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Ask DN: Websites for finding a room to rent in London?

over 6 years ago from , Aspiring horse

I've just left San Francisco, am currently in New York, and will be arriving in London on the 21st of September. I plan to live in London at least through the end of the year, but probably not any longer than my six-month visa.

I've been all over Gumroad, but not only is the site an absolute nightmare, design-wise, most of the ads I'm finding in the flat-share section are sleazy at best and scammy at worst. London's Craigslist community seems to be pretty similar.

Maybe this is just an American thing, but aren't there any sites in the UK where people post ads like, "I/we are X type of people living in a place that is Y. We want a roommate who is Z"? I've always found that to be the best general mode for finding a place. Lots of pictures, lots of friendly description.

To tie this thread more directly to design talk, I'd also like to hear what your favorite London design-related resources/places/communities/etc. are.

15 comments

  • Tyrell JamesTyrell James, over 6 years ago

    Best place to look for flats is www.moveflat.com it's simple and ticks of the "We are X type of people, living in Y kind of place. Looking for maverick Z's to fill our room." box.

    As for places to live I'd recommend: Bethnal Green / Shoreditch (east) Or New cross / Peckham (south)

    Hope that helps and good luck with the flat hunt.

    2 points
    • Will BakerWill Baker, over 6 years ago

      Awesome. This helps a lot. I've been looking in the Bethnal Green/Shoreditch/Hoxton/White Chapel/Brick Lane areas. Everything I've heard and read makes East London sound like the place to be. I'll have to look into New Cross and Peckham, too.

      Thanks a bunch!

      0 points
  • Tyler GalpinTyler Galpin, over 6 years ago

    Eventually I'd like to recommend RadPad London to ya, but in the meantime I know that www.kangaroom.co.uk is pretty legit.

    2 points
    • Will BakerWill Baker, over 6 years ago

      Thanks! And I look forward to using RadPad in the future. Looks like a really useful interface.

      1 point
  • Parag RParag R, over 6 years ago

    Have you tried Airbnb? I moved recently and I did that for 1-2 weeks while I was looking for a place. It allowed me to actually go see the apartments in person and meet the people, as opposed to just seeing photos online and communicating via email.

    1 point
    • Will BakerWill Baker, over 6 years ago

      Yeah, I'm probably going to end up getting an Airbnb place just so I have somewhere to go when I land. My only resistance to it is the obvious heightened cost. But you can't beat the convenience.

      0 points
  • Zip ZapZip Zap, over 6 years ago (edited over 6 years ago )

    Hi, I'm the Co founder of www.weroom.com, a new platform to find rooms and the roommates to live with. We already have some listings for London: http://goo.gl/z2xKbR Your feedback would be greatly appreciated :)

    1 point
  • Christine RødeChristine Røde, over 6 years ago

    http://spareroom.co.uk has the type of listings you're looking for! I recommend getting a paid membership though so that you can message the new listings immediately.

    1 point
  • simon whittakersimon whittaker, over 6 years ago

    I'd recommend movebubble.com. They have loads of great quality properties. You connect directly with the property owner(meaning no agent fees) and can book viewings with one simple click.

    0 points
  • Account deleted over 6 years ago

    I like 9flats :)

    0 points
  • Will BakerWill Baker, over 6 years ago

    Oops! Gumtree*, not Gumroad. Keep getting those mixed up.

    0 points