Safety

• The vast vast majority of flat hunting passes without incident. Here's how to make it even safer.



• London is a large thriving western city: You should exercise the normal caution in visiting properties and dealing with strangers that you would in other areas of your life. The internet affords no more authenticity than a newspaper or a card in a shop window. Just use common sense !



• In an ideal world neither look at or show a property alone. Most people don't manage this but before you meet a prospective flat mate you should let someone else know and take a mobile phone with when you go to look, and be on the phone when you enter the property making it obvious that they know where it is. If your are alone showing a property then do the same or let someone know that is what you are doing. As a last resort make out that there is someone else around or about to arrive.



• ALWAYS insist on a landline phone number and phone them back to ensure its genuine. Then write it down with their name. Give this to a friend before you visit or receive a visitor.



• Landlords: don't inadvertently disclose times there will be nobody at home once you have given out the property address. This could be asking for a burglary. When people look round your property, go with them.



• When viewing multiple occupant flats, ask who will be there when you visit. Its worth meeting everyone you will live with anyway.



• E-mail: If you have an advertisement on MoveFlat, people can't get your e-mail address. This protects you from computers that roam the internet looking for e-mail addresses to sell. Once you reply to an e-mail sent to you however, your e-mail address goes with your reply. So if you're uncomfortable with the tone of the enquiry, don't reply.



Julian