10 hacks to help you find a room to rent in London – from Londoners old and new

‘For me, it was keeping an eye on Instagram stories and getting in touch with friends of friends – and being as fearless as possible with people who were sort of strangers – that got me the place I’m in now. I found my old house through the estate agents’ Instagram stories and replying the moment it was posted: make sure you set alerts for local estate agents’ story posts. If you’re looking for somewhere in a pair or group, divide up areas to call estate agents to arrange viewings in an effort to get as broad a scope as possible.’ 

‘Best mates don’t make best flatmates – that’s obvious enough – but you can also make a serious argument for not living with friends, full stop. On the one hand, you don’t want to ruin friendships by descending to treating your mates like siblings, but on the other, it’s much more of an adventure to rent with randoms. London is filled with wonderful people: I’ve met so many great people by expanding my circle with random housemates.’ 

‘I left a neighbourhood I loved – in a city I loved even more – to make the exciting yet bittersweet move to London. Rather than dwelling on what I was giving up, I had a long hard think about why I loved my previous set-up so much and used that to create a shortlist of priorities for my new home. Top of the list: a big park within fifteen minutes walk (check!), friends within the same postcode (check!) and great neighbourhood pubs where you can get to know the regulars (the regulars remain cautious, but I’m still hopeful).’

‘It might sound pretty crazy to broaden your search bracket even more, but hear me out. I was house-hunting this summer with two friends and it wasn’t until we threw four-bed viewings into the mix that we had any luck finding a nice place. We aren’t splitting the rent of that fourth room: instead, we scoured SpareRoom for another food-obsessed, trash-TV-watching girly and it worked out just great. Do try to go for dinner with a prospective housemate first, to suss them out: if they insist on buying separate butter or are ‘‘super chill’’ about hygiene, you probably need to keep hunting.’ 

‘Pubs. They’re great! And not just for chucking away your hard earned cash or student loan, but for making connections. You want to live in Hackney/Camden/Peckham? Then find the best pubs in the area – check our guides if you need help with that – sink a few drinks and then get chatting to people who you think look cool and similar to your age. Local people drink in local pubs – and such is the swift turnover of rentals in London, locals are likely to know someone who’s looking for a new flatmate. Even if they don’t know of anything right now, follow your new pals on Instagram and when you’re asking around again in a few months time, you never know. Your new connections might come through with a room.’ 

‘It’s difficult enough to come across a listing for a decent, affordable room in a nice-sounding houseshare, but take heed: once you’ve secured that viewing, it’s every hopeful housemate for themself. Thanks to the state of the rental market, rooms like this will have a lot of competition, meaning it’s simply not enough anymore to be friendly, tidy and be able to afford the rent. If you can bake, why not bring some cookies? If you can’t, how about a bottle of wine (just make sure they’re drinkers!) or treats from your hometown? It might sound cringe, but trust me – I’ve both received and gifted cake at a viewing, and it works every time.’ 

‘I’m just going to come right out and say it: you don’t have to live in Hackney. Trust me, I’ve been there: it feels like you might get permanent FOMO if you live anywhere else in the city. But London is a big old place, and some of its most ‘hyped’ areas are now permanently rammed, eye-wateringly expensive, and (whisper it) not always worth the hype. But there’s no need to miss out on any of the fun: click around on Google Maps a bit and see flats in areas you’ve never heard of. Once you start looking, you’ll find that Nunhead is as close to Jumbi as Peckham is, and Green Lanes is as near to Dalston’s bar scene as Clapton.’

‘You’ve secured a viewing. Now, slow down: it can be easy to get caught up in the size of your bed and how close you are to a tube station, but it’s vital to check the safety of the property. I once lived in a house with an unsafe boiler that was leaking carbon monoxide. We only found out in time because we had suspicions and brought in an engineer ourselves. Always check the boiler, smoke alarm and carbon monoxide monitor.’

‘National rail and buses can be just as quick at getting you where you need to go. When I first moved to Brockley in south east London, lots of people warned me about the lack (or non-existence) of tube stations. But in actual fact, the Overground, buses and Nation Rail trains get me wherever I need to go super efficiently (I can be in London Bridge in 10 minutes and at Waterloo in 15 minutes on the trusty Hayes line, plus the 171 bus takes me right outside my door after a night out). That’s not to mention that ditching the tube is often cheaper and you can be smug during strikes.’

‘Finding a good flat in London is more rare and precious than getting a table at the Devonshire on a Friday night. And finding any flat, let alone one you actually love, is hell in itself. With this in mind, once you find the perfect rental, hold on to it for dear life. I’ve been in my current place for four, soon to be five, years. Housemates have come and gone, but I’ve stayed put: filling the spots is always the better alternative to moving, plus now I have an actual relationship with my landlord. And if you do ever decide to leave your perfect abode, do the decent thing and pass it on to a friend.’