Finding a new home

Housing in Islington and London

The UK is facing a housing crisis due to a shortage of homes, as well as increasing rent and property prices. There is more demand for properties than there is available.

Islington is a popular place to rent. This means that rented properties are very expensive, even for London. Roughly, you can expect a two-bed flat to cost around £650 per week (£2,400 a month) in rent.

Rent in boroughs close to Islington is cheaper and you may want to think about moving there. If you move out of Islington, your children can still attend their school in Islington. It is common in the UK for children to take public transport (such as a bus) to school. You could consider Hackney, Haringey, Barnet, and Enfield.

You can check the Mayor of London’s rent map to find out what you can rent for your budget.

Grant to help with moving-in costs

If you choose to rent in the private sector, we can help by paying some of your deposit and first month rent payment.

We know that not being able to pay this money all in one go can be a big barrier to renting in the private sector market and we want to help you with this.

• You do not need to pay this money back and you are able to get this support even if you have already moved into private rented sector accommodation.
• We can also help with the cost of moving furniture and belongings. 

If you would like to find out more about this grant, please get in touch with us by emailing resettlement@islington.gov.uk.

Housing options

Private rented

In the Private Rented Sector (PRS), a property is owned by a landlord who then rents it out to a tenant. The tenant pays rent to the landlord to live in the property. The landlord could be a person, a property company or an institutional investor.  

We recommend finding a property in the private rented sector when your sponsorship comes to an end, because it gives you the most choice over property features, cost, and location.

Looking for private rental properties

You can look for accommodation in the private rented sector in the following places.

For rooms:

• Gumtree.com  
• Openrent.co.uk  
• Zoopla.co.uk  
• SpareRoom.co.uk

For self-contained properties:

• Rightmove.co.uk  
• Zoopla.co.uk  
• OpenRent.co.uk – accommodation direct from landlords  
• PrimeLocation.com  
• Gumtree.com  
• SpareRoom.co.uk  
• Houseladder.co.uk 
• Local letting agents  

On these websites, you can filter your search by area, price and number of bedrooms.

It is useful to look for a few properties at the same time because properties get rented out quickly and some advertised properties might not be available at short notice.

Viewing a property

After you have found a suitable property, contact the landlord or agent as soon as possible to ask if the property is available and request a viewing.

You might want to provide some brief information about yourself, for example: ‘I am a working professional interested in renting this property and available to move in immediately".

Viewing a property lets you check that the accommodation is suitable but is also a chance to present yourself as a serious and reliable tenant. The letting agent will be asking questions about your circumstances, especially about your finances. Some agents may want to have this information before inviting you for a viewing.

Things to check

Shelter has a list of things to check when viewing a rental property. We've also put together a list for you to take with you.

• Location - is it a safe area? If you come home from work late at night, it would be a good idea to visit the area when it is dark.  
• Property surroundings: is there a busy pub or a restaurant next door? Is there an alleyway nearby or is it an end of terrace which could be more vulnerable to burglers?
• Property condition: is it free from mould and damp? Is the property well-maintained?  
• When the property is available for you to move in.
• What is included in the rent price eg. bills.
• How long the contract is for and whether you can extend it if needed.
• Furniture: is the furniture included? If you need an additional item, you can ask if the landlord will consider providing it for you.  
• White goods: is there a fridge, a washing machine and other appliances?  
• Windows: are windows double-glazed and are they in good condition?  
• Shower, bath, sinks, heating and lighting: do they all work well?  
• Water pressure: if you are in a high building on one of the top floors, it could be a good idea to test the shower and sink water pressure. 
• Security for a room rental: if you are going to rent a room, it is important that your room has a lock on the door, preferably a thumb lock.  

Making an offer

If you are interested in a property, you can tell the agent or landlord during the viewing. If you are sure this is the property you'd like to rent, it's best to let them know as soon as you can. If the property is already vacant, it is possible to negotiate a better rent sometimes if you can move in immediately.  

Holding deposit

If your offer is accepted, you can be asked to pay a holding deposit of maximum of one week’s rent while the agent carries out pre-tenancy checks. When you pass all the checks and are asked to pay the first month’s rent, the amount of the holding deposit will be taken away from the total due.

Refund of a deposit

A holding deposit should be refunded in full if the landlord decides not to rent to you. Do not pay the holding deposit or any money without viewing the property first.   

The landlord could keep your holding deposit if you change your mind and decide not to rent the property, if you provide wrong or misleading information, or if you cannot pass a ‘right to rent’ immigration check.  

Documents you need to rent a property

• Your passport and Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) card.
• Bank statements for the last 3 to 6 months. 
• Payslips for last 3 months.
• Landlord reference.