Hello all,

I'm so happy to have found this wonderful site...I am currently living in California but will be moving to the UK in September to attend school in Central London (U. of London) for one year.

I've been in contact with real estate agents in London in regard to flat-rental, however, I've been able to get very little information as pertains to the details of such transactions.

I've gotten no straight answers to the following questions:

1) Will I need to already have a bank account open in the UK and also my Student Visa (I should be getting my Visa by July but it could be in August)before I can let a flat?

2) Will I be expected to pay first, last, and a broker fee as we do in the States or are there other fees involved?

3) What is the usual 'broker fee'?

I am going to be teaching for most of the summer and have little time to travel to London to 'apartment hunt' but I will do so if need be. I've contacted a relocation agency called 'NYHabitats' and they seem OK, but the second that I asked them about money matters they got vey tight-lipped--

Would you at the 'Expat Forum' advise renting a place by distance (i.e. through a relocation agency) or do you think it best to go to the UK in late July or August to look for a place in person? Does anyone have recommendations for relocation agencies or ways to find and rent places by distance (I've been looking at the 'Find a Property' site and LOOT)? Also, I'm trying to get a feel for the general attitude of Brits renting to Americans--Is there a stigma surrounding 'expats' in the UK that makes it tougher to rent a place?--I'm not paranoid or a radical, but I'm an African American woman and when I've travelled to more trendy or posh areas in London have definitely felt a backlash--recently I stayed at a hotel near the 'Gloucester Road' tube and when I was standing outside of one of the restaurants reading a map the manager came out and asked me what I was doing. Believe me, I don't present a suspicious appearance and I had just eaten in the place that morning!

I would really appreciate any and all comments/answers to the above questions--I know that I have many--as I'd like to make my overseas move to be as seamless as possible. I'm looking for places in Shoreditch and Camden by the way.

If anyone has questions about New York (I lived there for 16 years) or California (I'm familiar with both Southern and Northern, CA) I'd be most happy to answer.

Thanks in advance and I wish you all the very best.