to find the perfect place. If you’re used to big spaces and cheap rent, you may be in for a bit of a shock.

Depending on what type of living situation you’re after will depend on which websites you should look at.

Where to live in London?

Flat Share:

In general, the easiest and most popular way to move to London is to move into an existing flatshare, which means you’ll be sharing a house or flat with other people. It doesn’t matter if you’re 18 and fresh out of high school, in your 20’s & 30’s living with your partner or 40 and living the bachelor life, one of the things I love about London is that it’s completely socially acceptable to flat share in London no matter what your life circumstance (though I’d probably draw the line at having kids).

Sharing a flat is the most pain-free way to first move to London as the flats are usually fully furnished (including bedrooms) and things like the bills and internet are already set up and running, so you can literally move in and not worry about anything other than paying your rent on time. These set ups are mostly run by private landlords and often it’s up to the existing housemates to find and approve a new housemate. Meeting potential housemates is a little like the dating scene – lots of awkward first dates and trying to get to know one another in as little time as possible to see if you get on well. It’s best to play the field a bit and see as many as possible, so you can see what’s out there and settle on the right one (we’re still talking about flats here, not dating).

• MoveFlat - great for people who are looking to share a flat with like-minded people, where ads tend to be quite personal and informative with lots of photos

Renting a whole property:

If you’re not so keen on sharing your home with other housemates, you’ll want to look into renting your own place. Unless you go through a website such as Gumtree, then the majority of flats you’ll find will be rented through a real estate agent and you’ll need to prove a regular income with at least 3 months worth of UK payslips, a job reference and a landlord reference to get through the application.

Most flats in London come furnished and if it’s not furnished it will say so on the ad. This generally means there will be things such as a bed, couch, shelves, wardrobe, dining table, etc. but this usually doesn’t include electronics (other than a fridge and washing machine), so you’ll most likely need to purchase a kettle, microwave, vacuum cleaner, TV etc.

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When you move in to an empty flat, you should call the gas and electricity providers to register your details and quote the meters on your first day to avoid being charged for the previous tenants use. You’ll most likely need to arrange internet yourself. Within a couple of weeks in your new home you should receive your very first Council Tax bill - tenants must pay this and it costs between £80 - £150 per month on average, depending where you live and how valuable your home is.

• PrimeLocation - aggregates ads from different real estate agents, perfect for those who are looking to rent a flat/house for themselves and do it through a real estate agent

Planning to move to London?

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COSTS

London has always been known for its extraordinarily high rental costs and let me tell you that it doesn’t disappoint. When compared to your average wage, the amount you’ll be spending on rent and bills will probably be much higher than what you’re used to, but don’t fret because the other costs of living are generally cheaper so it all evens out in the end.

Rent comes in all shapes and sizes. It will come as no surprise that the closer you live to central London and public transport connections, the more expensive the rent becomes. Once you start looking then you’ll quickly discover which areas you can afford and search accordingly. Most commonly you will be asked to pay 6 weeks rent upfront as a deposit. This can be quite a hefty amount so ensure that you save this amount before you arrive in London and put it away where you can't touch it!

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Your deposit should always be kept in a safe deposit protection scheme such as MyDeposits. Always ask the landlord or agent to ensure this is where your money will be held to avoid being scammed. After you leave your flat, the landlord legally has 10 days to notify you of any amounts that are liable to be taken from your deposit, or else you will get your full deposit refunded.

Sometimes the landlord will charge you a small fee to add your name to the deposit protection scheme - usually this is less than £50.

If you're going through a real estate agent, you may also need to pay a one-off agency fee which can range anywhere from £80 - £400, depending on your agency. You can normally find this information in the ad, or on the agency's website.

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Finally, the most important tip I have is to stay positive and don’t get discouraged if you can’t find the right place or miss out on your first few applications. As hard as it can be, don’t set your heart on one place as finding a home can be quite a draining process and until you physically have the keys in your hand, it can slip through at any point. You’ll find the right place in the end and when you do, you’ll see that it was all worth it!

Think we missed anything out? Join the discussion on Ask the Expats to add your input on finding places to live in London