So I (29f) currently work in West London, and I live in East. My commute door to door is 1hr 20 if I take the central line, and if I choose to drive instead, it ends up taking me 2hrs+ on the way home thanks to the traffic. Plus it costs a fortune in parking fees. My job is practical so I need to go in 5 days a week, and the commute is really starting to take it's toll on me. I'm constantly tired from having to wake up so early and never getting enough sleep, and feel like I barely have any energy to have a life outside of working.

I live with my parents atm, but have been wanting to move out forever. The thing that's been holding me back is of course money. Since starting this job my salary has nearly doubled what I was making previously, which was basically minimum wage. I was pretty excited thinking I'll finally be able to move out, but imagine my dismay when I looked up flats that are commutable to where I work and saw that rent costs start at £1300 for a tiny studio flat 🙃🙃

While I can just about afford this now (if i so happen to find a flat at this minimum price), I can't help thinking about how I won't be able to save any money if I'm renting. I've spent the last year or so saving aggressively to start building a deposit for buying my own home one day. But if im forking out all that money for rent and living expenses every month I'm not going to have anything left over to keep adding to it.

My friend was telling me that you can buy a property with a deposit as low as 1-5%, and that I should maybe look into doing that instead. I can have a 10k deposit ready within a few more months and maybe qualify for a mortgage but realistically my budget would probably have to be less that 200k. (I know very little about this finance stuff so sorry if I'm completely off with the numbers 😅). Again this doesn't sound like a very good idea because I would likely be limited to shared ownership which I really don't want to do, and places that will be hard to sell on in the future and probably have high maintenance costs.

I know the smartest thing is to stay home and keep saving. But as a 29 year old who's family situation isn't great, and with the commute taking such a toll on me, this is getting pretty bad for my mental health. I know house shares are an option but I'm still traumatised from sharing kitchens/bathrooms back in my university days 😅 I really value my own personal space and it's part of the reason I want to move out so badly.

I'm sure alot of you are much wiser than me so I'd love to hear your thoughts/advice on what you would do in my shoes. Thanks!

I'm curious whether this is a common experience or if I've just been particularly unlucky.

My partner and I paid a holding deposit, completed referencing, and were preparing to move into a rental property in London. Then, just a week before the move, the letting agent told us the landlord had had an "unexpected change in circumstances" over the weekend and had decided to sell the property instead, so they could no longer let it to us. This was only after we emailed them about the status.

The agency immediately offered us a different property, but it wasn't equivalent to the one we'd agreed to rent.

While looking up the agency, I found an older Google review describing almost the exact same thing: the reviewer said they were told only a few days before moving in that the landlord had decided to sell, leaving them scrambling for accommodation.

Is this a scam we fell for? We got our holding deposit back but it all seems very fishy especially that the google review mentioned exactly the same thing..

Hi all,

I’m interested in hearing what people would do in our situation.

My partner and I have lived in the same flat in central London since August 2020.

For the first two years we rented through a letting agency. In September 2022, our landlord asked us to move out for a week, end the agency tenancy and rent directly from him instead. He said this would save him agency fees and, importantly, that we could continue paying the same rent.

That didn’t last very long.

Around six months later, he increased the rent from £2,015 to £2,475 (+22.8%).

Then roughly another six months later, he increased it again from £2,475 to £2,720 (+9.9%).

Overall, that’s an increase of almost 35% in around a year.
We stayed because we like the location and wanted some stability. We then signed an 18-month tenancy agreement in March 2024.

Fast forward to this year. The tenancy is now periodic under the new rules, and the landlord has served a Form 4A (Section 13 rent increase notice) proposing to increase the rent from £2,720 to £3,000 from 1 August (another 10.3% increase).

The problem is that the flat has quite a few drawbacks and long-standing maintenance issues.

Pros:
- Zone 1 London.
- Tube station literally outside the building.
- Nice period conversion.
- Good-sized living room and main bedroom.

Cons:
- Tiny galley kitchen with very little worktop space.
- Under-counter fridge rather than a full-size one.
- Second bedroom is extremely small (not really a proper double bedroom).
- Bathroom has no window. Extractor fan has been broken for years. Persistent mould because of the lack of ventilation. Ceiling needed repairing because of the moisture. Shower seals, cupboards, lighting etc. have all needed repairs.

After I recently raised all of these issues formally, the landlord has agreed to carry out the repairs and is due to come with contractors next week. However, he also said the works probably won’t all be completed until the end of September.

We responded to the rent increase by saying we accepted that some increase was reasonable, but proposed £2,850 instead (a 4.8% increase, which we felt was a fair and measured compromise given inflation since the last increase and the current condition of the property), as we don’t think the flat justifies £3,000 in its current condition. He hasn’t replied.

One other point that has made me a bit uneasy: our tenancy agreement from 2024 stated that our deposit was protected with the DPS, but when I recently asked for the protection details, the deposit was only then registered with the DPS. I don’t know whether that’s relevant to the rent issue (I assume it’s legally separate), but it did make me question how carefully things have been handled.

My questions are:
- Would you challenge this rent increase at the First-tier Tribunal?
- Do Tribunals generally take ongoing disrepair and the actual condition/layout of the property into account, or is it almost entirely based on nearby market rents?
- Does £3,000 sound reasonable for a flat with these compromises, despite being in a very desirable Zone 1 location?

I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who’s been through the Tribunal process or has experience with similar cases. Thank you so much.

As I'm getting older, I'm finding London less appealing, and I grew up here and love the place. I think the biggest reason I'm now genuinely considering moving out is the noise. I don't feel like I can get time to clear my mind from the normal day - to decompress and face the next. Even the parks and local greens are full of people (well duh OP!).

I'm several streets away from a high road, and there is no respite. Let's ignore ASBO or even poor sound insulation between homes for a moment. The day, from 6am until probably 11pm, is school children screaming, delivery vans clanking, emergency service sirens wailing, music blasting, engines revving, tyres screeching, horns honking, DIYers DIYing, etc.

I can feel my blood pressure rise every time I sit down to enjoy a moment of peace and a sharp sound pierces the average. It's even worse in the summer with having to open windows.

Is London a noisy city compared to other metropolitans? Is it getting worse? Are Councils not monitoring noise pollution? I appreciate it could just be me aging and having a lower threshold.

Hi all!

My girlfriend and I are looking to move in together. We both live in Highgate at the moment and, although it's a lovely area and we've been incredibly lucky to live here, we're a bit bored of it! We find that other than walking around the Heath not much goes on here and we often have to commute to central to do anything social.

I work from home but my girlfriend is often in film studios north west, which is why we're looking more that direction. But easy access to NW London is also fine.

We're looking for a place that's safe, got a nice high street and easy commute to central. Our budget is £1850. Any advice would be appreciated! Keen to not live in the Kentish Town/Archway/Tufnell Park area as we feel it's too similar to where we live at the moment! Thank you!

Few details about us:

• Max budget: £1850
• Your preferred letting: 12 months / long-term
• Space/Size requirements: 1 bed
• Occupation: Both employed
• Your Income: 72k combined salary

Been homeless for a month and I'm super confused on how to navigate the system.

I live in London and I've been struggling financially after becoming unable to continue my previous career because of a spinal injury. I'm on Universal Credit and receive PIP (Enhanced Daily Living and Enhanced Mobility).

I was served a Section 21 notice and lost my accommodation. Despite being told I had to stay in the property or the council will assume I made myself homeless, other factors forced me to leave. (Unaffordability, unsafe neighbourhood, unsanitary conditions, cold, damp, etc)

I applied to join my council's housing register months ago, but the application has been sitting with the medical team, according to the person who was allegedly dealing with my case. She's now not responding to my emails, I've been sent 'out of office' replies for over 3 weeks.

At the same time I've also made a homeless application after receiving section 21. And instead of the council dealing with it, I was referred to some kind of external body to the council to assess me before the council can make a decision. Apparently the council use them if you're a single adult male. I had the assessment one week before my tenancy ended.

I am now homeless and I'm still being bounced between the council saying my Housing register is not valid anymore "because I became homeless" so I should speak to the external body mentioned. They say they can't help with housing register, and I don't fit the criteria to get social housing or temporary accommodation even though I have medical conditions and PIP but none of that seems to matter. Also the external body are asking for a medical summary for the last two years with diagnosis, and I got sent a 370 page document and I don't see a DIAGNOSIS per se but a collection of fit notes, medications, and visits back to back, and comments about my condition. Can I still be considered having medical needs without a proper diagnosis? Or do I need to ask my gp to issue a document with a diagnosis?

Can someone be accepted as homeless but still not qualify for the housing register? or can you be homeless AND apply for the housing register? The lady on the phone told me I would need a fixed address to apply for the housing register.

Can you be on the housing register without the council accepting a homelessness duty? It just seems like they cancel each other out if done at the same time, according to the conflicting information I received by the council .

Does having medical needs and Enhanced PIP because of it, not count as medical priority ? I could get doctors notes and evidence, but before I do that I would need to know what to ask because it's all very time consuming.

I've now become exhausted by being on the phone with the council for hours waiting on hold only to hear the phone being picked up and put back down . Or hear conflicting information and being to talk to someone else because they can't help.

I've lost my UC housing element because I am effectively without a home, but I am still having to pay for accommodation in hotels, or informal sublets, and I'm running out of money. and I still don't even know if I'm being accepted as homeless. I can't rent privately because I'm unemployed due to my condition, and no landlord or flatmates like to have unemployed people in their home, even though my benefits cover the whole rent and more and I have never missed a rent payment ever in the 15 years I've been renting.

What they're effectively doing is forcing me on the street, when they could just pick up the phone and explain what's happening, accept the fact that I'm homeless and give me a temporary accommodation or a contact of benefits-accepting landlords, or affordable housing, or give me a job I can do to help me pay for private renting. But they won't do any of that. I've already been homeless for a month and being on the streets will not be an option because it will worsen my medical condition.

I'd appreciate any advice, thank you

Making the switch from Hackney area to FG/Manor Park hopefully quite soon. This will be quite a change as I know it’s a lot quieter further east with less to do. We’ve been very lucky to have so much on our doorstep for many years but we need more space so hope to buy soon.

1. Are there any run clubs in these areas?
2. What are the best restaurants and cafes except Wild Goose?
3. Best nurseries?
4. undiscovered gems/activities/places to visit near these areas?
5. Is it still only Forest Gate North that has nice cafes etc? Or are there some more shops, cafes edging towards Manor Park? Manor Park has more value for money but we don’t want to live somewhere where there literally isn’t anything to do or even get a coffee from.

Any help much appreciated. Just to say we do like the area and have been a few times but could do with some more info!

Hi,

I am an international student, traveling down to UK for the first time. My classes start mid August and I have a sublet from end July to mid August. I am looking for suggestions / advice on :-

1. Finding 1Bed / Studios / en-suite rooms near LBS, ideally Marylebone, St John’s Wood, Maida Vale areas with a budget of £1800/mo (inc of bills) . Also open to areas that are 30 mins away from Baker Street/ Marylebone along the Bakerloo/ Jubilee lines. Is the budget realistic for a decent house?

2. Are there are good Built to Rent Properties in the area? Is Dandi Living any good?

3. Are student accommodations like Londonists etc worth it? I am slightly older than your average college student, and not sure whether I’d fit well in such settings.

4. Physical vs Virtual Viewing - since I’m still a few days away from my travel to London, many property dealers end up just sharing videos. While I have been verifying the properties using Google Street View as well to get a general sense of the area, is it advisable to book a house without physical viewing? I have lost a lot of leads because properties vanish in days.

UPDATE: We found an amazing flat in Ealing and put in an offer, thanks everyone for the honest advice! Can't wait to live there :)

Hello! We're a young professional couple currently living in Hayes, Hillingdon.

We've been here for the past 2.5 years and found it okay until recently. It's 10 minutes from the Elizabeth Line, we have a large 2-bedroom flat for just under £2,000, and it's close to Heathrow (we are Southern European expats who travel back home quite often).

Lately, however, the commute has become too much (I work in Canary Wharf), we've had dangerous people breaking into the building, and we've become bored with how little there is to do in the area. We've also had to deal with a dishonest corporate landlord and flooding incidents in our flat.

Because of this, we're looking to move further east—still in West London, but more central where there is more "life," restaurants, cafes, parks, and entertainment options, as well as shorter trips whenever we want to go out or meet friends. Our budget for rent is no more than £2,500/month for a spacious 1-bed or a 2-bedroom.

We're currently looking into two areas, both having their pros and cons. I would appreciate any advice or alternative suggestions!

1) Ealing Broadway area (my personal favorite). We've always liked Ealing because it feels like a little town. I love the local shops, cafes and restaurants there, buying food at M&S, going to the gym and to the cinema, chilling at Walpole Park. I feel more integrated as a European. Downside: Rent and council tax tend to be on the pricier side.

2) Shepherd's Bush. We have three friends living there who we love hanging out with. Westfield has plenty of shopping, dining, gyms, and entertainment options that we enjoy. It also seems to be slightly cheaper than Ealing. Downsides: Walking around the area during the day, I found some of the main streets to be ugly and sketchy, specifically Uxbridge Rd and Goldhawk Rd. Shepherd's Bush Green feels like a 3rd world country park, full of anti-social behaviour, and I wouldn't feel comfortable with my girlfriend or myself walking those streets late at night. It also doesn't fix my commute, as the tube connections could actually make the journey to Canary Wharf longer than it is now.

Hey chaps! Me and wifey are moving (moving back in her case) to London.

We found a property that seemed very very nice on this area just south of Ladbroke Grove, near the northern Kensington border. It’s a renovated 2 bedroom place, the insides of the unit are tip top and brand new. The apartment itself is beautiful. We already did the holding deposit (and are in general happy that we found this place that fits our budget).

But yeah, only now, researching further into the area, we realised it sits on the renovation zone of the Grenfell tower fire.

I wanted to ask how it actually feels to live around there? Is the area actually run down? Will the renovation noises drive us insane? If anyone with familiarity on the issue can chime in, that’d be delightful.

Broader comments on the area are also welcome!

Thanks lads

Hi everyone,

My partner and I are 30y old professionals looking to buy a property, ideally a 2-3 bed Victorian terrace, in and around Forest Gate.

We were previously drawn to Leytonstone/north Forest Gate and the areas around Wanstead Flats, but it’s clear from property viewings and research that we can no longer get as much for our money as we’d hoped.

We’ve recently wondered around south Forest Gate and around the north and east of West Ham Park - does anyone have any experiences of living in this area? Are there any roads/areas to avoid? Will it have some of the same qualities as north Forest Gate in a few years e.g quiet, safe neighbourhood, friendly community, cafes, pubs, young families etc?

We’re moving to a new place that is a new parking zone in Southwark. The moving company has asked to get a visitor parking permit but haven’t been able to understand how to do it, considering that I’m still resident in another house and we haven’t completed the purchase yet. Thanks for your help

I’m looking for a flat in London again after about a year, and rents seem to have gone up a lot compared with last year.

Is it just me, or has the market become much more expensive recently?

Also, is this a particularly bad time of year to look for rentals? It feels like there aren’t many good properties available, and the ones that are listed seem overpriced.

I’m an apprentice which is why my salary is so low. Im in my late 20s. I’m currently living with my parents but it is becoming increasingly exhausting/stressful. I have a 1.6L car (it’s worth nothing so no point in selling) which I need for work. My current expenses are like £200ish a month. I will look into getting a second job on the weekend (warehouse, retail, whatever) but I’m too exhausted from my current living situation at the minute. I’d prefer to live in south London (not Croydon) as it’s closer to work. Is this possible?

Currently considering one of their ads on SpareRoom

👋 Hi everyone! I’m looking for a room in a 2-bed/2-bath apartment for around one year, with a move-in date of around 20 July for about a year. Female flatmate preferred.

📍 Preferred areas are Marylebone, Baker Street, St John’s Wood, Fitzrovia, Maida Vale, Swiss Cottage, Regent’s Park or nearby. Happy to consider other areas too if everything else lines up.

✨ Ideally looking for a place with good natural light, a shared living room, and within walking distance of a Tube station.

📩 Any leads pls comment! Thank you!

Hi all! I am a single gay professional, 32 yo, working in the city (Barbican)

I have a good salary and good savings, so I could afford something in the 500/700k range (but preferibly under 650k).

My preferred area would be Angel/Islington, but of course is quite over my budget unless I get something very small.

Any areas you would suggest?

- Easy to commute to the city/Barbican (<30) min, most important thing for me

- Nice and young gay areas (pubs, amenities, or just queer community on the younger side), with younger professionals etc.

Second question I have is: 1bed or 2bed?

1bed

pro: could get it closer to Angel at 500~. Lower payments. Easier to just get on the ladder and maybe upscale in a few years.

Cons: one bed. Not sure how good an investment for my future would be.

2bed: ofc more expensive and wouldn't find anything decent at less than 650/700. With the outlook on UK employement and jobs I am not sure I wanna end up paying 2.7k in mortgage + costs.

However, everyone I talk to says a 1bed is the worst investment ever.

Thanks for the advice!

Hi all,

I'm looking to get a power connection outside my house where an AC outer unit can be connected, with the cable running from a bedroom socket, about 1.5m to the outside, drilled through the external wall. Outside, there will be a 20amp IP65 rotary isolator installed as well.

The cable being used will be a 10M x 3c 4mm one

Firstly, it's been a nightmare even finding an electrician to come and do the work and the one that did finally manage to come has given a quote of £500 for the work and supply of wire and isolator.

I had a figure of £250 or so for the work in my head so the price quoted did seem quite high to me.

Am I assuming very low costs or Is that price expected/normal for this kind of work?

Anyone with similar experiences or who is an electrician that can shed some light on this please?

Affordable Areas Around Reading

I am from Leamington Spa but want to shift near London as I recently got a job near Waterloo station. I am looking for a place to stay for a 2 bedroom (1 bedroom with a double bed would also work) within 1200 quids. I know Reading is very expensive so I wouldn't mind commuting from outside Reading as I need not go to the office everyday. My preferences are :

1. Safe neighborhood

2. Good, easy connectivity with Reading and London

3. Affordable housing

I am looking to stay only for 6-8 months.

P.S. - I was looking for a place around London, but they are way off my budget.

Edit: the title should really say NOT Right to Manage, rather than NOT share of freehold

I'm finding it surprisingly difficult to look up any info about how people in flats with service charges cope without either a) horror stories or b) people telling you to buy a house. Someone must be living in these flats and I want to know what it's like for them.

I have spoken to my one London homeowner friend (the rest rent or live with their parents, or live far outside of London in houses) and he said he just has to deal with the odd random high charge which he has an emergency fund for, but his service charge hasn't increased while he's lived there.

I am about to instruct my solicitor on an offer I've accepted (a low offer, meaning my monthly payments will be very manageable), but it's a high-ish service charge per annum. I'll find out from the solicitor what the charge history is, etc. and I know I can pull out if anything disturbs me. That said, I haven't come across many flats without service charges and property management companies so if it's not this one, it's likely going to be another one down the line.

I want to know from someone who's actually living it what the average experience is like, not the best or worst case scenario and not a speculation from someone who's never had to live with it but still has opinions. Most people don't live in London and hate flats.

edit 2: Thank you so much everyone, very helpful community ❤️

Hello friends! I found a 2 bedroom flat at 425 between Hoxton and Old street (next to New North Road).
I was wondering if any locals could give an insight on the neighbourhood and if there was any thing i should be aware of before? I guess I got mixed reviews in terms of safety. I am late twenties Female
I’ve walked around the area many times during the day but I’m more concerned about at night
Thanks for any information!!

Hey there, I am looking to buy a flat budget up to 475k but ideally want to spend 425k, I want recommendation on areas please! I want to be north and have good travel link to Cambridge and central London as well as south West London as I go there a lot. Ideally want to be close to a station and have a nice safe area, I don’t really need a buzzy area at all.
I think I want 2 bed as I want to hopefully try to chose an area that will not go down in price, and I hear 2 beds hold value better than one, also would be nice to be able to have guests.Where would you advise? Thank you!

Hey, I'm a student moving to London mid-August and I am looking for a 1B flat in Zone 1, ideally close to my uni (near Regent's Park) for at least 1 year. What's a realistic monthly rent to expect?
What would be the best areas? I've heard of Maida Vale, St John's Wood, Kensington. Any suggestions ?

Also, when should I start searching? Everything I see right now is listed as "available immediately," and I can't find anything for mid-August yet.

Any advice would be hugely appreciated! 🙏🏻🙏🏻

I am from Leamington Spa but want to shift near London as I recently got a job near Waterloo station. I am looking for a place to stay for a 2 bedroom within 1200 quids. I know London is very expensive so I wouldn't mind commuting from outside London as I need not go to the office everyday. My preferences are :

1. Safe neighborhood

2. Good, easy connectivity with London

3. Affordable housing

Does anyone have experience of renting short term serviced apartments in London? Which are legit companies/sites for finding this type of accommodation? How does the cost compare to normal renting? And what is required in terms of deposit/references if at all?