UK ACCOMMODATION

If you’ve already lined up to crash at a mate’s place, or with some long lost cousins then you are entitled to skip this section, but beware, things can go horribly wrong. If you turn up at your buddy’s pad and discover an eviction notice on the door as you have your happy reunion in the hallway, or if your rellies turn out to be freaks, then you don’t want to be totally in the dark about finding a pile of straw at the inn. There are plenty of options available for the recently arrived traveller.

Dossing

Commonly practiced method of crashing on someone’s couch or spare bed for a small weekly fee until you get your head around a job and somewhere to live. Can be frowned upon by one or more of the other rent payers, but very common and conducive to having a good time in a large dosshouse. The rules may vary depending on the strictness of the house administration – just hope your contact is a respected and loved member of the household and not the person who’s two months behind in their rent and continually leaving their dirty socks in the bathroom sink. Travelers have been known to spend their entire time in the UK dossing from one place to another. As long as you are fine with getting little sleep and having no rights, dossing can be a lot of fun.

Hostels

An easy and relatively inexpensive way to get over the initial hurdle of finding a bed and meeting people right away. Rates, comfort and privacy levels vary between different hostels, seasonally, and depending on whether you are staying on a weekly basis or day by day. If your work is contract based and you plan to travel often, hostels might be right up your alley in terms of convenience, flexibility and price. Many hostels are well equipped for the modern traveler with facilities including Internet access, bars, laundry and kitchen, jobs and travel information. If hostels are a bit on the bohemian side for you and you can afford something extra, try the Bed and Breakfast option. There are plenty of bargains available, especially in the off-peak season.

Flat sharing

Finding a room to rent in an already existing house is one option for those who intend to be fairly settled geographically. A month’s rent in advance plus the same again for bond is usually the only financial requirement. There are a number of websites and magazines that cater for the traveler market, including www.thegumtree.com, and www.loot.com which is a free-ad website aligned with the daily newspaper Loot.

If you choose to share with like-minded travelers, there are a few pitfalls to be wary of. Firstly, if you insure your contents, you might only be covered if you have a locking bedroom door. It can vary between insurers so try to choose one that caters more for students and travelers, where you’ll be covered if the front door is locked. Secondly, traveler houses can be pretty relaxed in the sharing department. Don’t expect your food to stay in the fridge for long. Don’t stock up on too much beer, and never leave you laundry on the washing line for longer than necessary. Mind you, what goes around comes around. There’s usually plenty of give and take, especially in houses with more than six tenants where the culprits can be hard to identify – unless you actually catch them chowing down on your ice-cream, passed out drunk surrounded by tinnies of your favourite brew, or wearing your individually labelled socks.

Alternately, if you end up living in a share arrangement with some natives, you may find yourself at the other extreme. No pinching milk or butter, and for heavens sake, whatever you do, don’t come home from the pub, howling drunk with six mates after a Bledisloe cup match victory celebration. It all depends on who you land in the flatmate lottery.....

Renting your own pad

Here’s the basics on what you need to know.

There are a few dodgy real estate agents about so try to go through one that you know is reputable (such as are on this site)

Go over the property with a fine tooth comb, noting every scratch and every nail-hole, otherwise you may be stung for a chunk of your bond money at the end of the lease.

Make sure you have operational central heating, hot water, and washing machine.

Most places come furnished so check the listed inventory before you sign up

You are under no obligation to hand over any money before you sign a contract.

Double glazing is a real bonus for both heating bills, and noise reduction.

In London particularly, make sure your pad has good access to the tube/bus/British Rail systems, and find out which zone it is in. The further out you go the cheaper the rent, but the more expensive the transport costs. Try to stay within zone 4.

Make sure it’s not a huge mission to access your workplace. Tube delays and strikes are common so it pays to be flexible in getting to work.

Find out if you are liable for Council Tax (the equivalent of rates) and factor that in to your budget – it can be quite a hefty bill, payable monthly if you desire, or yearly.

If your name is on the lease then you are liable for tax debts and TV license fees etc, if your flatmates skip town to bust a trail through the African jungle. Keep an eye on everything. Many a summer’s travel-plans have been scuppered by a stray, unpaid bill putting a huge hole in someone’s savings.

Utilities and phone can be a pain to connect if you’re new to the UK. Try to flat with someone who has a utilities history so accounts can be transferred easily.

Getting some dossers can often cover your bills, but be warned, a nice new rental can turn into a hovel in no time with hordes of ‘mates of a mates,’ showing up for three or four weeks at a time. Once a house turns to the dark side..... well.... it’s a long road back.

If you rely on a phone for work get a mobile (see communication section). You don’t want to be sitting around for hours, waiting for a vital call while your homesick friends chat for hours with their mum about the footy scores.

Good luck. Happy renting