Advice on finding a room in LONDON??

Paul, I regularly used gumtree.com – unfortunately London is stuffed with bad landlords, seedy estate agents and lenders so make sure you don’t part any money before actually getting a room. (one wanted me to put down 500 quid in security deposit, yeah right!)

Basically my experience is: finding a room in london is tough, exhausting, and the market is extremely fast-paced. Good objects are gone minutes after they appear.. Get up early, check out gumtree, make calls and go visit. Alternatively – you can use a number of the agencies, have not used them myself but they are supposed to give you listings of landlords against a fee, i think of around 65 pounds.. Expect to pay around 100gbp p/w for even the scruffiest smallest shelter….and good luck.

oh btw – one such agent is flatland www.flatland1971.com

Also expect loads about half of the gumtree ads to be disguised agency postings requiring you to pay a fee before you get details.

Thanks Peter… I suppose gumtree is quite handy, Australian backpackers aside! I tell you, I’ll be avoiding agents like the plague they are.

Still wondering if there’s a cafe or shop with a noticeboard or window with ads somewhere around…..?

Paul, people used to run around town with weekly magazines full of ads, but it’s very much an online affair these days. The best if not only source for non-agency direct access to landlords is the mentioned gumtree website, there’s no secret insider tricks apart from that really.

If you’re affiliated with (or know someone who is) the university of london you can try the university of london accommodation office at www.lon.ac.uk/accom – they have listings of ‘vetted’ landlords and flat shares and runs non-profit (extremely hard to find in londontown). You need a password to get in, hence someone with an academic affiliation may be helpful.
You can of course also try shopping around at the hostels, if there are noticeboards or likeminded people you are likely to find them there. There’s a good one in Queensborough Terrace just off Queensway tube station (two blocks down) – always full of backpackers.

from my experience, gumtrees not very good – check out www.moveflat.com – hope that helps

at last, an aletrnative! Thanks Jane…

what you up to now paul?! in the meantime there’s always http://www.couchsurfing.com/

Ahhhhhh Gina! Just trying to put my feet on the ground somewhere for once, and for a bit more than a while… just figure if it’s gonna be the UK it might as well be London!

Hi there, I recommend www.moveflat.com, I used it several times when living in London and was always happy with what I found.
Good luck!
Roberta

another good resource not only for the UK
http://www.expatriates.com/classifieds/

http://www.loot.com/property

Thanks everyone, really….... still wouldn’t mind knowing of a shop or cafe with handwritten ads stuck in the window or on the wall, there’s a place like this in just about every town, but London’s a big town! Just that I’ve often found that a more easygoing way to go about it, a bit more personal.

or personable!

there are so many you just have to look for them in areas you’d like to live in. I live east so I’d suggest you try little cafes/ video stores/ bookstores on broadway market, stoke newington, dalston, whitechapel, bethnal green – ask around locally and you’ll find loads.

yes, seconding Jane’s post… decide which area you’d like to
live and then wander til you find a shop… every shop practically
posts ads,.. best to look where you feel you want to live.

too bad friends, just filled a spot they had available.