Beko has issued some product recalls after several serious incidents:

Bosch Home Appliances has recalled:

1. Dishwashers in the batch number range from FD 7901 to FD 8504.

If you own any of the these products, please stop using it immediately, disconnect it from the wall socket as a precaution, and contact the company.

Also, keep an eye on RecallUK for the latest product recalls in UK.

We have been waiting for something like this to come to the market for a very, very long time!

A new concept company Deposit Doctor seems to have answers to all the biggest problems London tenants are facing today. Launched in October, they want to change the rental market in the benefit of the tenants. The company has started by offering a wide range of services for people renting in London and unlike letting agents, they work for YOU, not the landlord. As a bonus they have a few innovative tools that make managing your rental home more efficiently.

A typical situation where you might find yourself calling them is when your landlord refuses to return you the deposit after you move out. Deposit Doctor has a skilled team who will negotiate with your landlord on your behalf. If necessary, they will even seek a resolution via Alternative Dispute Resolution or the Courts.

They can also help you find a suitable rental, negotiate a good deal on the rent, and make sure you won’t get any surprises in the small print on the agreement you sign.

So any problems you have with renting – let the doctor know!

Visit Deposit Doctor

The busiest season on London rental market is now full on and we are drowning in E-mails from people who need a place to rent but don’t know where to begin!

Follow this five step guide to make sure you’re get off to the right start:

1.Spread the word – tell your friends, post wanted ads on websites, tweet on Twitter and shout on Facebook
2. Search websites for rentals
4. Download apps with rental listings to your phone
4. Register your wish with Letting Agents
5. List your wish on our Wishlist

We have decided to re-activate our London Rental Wishlist and here is the first wanted ad we received through Twitter:

Wanted: Studio flat for 6-7 weeks in October 2012
Self-contained studio for 2 wanted for or 6-7 weeks from approx. 20th October.
Max budget is 800 PCM
Zones 2-3 above Thames
Contact: @PAULandLARA on Twitter or send your offer to info@royalsofrent.com

If you want to add your wish to the list just give us a tweet or send your details to info@royalsofrent.com!

London Evening Standard has partnered with letting agency Upad to offer a new free online listing service for landlords called London Private Rentals.

The site allows tenants to search properties directly from London landlords, and meet them personally to view the rentals.

Tenants have to pay a reference check fee of £50+VAT (not refundable should you fail) after agreeing the terms with the landlord.

For the record – there are currently 334 rentals listed on the site. We like the fact that the listings state some important details, such as the exact amount of the deposit required!

Browse listings at London Private Rentals

Via The Drum

Now that is some deal – end of tenancy cleaning for only £29 for a studio flat!

If your house has lost its warm glow due to ever increasing layers of dust, it’s time to call in Black & White Home Solutions and take a look at today’s deal: pay just £29 for an end of tenancy spring clean for a studio flat (an £85 value). Or, opt to get a one-bed home spruced up for £39 (a £115 value), a two-bed for £49 (a £145 value), a three-bed for £59 (a £175 value), or a four-bed home for £69 (a £205 value). The dedicated team will carry out everything from floor washing to oven cleaning and bathroom de-scaling. Alternatively, book a serious carpet- or upholstery-cleaning session for £39 (a £120 value). Black and White’s slogan is, “No more grey areas” — don’t take a negative view; let Black & White help restore your home to glorious Technicolour.

Check it out at LivingSocial and don’t forget to read the fine print before you buy!

The tight competition among prospective tenants in London has lead to flat hunters providing landlords with their CV’s!

Estate agent Ludlow Thompson says that 1 in 20 prospective tenants are now providing landlords with some kind of unsolicited CV in the hope of being picked over competitors for a rental property. Find out more here: Tenants provide landlords with CVs.

Tip: You might be able to beat your Oxbridge graduate competitor by providing an excellent genetic report.

[Photo: Binded Document By Sean MacEntee]

Are you struggling to find somewhere to rent? Having problems with your landlord? Ask your questions on the Guardian website and have the panel of experts from Citizens Advice, Propertywide and Spareroom to answer. Advice will be given online on Tuesday from 12.30pm to 1.30pm.

Post your question in the comments below this article.

Listen up all first time renters in London!

The websites that allow private landlords to advertise homes to rent are currently full of fake rental flat advertisements!

Look at this fake ad above. We know this flat doesn’t really exist because you would never get a four bedroom flat for that price in Bayswater W2. So make sure you know the prices in the area you are looking to rent in. You can run a check at London Rent Map. If the rent is incredibly low then don’t even bother contacting the advertiser.

You should also try and Google the description of the property. Con artists are so shameless they will copy the text from some estate agent’s ad. For example, the text in the ad above coincidentally also describes a flat for sale by estate agent Foxtons.

Here is what happens when you answer one of these ads, via Billings Gazette:

When people call about it, the scammer says he or she lives out of town and asks the prospective renter to wire first and last month’s rent along with a security deposit. They then usually promise to send the property keys upon receipt of the money, but they never arrive. When you pay for something with a credit card or check, there’s at least some sort of trail. But when you wire the money, they pick it up and, poof, it’s gone.

September is the most active month for scammers as there are a lot of people desperately looking for rentals. Read more about all kinds of London rent scams…

Each year one of the most desired areas to live in London turns into a one big party place – Notting Hill Carnival is the largest festival celebration of its kind in Europe (held since 1966).

How did the residents feel about the event taking place outside their homes? We let the photos do the talking!

Westbourne Grove on the first day of the festival on Sunday 28th of September 2011.

Great view to the parade route on Westbourne Grove

Parading on Westbourne Grove

St Stephen’s Gardens

Sound system at the back of one of the many trucks on the streets playing Caribbean rhythms.

Chepstow Road

Parade on Chepstow Road

Clearly loving it!

Residents pull up chairs and enjoy the music in privacy of the gated mews.

Some residents offer toilet service for one or two pounds.

Powis Square

Want to be in the middle of the madness next August? There is a flat for rent on Powis Square through Home Site.

Harrods Estates has reportedly rented out a penthouse in One Hyde Park for a whopping £55,000 a week! The tenant is said to be a Middle Eastern businessman.

Source: arabianbusiness.com

Many London tenants are said to be struggling with their rents so it is a relief to see that Shelter charity is reaching out to them.

If you are in the position where you have problems paying your rent or bills – why not get in touch with Shelter. They will give you free expert advice and explain all your options.

Get started here: Shelter.

BBC looks into how will housing benefit cut affect London rental market.

Somewhere in Chiswick yesterday.

London borough of Tower Hamlets has decided to ban estate agent signs and we fully support this. Here is what they say on their website:

You have told us that estate agent signs make your neighbourhood look ugly and unattractive. This is why your lease or tenancy agreement states that the placement of any type of advertisement board is not allowed. This means that no leaseholder or tenant is allowed to advertise their property for rent or sale using an advertisement board  supplied by the estate agent or letting company. The placement of such boards will be treated as fly tipping and you could be fined or charged for the cost of removal.

For us tenants the boards have proved to be useless – 99% of the times you can be sure the property with a To Let sign in front has already been rented out…

[via Estateagenttoday.co.uk]

We have come a long way since 2004 when the bus ride cost just £1 – the price for the ticket in 2011 is £2.20!

Here are a few examples of the new transport fare prices in 2011:

- Buses and trams - Single cash tickets rose from £2 to £2.20. On Oyster £1.30 (previously £1.20).
View all bus and tram ticket prices.

- Single Tube journey from zone 1 to 2 (central London) on an Oyster card £1.90.
View all tube, DLR and Overground ticket prices.

- National Rail
View all ticket prices.

- River
View all ticket prices.

It is a shame renting in walking distance from work and school is not possible for many tenants working in Central London.

The new congestion charge map (click to enlarge).

Old congestion charge map (click to enlarge).

As of this year the boundaries of London congestion charging zone have changed. Kensington, Notting Hill, North-Kensington, Bayswater, Paddington, Pimlico, Knightsbridge, Belgravia, Chelsea and South-Kensington are no longer inside the this area where motorists have to pay for passing through.

What effect will this have on the residents of these areas?

+ Car owners don’t have to pay the congestion charge unless they drive to the zone;
+ Small businesses will do better.

- It might get pretty noisy as there are more cars on the street;
- Mr. Sebastian Shakespeare fears there is a correlation between lower burglary rates and the introduction of the C-charge in 2003. He has no proof but look at the statistics: residential burglary rates are on the decrease (down 6.9 per cent in London, and Kensington and Chelsea is below the average).

Congestion Charging