Looking for the right rental property in London?
Our Professional London Rental Property Search Service for Tenants is designed to save you time, widen your search and give you experienced local support from the first conversation through to an agreed tenancy.
Whether you are already in London, relocating from overseas or simply do not have time to manage a demanding property search yourself, we are here to help.
We search beyond our own listings, use professional agent-only tools and networks, speak with listing agents, shortlist suitable homes and can personally attend selected viewings on your behalf.
Professional London rental property search support with Lucia Turok and CENTURY 21 London Central.
START YOUR SEARCH
Let us help you find your next London home
Tell us your preferred areas, budget, number of bedrooms, proposed move-in date and the features that matter most to you.
Anyone can spend hours scrolling through property portals. Our service is designed to go further.
We first understand what would make a property work for you, then focus our search on realistic opportunities within your agreed search area.
As property professionals, we have access to professional property tools, agent-only marketing platforms and industry networks in addition to the major public property portals.
Depending on availability, this may help us identify:
publicly marketed rental properties;
newly listed homes;
properties available through other estate agents;
potential pre-market opportunities;
potential off-market opportunities available through professional networks; and
properties that may not yet be widely advertised to the general public.
Off-market and pre-market availability cannot be guaranteed, but professional access allows us to search beyond what a tenant may find through a standard online property search.
Tell us what you are looking for
Before we begin, we will discuss your requirements and prepare an individual Property Search Brief.
You do not need to complete a complicated application simply to speak with us. Start by telling us:
where you would like to live;
your maximum monthly budget;
how many bedrooms you need;
when you would like to move;
whether you prefer furnished or unfurnished;
your essential property requirements; and
whether you are currently in London or overseas.
If we agree to take on your search, we will go through the detailed Property Search Brief and Property Search Agreement with you before the service begins.
How our property search service works
Our aim is not simply to show you as many properties as possible. It is to identify the strongest opportunities and help you find the right home.
From understanding your requirements to searching, viewing and helping you progress your offer.
1. Tell us what you need
We discuss your budget, preferred areas, move-in date and the features that matter most.
2. We search widely
We use public portals, professional agent-only tools and our industry contacts to identify suitable opportunities.
3. We shortlist
We review suitable options and, where appropriate, obtain additional information before recommending a viewing.
4. We view for you
Our standard service includes up to 10 in-person property viewings personally attended by us within the agreed search area.
5. Join remotely
Where practical and permitted, you can join us by live video. If reception prevents this, we can record a simple walkthrough where permission allows.
6. Offer and application
When you find the right home, we help organise your offer and relevant applicant information and support you through the next steps.
We shortlist before we view
The purpose of the service is not to use all 10 viewings unnecessarily.
Before recommending an in-person viewing, we will normally assess the property against your agreed search brief and, where appropriate, contact the listing agent to obtain additional information.
This may include questions about:
availability;
proposed move-in date;
landlord requirements;
tenancy length;
furnishings;
pets;
parking;
building facilities;
referencing requirements; and
other matters relevant to your particular search.
This helps us concentrate your personally attended viewings on properties that appear to have a realistic prospect of becoming your new home.
Up to 10 personally attended property viewings
Our standard Property Search Service includes up to 10 in-person property viewing appointments attended by us on your behalf.
This is particularly useful if you are overseas, travelling, busy with work or simply unable to attend every property personally.
During a viewing we can provide practical observations about matters that are sometimes difficult to understand from professional marketing photographs alone, including:
layout and proportions;
general visible condition;
natural light;
outlook;
storage;
communal areas;
immediate surroundings; and
other practical points relevant to your search.
Our observations are intended to help you make an informed decision. They do not constitute a building survey, structural inspection, inventory, valuation or technical assessment.
The aim is not simply to find a property – it is to help you secure the right London home.
Join us by live video call
If you cannot attend personally, you can, where practical and permitted, join us by live video call while we are physically inside the property.
You can ask us to show you particular rooms, storage areas, views, finishes or other details in real time.
Live video depends on reception
Live video calls are subject to sufficient mobile reception or available internet connectivity at the property.
Some buildings, particularly certain basement apartments or larger developments, may have weak or no mobile coverage. Wi-Fi may also not be available or provided to us during a viewing.
For this reason, we cannot guarantee that a live video connection will be possible at every property.
If a live call is not possible because of connectivity issues, we can instead record a simple video walkthrough where permission has been granted.
Photography and video are subject to permission
Any photography, video recording or live video call from inside a property is subject to the approval of the landlord, existing tenant, occupier, listing agent or another relevant authorised party.
We cannot guarantee that permission will be granted.
Where filming or photography is not permitted, we can still attend the property and provide our observations following the viewing.
Photos and videos are strictly confidential
Any viewing photographs or videos provided to you are strictly confidential and intended only for your private property-search use.
Unless the appropriate permission has been obtained, they must not be:
published online;
uploaded to social media;
shared on property portals or websites;
used for marketing or commercial purposes;
distributed publicly; or
shared with unrelated third parties.
A rental property may still be someone’s private home and may contain personal possessions or private information belonging to the landlord, tenant or occupier.
Especially useful if you are moving to London from overseas
Searching for a London rental property from another country can be difficult.
A suitable property may receive significant interest before you can arrange a flight to London, and photographs do not always show the layout, condition, outlook or immediate surroundings clearly.
Our service gives you a local point of support in London.
We can:
search while you are overseas;
speak with London estate agents;
investigate suitable properties;
access professional property networks;
attend selected properties for you;
connect with you by live video where possible;
provide practical feedback following the viewing; and
help you progress an offer when you find the right home.
In practical terms, we can become your eyes and ears in London.
Our London search area
Our standard service is primarily designed for Central London and suitable locations across the wider London area within the M25.
Your actual search area will be agreed with you before the service begins.
Our standard service focuses on Central London and suitable locations across the wider London area within the M25.
Some locations may be excluded
Even where a property is located within the M25, we reserve the right to decline particular areas or properties that are outside our practical operating reach or where attending viewings would be unreasonable or impractical.
This can depend on factors such as travel time, accessibility, the concentration of your search area and the viewing times available from listing agents.
If your preferred search covers a particularly wide geographical area, we may ask you to narrow it before we commence.
Areas outside the M25
Looking outside the M25? Speak to us.
We may still be able to help, but searches and personally attended viewings outside our standard coverage area are subject to individual agreement and private negotiation.
Any different professional fees, travel arrangements or viewing limits will be agreed before the search begins.
Our property search fees
INITIAL RETAINER
£500 + VAT
A non-refundable initial retainer is payable before we commence your property search.
SUCCESSFUL SEARCH
£1,500 + VAT total
If a new tenancy is successfully agreed, the initial £500 + VAT retainer is credited against our total Property Search Fee.
In simple terms:
Start your search
£500 + VAT
Balance after successful search
£1,000 + VAT
Total successful Property Search Fee
£1,500 + VAT
The initial £500 + VAT retainer is non-refundable.
The detailed payment terms and definition of a successful search are confirmed in the Property Search Agreement before the service begins.
What happens after 10 in-person viewings?
Our standard service includes up to 10 personally attended in-person property viewings.
If all 10 have been used and you would like us to continue attending properties, a further £500 + VAT non-refundable retainer becomes payable for each additional block of up to 10 in-person viewings, or part thereof.
Viewings 1-10
Included within the standard service
Viewings 11-20
Additional £500 + VAT retainer
Viewings 21-30
Further £500 + VAT retainer
Each additional viewing retainer is non-refundable and is not deducted from the £1,500 + VAT successful Property Search Fee.
A new retainer becomes payable when the next block is started.
For example, if viewing 11 is required, the £500 + VAT retainer for the 11-20 viewing block becomes payable even if that property becomes your new home and no further viewings are required.
What counts as an attended viewing?
The viewing allowance applies specifically to physical property appointments attended by us on your behalf.
Searching the market, reviewing properties online, speaking with agents, requesting information, shortlisting opportunities and discussing properties with you do not themselves use one of your 10 attended viewings.
We can help when you are ready to make an offer
Finding the property is only part of the process.
When you decide that you would like to proceed, we can help organise your offer and relevant applicant information so that it can be presented clearly and efficiently.
This can include helping you organise information relating to:
proposed rent;
tenancy start date;
preferred tenancy length;
applicant circumstances;
employment and income information;
guarantor arrangements where applicable; and
other information requested by the listing agent.
The landlord or their appointed agent always makes the final decision on whether an offer is accepted.
Be ready when we find the right property
London’s rental market can move quickly.
Before beginning your search, it is useful to have your identification, referencing information and finances organised so that you can respond promptly when the right home becomes available.
Tip: prepare a fast way to pay
Have at least the equivalent of a one-week holding deposit readily available before making an offer.
A property may not be treated as reserved until the required holding deposit has been received. Where several applicants are interested, a delay can affect your ability to secure the property.
If you are relocating internationally, consider preparing a suitable way of making GBP payments in advance.
Depending on your country, eligibility, fees and circumstances, options may include Wise, Revolut or Monzo. Always check the provider’s current terms, eligibility and transfer times yourself.
What we cannot guarantee
We will use reasonable professional efforts to help you identify a suitable rental property, but we cannot guarantee that a tenancy will ultimately be secured.
Availability can change very quickly and landlords make the final decision about which applicant they wish to proceed with.
Any tenancy may also be subject to:
landlord approval;
satisfactory referencing;
affordability requirements;
Right to Rent checks;
guarantor requirements where applicable;
payment of the required holding deposit;
agreement of tenancy terms;
signing of the tenancy agreement; and
receipt of the required move-in monies.
Where another estate agent markets the property, we also rely on information supplied by that agent, the landlord and other relevant parties.
The final decision about whether a property is right for you remains yours.
Why use our Professional London Rental Property Search Service?
WIDER MARKET ACCESS
We search beyond our own listings and use professional agent-only property tools and networks.
UP TO 10 PERSONALLY ATTENDED VIEWINGS
We can physically attend selected London properties on your behalf.
REMOTE VIEWING SUPPORT
Join us by live video where practical and permitted, or receive a simple recorded walkthrough where permission allows.
PERSONAL PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT
From understanding your requirements to searching, viewing and preparing your offer, you have one point of professional support.
Ready to find your next London home?
If you are looking for a rental property in London, tell us what you need.
To start the conversation, send us:
your preferred areas;
monthly budget;
number of bedrooms;
proposed move-in date;
essential requirements; and
whether you are currently in London or overseas.
We can then discuss your search, whether your requirements appear realistic within the current London rental market and whether our Professional Property Search Service is right for you.
YOUR NEXT LONDON HOME
Let us take some of the stress out of your property search
Start with a conversation. Tell us what you are looking for and we will explain how we can help.
Frequently asked questions about our London Rental Property Search Service
How does your London rental property search service work?
We agree your search requirements, search suitable opportunities across the wider market, communicate with agents, shortlist suitable homes and can attend selected viewings. When you find the right property, we can help organise your offer and application information.
Can you help if I am searching from overseas?
Yes. This is one of the situations where the service can be particularly useful. We can act as your local point of support in London and, where practical and permitted, you can join an attended viewing by live video call.
Do you only search properties listed by CENTURY 21 London Central?
No. We search the wider rental market and can use professional agent-only tools, marketing platforms and industry networks in addition to public property portals.
Can you find off-market rental properties?
We can search professional networks and speak with agents about relevant off-market and pre-market opportunities. Availability depends on the market at the time and cannot be guaranteed.
How many in-person viewings are included?
The standard service includes up to 10 in-person property viewings personally attended by us within your agreed search area.
What happens if I need more than 10 attended viewings?
A further £500 + VAT non-refundable retainer applies for each additional block of up to 10 attended viewings, or part thereof. Additional viewing retainers are separate and are not deducted from the £1,500 + VAT successful Property Search Fee.
Can I join a viewing by video call?
Where practical and permitted, yes. Live video depends on mobile reception or available internet connectivity. If a live call is not possible, we can record a simple walkthrough where permission allows.
Can I share viewing videos or photographs online?
No, unless the appropriate permission has been obtained. Viewing photographs and videos supplied by us are strictly confidential and intended for your private property-search use only.
How much does the service cost?
The initial retainer is £500 + VAT and is non-refundable. If a new tenancy is successfully agreed, the total Property Search Fee is £1,500 + VAT. The initial retainer is credited against that fee, leaving a £1,000 + VAT balance.
What areas do you cover?
Our standard service focuses on Central London and suitable locations across the wider London area within the M25. The precise search area is agreed before we start. We reserve the right to decline locations outside our practical operating reach. Areas outside the M25 may be considered by individual agreement.
Do you guarantee that I will secure a property?
No. We use reasonable professional efforts to help you find a suitable home, but availability changes quickly and the landlord or their appointed agent makes the final decision. Any tenancy may also be subject to referencing, affordability, Right to Rent requirements, payment and agreement of tenancy terms.
CONTINUE READING
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These practical guides can help you prepare for your London rental search and understand what happens once you find the right property.
This page provides a general overview of our Professional London Rental Property Search Service. The precise search brief, geographical coverage, service scope, viewing arrangements, fees, payment triggers and other terms are confirmed in the Property Search Agreement before the search begins. All fees shown are exclusive of VAT, charged at the prevailing rate.
