• How many bedrooms/bathrooms do you require?

• How many people in your family/party? Do you have any pets?

• Will you require Furnished or Unfurnished?

• What is your budget per week/month?

• Which area(s) would you like to live in?

• Any special requirements?

• When do you require a property from and for how long?

• Will the lease be a Company Lease or a Private Lease (In your name)?

Research – You can take a look at what is available on the market by looking at property portals such as OnTheMarket, Zoopla, or Rightmove to get an idea what is available.

Estate Agents

In the UK Estate Agents typically represent the Landlord or Seller but most people looking independently register with one or more Estate Agents who will help them find a good home. Savills is a nationwide Estate Agency and Jones Lang Lasalle is a London based Estate Agency who both offer a range of services to help you find the perfect home. If you want to be in the heart of Central London, Ayrton Wylie and Henry and James are experts in this area and a small independent agents.

Search Agent - When it comes to finding a long term let there are the various property portals mentioned above which list available properties. But searching can be frustrating and time consuming, especially if you don’t know the areas or what to look for. An alternative is to work with a reputable search agent such as Ayrton Wylie who have access to an extensive database of properties. The benefit of expert knowledge cannot be overestimated and should reduce stress by refining your search, preventing wasted journeys and unnecessary expenses. Another independent search agent you can consider is Property Search London, Lindy, the owner is experienced at helping overseas expats find the perfect home in London.

Acting as a retained search agent they can act on your behalf and seek to secure your chosen property for the most favourable price.

Viewing – Property tours generally take place during office hours (Monday – Friday 9am – 6pm). In London you can typically get Saturday viewings as well. It is the landlord’s agent showing you around so come prepared with your list of questions as they are unlikely to tell you the downsides if you don’t ask.

Questions to consider

- Management - Who manages the property? Is it the landlord, the agent or a property management company? Ask about the speed for issues being resolved and reviews.

- Contract term - What is the contract term and what is my protection for increases in the price beyond that term? 1-year contracts with a six-month break clause are typical and allows you to get out if it turns out to be a bad decision. Protection by having a cap on future increases can also be helpful to include in the contract.

- Furnished, partly furnished or unfurnished - In the UK, particularly in London it is common to find fully furnished apartments. This can be an easy way to step straight into a home without having to think about appliances or furniture. You can sometimes negotiate changes, but this must be done up front as they are unlikely to agree to changes (even removing small things) if its not agreed at contract stage.

- Condition - does anything need painted, repaired or replaced to ensure it is the standard you would expect? Typically, UK landlords don’t paint in between tenancies and replacing old appliances can be a battle once you are in so note anything you would want upgraded in the viewing and ask the agent if the landlord is open to improvements.

- Why they should choose you - In a competitive market, flexibility can be important so it’s important to use viewings to find out from the agent what is important to the landlord. If you are willing to compromise on the contract term, move in date or accept the home exactly as it is being marketed, you will be a more attractive option and it may help you secure your perfect home when others are also interested, without having to pay more.

Making an Offer

Once you have found the perfect home, you will need to put an offer forward to the landlord as quickly as possible, typically the same day. This should outline the terms under which you wish to take the property including your preferred move in date, rental price, contract period.

It is imperative to document everything you would want to be done to the property in advance of taking possession in your offer but also note that UK renters typically don’t ask for too much so prioritise what is really important.

It is common to offer a small discount on the asking price and to negotiate. For popular homes, you may need to pay the full asking price and properties can even go to bidding wars depending on the popularity of the location and local market conditions.

You can put the offer to the landlord’s agent directly or your Agent will talk you through all the options and put this forward on your behalf. It is usual in London for a property to be listed with more than one agent which means it is vital to express your interest at the earliest stage possible.

Once terms are agreed you will need the following (quickly!) in order to secure the property:

Reference contact details - most likely you will then need to complete a reference application form, or the agent may request letters from the following: bank/employer/previous Landlord/personal reference)

Administration fees

From June 1st 2019, the rules around Administration fees in the UK are changing. You can read about the latest guidance on the Residential Landlords Association website. Prior to that date, they would typically include agents charges for preparing the tenancy paperwork and other extras:

• Tenancy Agreement (approximately £100 - £250)

• References £25 - £50 per person (as above)

• Independent Inventory - The condition and furnishing of the property at the commencement and end of the Tenancy should be checked by an independent clerk. The 2 x Inventory checks are split between Landlord and Tenant (often 1 x each) and will be approximately £100 - £150 each depending on the size of the property

Rental and Deposit funds

It is standard to pay a 6-week rental deposit plus the first rental instalment (often monthly) in advance prior to moving into the property. Please note these must be showing as cleared funds prior to the commencement of the Tenancy.

Contract

A ‘standard’ lease is often one year. You can also request options are written into your contract such as ‘Option to renew’ which give the tenant the right to extend after the first year within certain guidelines and some landlords may consider a ‘break clause’ which allows you to terminate a contract after 6 months. These are all specific clauses which will have to be negotiated as part of the contract process.

Utilities

Usually the rental price advertised is ‘pure rental’ and will generally not be inclusive of any bills. As the tenant you will be responsible for Gas, Water, Electricity, Water Rates, and the Council Tax. You can ask for previous history and expected costs in advance but unfortunately most of these are fixed and will depend wholly on the level of usage. The Council Tax which will be the highest charge is a property tax which is fixed by the local Council and will depend on the size and value of the property as well as number of people living in the home.

You will also need to take into account the telephone line rental and call charges, internet/broadband rental and cable/satellite television providers who will charge according to the package you take. Many tenants choose to pay all these bills as a monthly direct debit.

Television Licence

In the UK it is also a requirement to purchase a Television licence full details can be found via www.tvlicensing.co.uk.

Insurance

Whilst the Landlord is responsible for insuring their own property please note that it is the Tenants responsibility to insure their own belongings and to cover any damage that does not come under the remit of ‘Fair Wear & Tear’ this comes under ‘contents insurance’ and should be taken as soon as contracts are exchanged.

Furnished/Unfurnished?

This can be confusing! In London it is not cheaper to rent an unfurnished apartment. The same property could be offered furnished or unfurnished and this will not affect the price. Most 1-bedroom apartments are offered furnished as there is a higher demand for furnished apartments as they tend to be higher turnover. Most family properties come unfurnished again to meet demand. In 2 and 3 bedroom properties will find more of a mix of furnished and unfurnished offered. Please note however if you view a property which is offered as unfurnished apartment and request it is furnished (or indeed vice versa) this will often increase the rental to cover the landlords costs for furnishing/storage.

‘Furnished’ covers all the larger items and often kitchen basics. It also typically includes all your electrical appliances, which can be helpful if you are moving from the US or other location with different electrics. You can typically ask for the inventory list so you can make sure you know what it includes and doesn’t include.

‘Unfurnished’ covers white goods carpets and often window dressings however the extent of furnishing and finish will depend entirely on the landlord and can vary – if you require something that isn’t in the apartment you must request it when you put an offer forward.

Rental Budget - How much should I pay?

Relocating into the UK for the first or even the second time can be a confusing time. It can be a struggle managing the needs of their family with the expectations of your company. Finding a home that meets the needs of the whole family can be a demanding task for all but the most hardened international executives.

Tips for your Relocation:

Be open minded - London remains one of the most expensive cities in the world it can be an exciting, beautiful, fascinating city but you will not get a 4-bedroom apartment in central Chelsea for £2000 per month (it will likely be double that). You might however get a fantastic 1 or 2-bed apartment overlooking the river in Putney, a charming maisonette in Wimbledon or a small studio off the Kings Road. If you are willing to live outside of London and commute in, you will find more affordable options.

Plan your time well - The London rental market moves very quickly and as a general rule the earliest you should start viewing apartments would be 4 – 6 weeks prior to your move date any earlier and Landlords often don’t market them earlier and are often unwilling to wait. Try to explore areas of interest ahead of time so you don’t need to rush a decision. Stay in a home in the area when you visit, have coffee in the local café, try the commute from the office – could you do this every day? The Average commute in London is 45 Minutes.

Choose who you work with - The most important step is to choose your agent carefully they should be a member of ARLA or NAEA both of which are recognised industry regulatory bodies and provide recourse should things go wrong.

Be clear about your expectations - Once you have viewed and made your decision you will then need to work with your agent to put an offer forward to the landlord as quickly as possible. This should outline the terms under which you wish to take the property, rental price, length of time, any requests etc. In most cases the Agent is working on behalf of their client the landlord, so be clear on your expectations.

Be Prepared - Once the terms are agreed you will usually need to complete references and pay an administration charge in order to secure the property. The agent will usually request letters from your bank, employer, previous Landlord and a personal reference in order to confirm you will be a suitable tenant and able to meet the rental payments.

Read the Contract – Ensure any terms you agreed (such a repainting, the provision or removal of certain items etc) are included and don’t be afraid to ask for an explanation.

Finally, once the contracts has been signed and you have collected your keys one of the final administrative chores is to acquaint yourself with your local pub in order to truly settle into British Life, only then should you unpack - good luck!