This question was from Zoopla user lexkumar about renting a flat in London while living abroad and how easy that is to do.

How easy is it to rent a flat in London while living abroad in the U.S. (I’m planning a move to London in late September)?

I’m an American who is starting a postgraduate program in London in September.

I’m not sure how to make payments and agreements from abroad and if it’s possible to rent an apartment without viewing it first.

Any help and advice is much appreciated!

How Easy Is It To Rent A Flat In London While Living Abroad

Jonathan Rolande talks about renting a property in London while living abroad.

Video Transcription

London, of course, culturally diverse. There are plenty of people living in London from overseas and renting property of course.

You do need to show an agent that you right to rent property in the United Kingdom, so they probably will ask to see your passport and perhaps your visas associated with it. They’ll also need to know that you have a source of income in the UK.

So, if you’re coming over to work, they’ll need to see contracts of employment with your future employer and be able to take a reference from them to insure that you’ll be able to pay the rent.

If, however, you’re not coming here to work, you will need to show that you’ve got a source of income from overseas, to pay the rent, or just cut all of that out and pay all of the rent in advance, if you’re able to do that. That way the financial checks don’t need to be as thorough.

So, just remember you will need a passport, you’ll need to prove identification and you’ll also need to show that you have a means of paying the rent, or pay the rent itself, and then perfectly possible to to rent from wherever you are in the world.