London

Frequently Asked Questions - Regarding Flats in London

Q- What do you do?

A- We supply budget for short and long term self contained accommodation in houses and flats for people looking forward to stay in London for a period from a few weeks up to 6 months or more.

Q- What type of payment do you accept?

A- Regarding bookings, we accept cash, Travellers cheques in Pounds, Bankers Draft, Money Order, VISA, MASTERCARD, AMERICAN EXPRESS, some debit cards such as VISA DELTA, SWITCH, SOLO and JCB. We also accept Company Cheques and personal cheques with a provided payment 21 days before its due (Please discuss it with the booking manager). The rent is usually paid via cash or credit card (may be subject to admin charge).

Q- How do I make a booking?

A- There are many ways to book, Secure sever, telephone, Fax, money Order, etc.

Q- Are you available to show me the room sometimes next week?

A- The visits can only be done with an appointment and an interview. Please contact us for further details.

Q- Do I need to pay money upfront?

A- Regarding long term stays there is a security deposit and a month's rent must be paid in advance. For short term stays the deposit is less consequent and a week's rent might be asked, depending on the selected options.

Q- What is the difference between short-term and long term?

A- Short term is associated to any flexible stay longer than a week. A Mid term period usually refers to 3 to 6 months stay and long term is for 6 months up a year. The shorter the stay is the more expensive it gets, but usually it is not as flexible as longer stays as there is some contracts and notice periods related that need to be taken into consideration.

Q- What is a lease, do I have to sign one?

A- It depends on how long your stay is. If you are going to stay in the one place more than six months, then it is better to sign a lease (contract), as it means that your rent will be lower than if you did not sign a lease.

Q- What is your cancellation policy?

A- In long term options there is not a cancellation policy, but you will be penalised for breaking a lease or a contract and the charges do vary here although they are usually large. In short-term (non lease) options, the cancellation is usually under a 14 days written notice.

Q- How do I Pay the rent?

A- If you are paying a regular rent, instead of all up front one, then you will either have to drop the rent into the office or the landlord may arrange to collect the rent on a weekly or a monthly basis.

Q- What makes your set-up better than looking privately for a studio?

A- Finding a decent accommodation in London by going through the accommodation advertisements can be a frustrating experience, you can ask anyone about it. You can see up to 20 properties before findind anything that you would like and there might be some excessive conditions set to your lease or your stay. We figure that customers will be happy without the hassle of all this, and the standards and the quality that can be offered from a private company.

Q- This is our first time in London and we would like a flat with one or two bedrooms and a private bathroom and kitchen in Zone1. Your rates seem very good.. it sounds great.

A- Please be aware that the rates offered are for options that are not all in Central London (Zone1), this can be arranged but usually they are luxury apartments and hence that the rates are going to be much higher than what we offer. The further out you go (Zone 3-6) the cheaper it gets, but obviously the travel time to central London increases.

Q- What does the service charge constitute in?

A- The service charge is what you pay when you are renting a flat, not a house. It is usually around £65 per month. In some arrangements this is included in the rent, in others it is an additional cost to be aware of.

Q- What type of heating is used in the places? e.g. oil, electric, gas?

A- Most flats and houses are equiped with a gas central heating, supplied by British Gas but some of the accomodations have an electric heating.

Q- What about bills - telephone, electricity etc?

A- This also depends on your leasing arrangement, in some cases the rent includes all bills (except telephone or any other additions). In other arrangements the bills are not part of the rent.

Q- Why no pictures of the places?

A- Mostly because the properties are currently occupied at the moment, and we are waiting for a new virtual walk-through to be completed and then to add them to the website. We are doing our best.

Q- Can I arrange everything before I get to London?

A- In long term stays the answer would be no, as you need to come in for an appointment, and there is more paperwork involved and credit checks etc. If you would rather have no paperwork you can book for a short term options via one our sister websites.

Q- What is the best way to recommend you?

A- By word of mouth, tell your friends about www.cheap-flats.com or traveltura.com