Guide to London Flats

For long-term or even short-term accommodation in London, the most popular options include flats, flat-shares, bed-sits and hostels. A flat, also called an ‘apartment’ is generally a self-contained unit with one to three (sometimes more) bedrooms which are to be let, or rented. 

Flat-shares are where a flat is already occupied and one or more bedrooms become available for rent. Here, the tenants share all the facilities like television, washing machine, and also the kitchen, bathroom and the living room, bathroom. In normal practice, the tenants share responsibility for payment of bills and council tax for the property. 

Quite popular in London, a bed-sit is for all practical purposes one main self-contained small unit with a living area serving as a bedroom. A mini-kitchen may also be a part of the same room. Bathroom and kitchen facilities are normally shared with co-tenants of the other bed-sits in the same house. The house-owner generally pays the council tax in this arrangement.
Depending on the purpose for which they are to be used, flats or apartments may be classified in two categories: leisure and business. The first type is generally used by people on holiday on a short-term basis while the second is mainly used by business travelers. These flats usually have computers and telephones. 

Some other types of flats or apartments are studio, penthouse, and loft. More expensive and spacious than a bed-sit, a studio flat provides a living room, a bathroom and a small kitchen. A studio flat should not have any shared facilities and each of them must have its own lockable entrance door. A luxury accommodation, a penthouse is usually located on the top floors of a building. Artists are particularly fond a loft - a flat at the top of a building just below its roof.