LMS_Accommodation

Whether you arrive here as backpacker or as a more sophisticated traveller, you'll need a place to stay. But then again, if you're the more sophisticated type you probably arranged a place to stay before you arrived in London, either with friends or at a hotel. A great number of people, however, come to London and have no idea where they are going to hit the sack the first night.

If that's the case there is no real need to worry, since London is dotted with cheap hotels, youth hostels and even camping sites. If you have no idea where to go, Earl's Court might be the place. It is in Zone 1 and you can find accommodation there from £12 per night or £70 per week. It must be added that this is shared accommodation (5+ per room) and it will not be the most hygienic place you'll ever sleep in. You don't have a great deal of privacy and your luggage is not very safe. It is, however, a good short-term option while you look for other accommodation.

Contact numbers for Hotels in Directory

How do I look for accommodation, and what is fair to pay per week?

You will find a great number of publications around which advertise accommodation. The most common are the TNT, SA Times, South African, The Loot Magazine, The Times and the Standard Newspaper. Most places where South Africans gather will have adverts for accommodation (e.g. SA Churches and the OVC). When you phone, remember to ask the following:

•Exact location, and how close it is to public transport?

•Minimum duration of contract;

•Deposit and advance payments, as well as the intervals of payments (e.g. weekly / monthly?);

•Whether the flat/room is furnished;

•What exactly does the rent cover - the flat, room or the whole property?

•About the bills and whether rent is inclusive or exclusive.

Anything below £70 per week, including bills, is getting quite cheap, while anything above starts getting expensive, but it will depend on the benefits, like number of people sharing, TV, microwave, washing machine, etc. Don't go for expensive lodgings in the beginning, regardless of the benefits. Don't get into long-term contracts before you have found your feet and a job. Just get a place for about £70, because:

Once you have found a job, you might find your workplace is too far from your place and that it might be better to get something closer; you will probably move before you have made much use of the benefits;

You will be surprised at the really cheap, but good accommodation you can get when you start looking around;

As mentioned earlier, it is important to strike a good balance between the price you are willing to pay and the quality of the accommodation you are prepared to settle for. Don’t let £10 or £15 per week extra stand between you and a decent place to stay - rather try and recover that by saving on other expenses. Staying in a dump just for the sake of living cheap can have a much more negative long-term effect than you might think. If you have a nice place to stay in London, then you are halfway towards settling down well. Settle first before becoming too expansive.

Remember!

Most landlords require a ‘bond’ (deposit), which is more or less equal to the weekly rent. It might be withheld if you have given insufficient notice, or if you have damaged something. It is important to budget for this before you come to London, because there are hardly any exceptions to this rule.

Flat Rental

You will soon find that it might be a good option in the longer term to rent a flat. If you get enough suitable people to chip in, it might be cheaper than you think.

Advantages

•It's more hygienic and clean

•You will generally have more privacy

•¡If you get carers in you could possibly pay less than £50 per week (explained later)

•You choose to a great extent the people with whom you want to live, and usually it's a case of friends living together.

Disadvantages

•You'll have to work through an agent

•A contract must be signed - usually for 6 months

•One month's full rental must be paid in advance, when you move in and every month thereafter

•A deposit, usually equal to a month's rental, must be paid at start of contract

•The people in the flat are responsible for the bills

•It can get crowded at stages

•The agent will require the registered tenant to have a good job and good references.

•This is therefore only a good option if you are planning to stay for quite a long time. Although it can prove to be expensive in the beginning, it can be beneficial in the long run if managed correctly.

If you stay over with friends (‘plak/dossing’), be prepared to pay, and do not overstay your welcome. Use this as a base to find suitable accommodation as soon as possible.

Requirements for a lease contract

•Proof of identity (e.g. passport)

•Proof of employment

•References (e.g. previous landlord)

•Bank account details

•A commitment to stay a minimum period (by means of a contract).

About Signing Leases

•Go to a good agent, who gets his commission from the lease of the flat and not from you. There are a great number of agents that really take some people for a ride. Be very cautious.

•Don't mention the number of people who are going to rent and live there; first see what the contract says.

•Always ask about additional costs, especially council tax.

•Most flats will be furnished and the content insured by the owner. You will have to insure your own belongings. (Look in the Yellow Pages for an Insurance Company in your area and ask about ‘contents insurance’.)

•Most contracts will require that you give at least one month's notice.

•The tenants (those in whose name the contract is signed) are jointly and separately responsible for the payment of council tax and rent.

•The law states that the agent or landlord is not allowed to charge you more than one-sixth of the annual rent (two months' lease) as a deposit.

Where to stay?

London offers a wide range of accommodation, and the rent can range extensively, also from area to area. See to the right.

Be sure that the savings on rent are not consumed by travelling costs and time - make sure you get a place in a reasonable zone and close to public transport!

Council Tax

This is an additional cost, of which many people are unaware, and which must be taken into account before renting any property. The cost is determined by the property value as well as the number of tenants. Students are generally able to get a discount, and if you live on your own you are entitled to 25% discount. Council tax could be as high as £600-£1500 per year and it is paid in monthly instalments. Be sure to discuss this with the agent and how you can keep it as low as possible.

Advice on good lease arrangements

Get about 4 people you know who are willing to rent a place for at least 6 months and would be able to pay about £400 for the first month and the deposit. Go to an agent and ask for a place for approximately £1 000 per month. This will mean that between the five of you, you can come up with £2 000 before you move in. Carers often have the problem that they don't have a proper place to stay between bookings. It is a good idea to approach e.g. 3 of them to stay in the flat for the times they need a place - sometimes it may be 5 days a month or other times it may be longer, but charge them a fixed rate per month e.g. £50 per month. Sometimes everybody could be there at the same time, but it will only be for a few days in the month and think about it: if you only have 3 carers paying £50 per month each, it will save each permanent member £30 per month. Otherwise the ‘dossing money’ can go towards bills and/or appliances for the flat.

Opening Accounts and Bills

Once you have moved in, you will have to put bills in your name, and these will come into effect from the day you move in. When you open an account with British Gas or London Electricity for the first time, a deposit will be required. Make a note of the meter readings (there will be one for the gas and the electricity) the day you move in. Take these readings as well as the two meter numbers and quote them to the respective authorities. Once you have given them this information, as well as the address of the property, they will transfer the accounts to your name.

How much can I expect to pay monthly on bills?

•Council Tax: £70 - £130 per month

•Electricity: £30 - £40 per month

•Gas: £20 - £30 per month

•Telephone line rental: £25 - £35 per quarter

•Water: £20 - £30 per month (sometimes included with electricity bill).

(This is in total per flat, so it will obviously depend on the number of tenants.)

Telephone

If you move into the flat and you find an already connected telephone, you will have to change the account to your name as well. This can be done by dialling 100 and arranging the transfer with the BT operator. If there is no telephone when you move in and you want this service, you will have to arrange this with the operator at the same number 100. It can take some time and might incur costs. When you open an account with British Telecom for the first time, they will ask for a deposit (of ±£100). This deposit is returnable the day you terminate the service and all outstanding fees have been paid. If a number of tenants have been sharing a flat, it is advisable that you ask BT to allow only incoming calls on your telephone. Use telephone cards, which you can purchase at most shops, to make outgoing calls. Apart from the fact that it is cheaper (especially international calls), it will save you the hassle of having to sort out who made which calls. To make billing easier, you could also ask BT to provide individual codes which every member of the household must dial before making a call. By doing this you can clearly see who owes what when the bill comes.

Television

As you will soon find out, the BBC is no better than the SABC, which says it all. So you might want to obtain satellite or cable television services. The minimum satellite subscription is £6.99. Call, Tel: 0870 240 4040 for details. Cable London, Tel: 020 7911 0911 will be able to give you information concerning cables in your street and if they can install it. Otherwise you will need to get a satellite dish. TV rental shops will be able to help you in this regard (e.g. Grenada). You will need your landlord's approval before installing any of these. Generally you will need a television licence, which will cost you ±£116 per year for a colour television. (The penalty if you are caught without one could be up to £1 000.)

General Advice

•Rather take in trustworthy flatmates - no vandals! Remember that repair costs, except normal wear and tear, will be deducted from the deposit the day you leave the flat.

•Have a good relationship with the landlord and remember that the general maintenance of the property is his responsibility. If something like the geyser or washing machine breaks down, let the landlord know; don't try and fix it yourself.

•The day you move in make sure that all the items on the inventory list are in the flat. Do this in the presence of the landlord. Also look for any other damage to walls, furniture, etc. Put these on the inventory list, make copies and sign.

•Go through the flat at least two months before you move out, together with the landlord. If e.g. the carpets need to be cleaned, you recommend the cleaner and get the cheapest.

•If you feel that the landlord is unreasonable and that there is a chance of losing the deposit, don't pay the last month's rent - let it go off against the deposit.

•Council tax is an unpleasant thing to pay - but you can go to court if you don't comply.

South African Houses

The best thing about being abroad is to experience new things, other people, and to creep out of the mould a bit. If you, however, prefer to stick to what is familiar, then you can settle down in a house full of fellow South Africans. These are normally located in areas which could easily be classified these days as South African neighbourhoods. In the beginning this could actually be the best practical housing solution.

Housing Contacts

Look here if you are looking for a place to stay.

Camping

In the summer you could risk sleeping in a park; just remember this is not Bitterfontein! If you have a tent and nowhere to sleep, this might be the best option, but not a good one in the winter. Most parks are well equipped with facilities, but it's best to ring them up and ask in detail about the site. Prices p/p/p/n range around £6.

•Tent City (Acton), Tel: 020 8743 5708

•Crystal Palace, Tel: 020 8778 7155

•Abbeywood, Tel: 020 8310 2233

•Hackney, Tel: 020 8985 7656

•Lee Valley Campsite, Tel: 020 8529 5689

•Lee Valley Park, Tel: 020 8884 4975

The Tent City Hackney is a very famous camp in London and donates its profits to charity. You should pay around £5 per person. British Rail from Liverpool Street to Hackney Central, then take bus 242 to Mandeville Street. Tel: 020 8985 7656

Emergency Accommodation

If you are really out of money and a place to stay, the following places should be able to help:

•Shelter Nightline, Tel: 0800 446441

•Tonbridge Club, Tel: 020 7837 4406

•Woman’s Link, Tel: 020 7248 1200

(Remember you might have to pay a minimal fee.)

Squatting

Squatting is not illegal as long as you don't ‘break in’, but it is not advised.

For information on Squatting:

Advisory Service for Squatters, Tel: 020 7359 8814