Real Estate Agents :: HEADstart2london

Weekly Rent;
Council Tax - This is a tax levied by each Borough (area) for the upkeep of the area and is paid by the tenant not the Landlord (up to £180 per month dependent upon which Borough you live in and the size of the apartment, i.e. 1 or 2 bedroom) www.upmystreet.com will give you estimates of the council tax bandings for each borough;
Electricity & Gas (approx £20- £40 per month and depends on property setup, i.e. electricity or gas);
Water (up to £10-£20 per month, depends on water level usage);
Telephone Line (approx £10 for line rental per month, excluding calls);
Internet (up to £24 per month); and
TV Licence - This is an annual fee for using a television in London, which costs approx £140 per household and is compulsory. For more information please refer to www.tvlicencing.co.uk.
Pay TV - For those of you interested, Sky is the most popular option in London and this usually costs approx up to £60 per month.

Please note the figures above are only estimates based on our experiences of living in Zone 1 and 2 and based on a 1-2 bedroom apartments. Living outside of Zone 1 and 2 would result in savings.

Remember when deciding on where to live, also incorporate transport costs as this should be a major part of your budget. Do not choose to live in Zone 4 if the rent is only slightly cheaper in Zone 2 or 3 as you may end up paying for this on late nights out and weekly travel expenses!!!

Other costs that you will need to consider if you use a real estate agent to secure a property include:

Letting Fee (up to £150 depending on the area)
Credit Check and / or reference checks (up to £30 per person)
Contract Agreement / Admin charge (up to £150 + VAT)
Inventory Fee (up to £95)
Bond (this is 6 week times your weekly rent)