Moving
Moving to London: a checklist in the right order
Most moving-to-London checklists are a pile of tasks with no order to them, which is unhelpful, because several of these things block each other. You cannot open some bank accounts without an address, and you cannot rent without passing referencing, and referencing wants a bank account.
This is the same list, sequenced so you do not get stuck.
Before you arrive
The goal here is to unblock everything else. Two items matter far more than the rest: somewhere to stay for the first few weeks, and the paperwork that referencing will ask for.
- Book temporary accommodation for three to four weeks. Signing a tenancy on a flat you have only seen online is a genuinely bad idea in a city this varied — a month gives you time to view properly.
- Gather proof of income, ID and right-to-rent documents. Digital copies, in one folder, ready to send within the hour.
- Open a UK bank account if you can do it remotely. Several app-based banks will onboard you before you have a permanent address, which breaks the circular dependency neatly.
- Decide roughly which part of London you are aiming for, based on where you will actually be working. Everything downstream is easier once this is narrowed.
Week one
This week is about getting mobile and starting viewings. Do not rush a tenancy — the market moves fast, but a bad twelve months is worse than a slow fortnight.
- Set up contactless travel on a bank card, or get an Oyster. Do not buy a Travelcard until you know your actual commute.
- Get a UK mobile number. Some referencing and bank verification steps still assume one.
- Register with a GP near where you expect to live. You need an NHS number before you urgently need one, not after.
- Start viewings. Aim to see several places in different areas before you form an opinion about any of them.
- Walk the commute you are considering, at the time you would actually do it. It is the single most informative hour you will spend.
Month one
Once you have signed somewhere, there is a short admin tail. Doing it in the first fortnight rather than the first quarter saves a surprising amount of irritation.
- Do the inventory properly on move-in day — photographs, date-stamped, including everything already damaged. This is what protects your deposit.
- Take meter readings and send them to the energy supplier the same day.
- Register for council tax with your borough, and claim the 25% single-person discount if you live alone.
- Sort broadband early. Installation slots can run two to three weeks out, longer if the property needs an engineer visit.
- Register to vote at your new address. It also helps your credit file, which matters the next time you rent.
- Update your address with your bank, employer, and the DVLA if you drive.
The part checklists leave out
London is easy to live in and hard to feel settled in, and the second thing takes deliberate effort in a way the first does not. People who move here and struggle usually have the admin sorted and no structure to their week.
Join something that meets on a schedule — a gym class, a five-a-side team, a running club, a choir, anything recurring. Proximity plus repetition is how adult friendships actually form, and a city of nine million is otherwise perfectly capable of leaving you alone for months.
Give it six months before you judge the place. Most people's first impression of London is formed while they are exhausted, broke from the move, and living somewhere temporary — which is not a fair test.
Frequently asked questions
What should I sort before moving to London?
Temporary accommodation for the first three to four weeks, your referencing paperwork in digital form, and a UK bank account if you can open one remotely. Those three unblock nearly everything else, because renting requires paperwork and a bank account, and viewing properly requires already being here.
Should I rent a flat before I arrive in London?
Ideally not. Areas vary enormously street by street, and a listing cannot tell you about noise, light, the walk from the station or what the neighbourhood is like at night. Book somewhere temporary for a month and view in person.
How long does it take to get set up in London?
Roughly a month for the practical side — accommodation, bank, phone, GP, council tax, broadband. Feeling settled takes longer, and usually depends more on having a recurring weekly commitment than on finishing the admin.
Do I need a car in London?
Almost certainly not, and it is an active liability in most of the city. Between the Congestion Charge, ULEZ at £12.50 a day for non-compliant vehicles, parking permits and insurance, running a car in inner London is expensive and slower than the Tube for most journeys.
Next steps
Where these figures come from
- Transport for London ULEZ daily charge and area.
- Tenancy deposit protection requirements (England).
This guide is general information, not financial or legal advice. Rules described apply to England. Confirm anything you are relying on with the relevant council, scheme or a qualified adviser before acting on it.
Keep reading
Money
How much do you need to earn to live in London?
The salary that supports a room in a share, and the very different salary that supports living alone.
Renting
Renting in London for the first time
Viewings, referencing, deposits and the law — including everything that changed in May 2026.
Money
What you actually pay before you get the keys
A worked breakdown of the lump sum you need before move-in, and which fees are actually illegal.
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