Who to live with and when to look
Things to consider when choosing a housemate
- Will they pay their rent on time?
- Will they act in a responsible way?
- Do you live to a similar schedule?
- Do you all go to bed early or prefer to stay up late?
- Do you all have the same budget?
Who to live with
Don’t rush into living with people you don’t know very well; even if you have been on the same course or lived in the same halls, living together in private accommodation can be very different.
Contracts are binding and it can be hard to leave them.
Choose the right people to live with and you’ll have a great time. Making the right decisions at the outset could lead to one of the best experiences of your life. Will your housemates do their fair share of the household chores?
Find a flatmate
All the things you need to think about when choosing who to live with.
When to start looking
The majority of private accommodation in London is only advertised one to two months before it is available.
Estate agents won’t know what properties are available for September/ October until June, July or August. If you start looking earlier than this, you may be expected to pay rent on a property you aren’t ready to move in to.
The landlords registered on Imperial Home Solutions are familiar with the student property market and some advertise their properties earlier in the year and allow you to view the property without having to move in or pay rent until September/October.
If you need to secure your accommodation before the summer, we recommend searching on the Imperial Home Solutions website.
"If it’s still more than a month from when you hope to move in, don’t have your heart set on those saved places just yet. The market here moves so fast that most of the good flats/rooms (i.e. nice, reasonably priced) are gone in a few days." - Isaac Tan, Imperial PG student
Search timeline
| Month | Activities |
|---|---|
| January - February |
Start speaking to your friends about whether you want to live together. Think about where you want to live and what budget you have. If you already know you want to live a private hall, now is the time to enquire about vacancies. |
| March, April, May |
Attend our annual Housing Events. Meet local estate agents, speak with accommodation experts and learn about house hunting dos and don’ts, contracts, deposits and much more. Landlords begin to advertise properties on Imperial Home Solutions and take advanced bookings. Start making enquiries with agents and landlords who specialise in Student Lets |
| June, July and August | Great for looking through estate agents - they will begin to know their availability for September / October |
| September | Left it to last minute? Don't panic and agree to a property that wont suit your needs. It may be worth getting short-term accommodation to ease your search. |
| October - December | Move in and relax... |