You will need to work out what your costs will be, including a deposit, rent payments and fees a lettings agency might charge you. Remember to check the property and the local area. Rents are very expensive in London. You can check the Mayor of London's rent map to find out what you can rent for your budget. You will find cheaper rents outside of London. 

Rightmove and Zoopla both list properties available to rent. Just enter the postcode in the area you want to live in. If they are in Barking and Dagenham your landlord probably needs a property licence.   

Sharing a property can be a good option to pay cheaper rent. Spare Room and Room Buddies are good places to look.

Gumtree also advertises rented properties, both self-contained and for sharing.              

If you are on a low income you can claim Universal Credit to get help with paying your rent. However, the amount of Universal Credit you get for housing costs is based on something called the Local Housing Allowance and the number of rooms in the property you rent. For example, if you have two children under 16 of the same sex, the rate will be based on them sharing a room, so you should look for a two bedroom property.

Single people under 35 years old, are only entitled to a shared room rate, i.e. a room in a house where you share a bathroom and kitchen with other people. If the property or room you want to rent is more than the Local Housing Allowance rate you will have to find the extra money yourself. There are different rates across London, you can see them on the Local Housing Allowance website.

For more housing advice, please visit our housing advice and homelessness prevention page.