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.

“The only problem with living privately in central London is that eventually you will run out of organs to sell for rent money.”

- The Student Room guide to renting in the private sector for LSE students.

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

“I feel sorry for anyone who is renting because rents are generally higher than mortgage repayments.”

Fist Time Buyer magazine interviewed sportswoman Sharron Davies who bought her first home when she was 19.

Someone tell her about Opportunity Cost!

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

Flushing tenants out of central London. Painting for sale in Lancaster Gate, original Title unknown.

The Association of Residential Letting Agents’ (ARLA) predictions for the coming year:

The lack of new rental stock for the private rented sector (PRS) has been the dominant factor in the market for 2010, and this will likely to continue well into the new year because of the broader issues of diminishing housing supply.

No respite from unethical landlords – 2011 will likely see more local authorities introduce selective licensing – which enables them to monitor and regulate local landlords. Yet this is an ineffective and inconsistent method of regulation, which doesn’t deter rogue activity.

Financial worries – some agents are struggling financially post-recession, meaning there may be an increase in agents folding and losing client monies in the process. Ian Potter, operations director of ARLA, said: “To mitigate this, we would urge landlords and tenants alike to only use an ARLA agent – our members are licensed, meaning client money is protected, and giving access to a redress scheme if things go wrong.”

Discrepancy in housing type – next year it is likely that tenants will have to make bigger compromises over the kind of houses they rent. ARLA research shows that in many parts of the country, there is an increase in family homes coming onto the market because they can’t be sold. At the same time, industry is reporting a lack of family homes being built or sold, in the South East especially, meaning the ‘best fit’ home may not always be available.

Where is the good news?!

By the way, we are surprised that there is not a word about how housing benefit cuts will influence the market from April? After all – over 18,000 households will be affected!

[Source: arla.co.uk ]

Squatting is still very popular in London!

One of the latest squatters Mr. Jason Ruddick from Latvia (why does the heading say Lithuania, no idea) tells Metro: “I love living in Highgate. It’s not dodgy and I’m going to stay round here. It’s great and I don’t have to pay rent like a normal person.”

Enviable optimism.

Read the whole story here.