Rennie Court apartment, SE1 9NZ

Hello,

Thank you for visiting this advertisement. I have written a lot in the following to be as comprehensive as possible and give you maximum information. Hopefully, I have not gone OTT 😊

I am marketing a bedroom in a three-bedroom apartment on the Southbank in London. I marketing it at £1,400.00 per month inclusive of all utilities, service charges, council tax, etc. The apartment is in a fantastic, well-known, and sought-after residential apartment block, in a great location in London: Rennie Court, SE1 9NZ.

I am unsure as to when the room will become available but possibly 1 July. The current occupant has set 1 August as an expectation for me, but he expects to leave a lot sooner. I also always arrange a deep clean of a room and leave it empty a few days before a new person moves in so that they benefit from a fresh new room. I am also a flexible kind of guy so if the move in date is not a fit for you then let’s discuss and see what can be worked out.

The Apartment
I have uploaded a video of the apartment with this advertisement. The larger room is already rented out, and it is the smaller bedroom shown I am seeking to rent out now. The video shows the interior of the apartment. It is on the fifth floor of Rennie Court which is one of the most established and desired residential blocks on the Southbank. There are two sister blocks - River Court and Rennie Court - and both come with underground carparks and a 24-hour concierge service located in the reception of Rennie Court. A dedicated professional building manager manages the buildings and oversees a staff of porters and workers.

My experience - and that of my tenants over the past nearly twenty years - has been entirely positive. The staff are cooperative, excellent, friendly, and always willing to help. This also creates an excellent atmosphere in blocks, and the condition of both blocks, the common area, and grounds are maintained to a very high standard.

The apartment, itself, has been recently refurbished. It is comfortable, spacious, warm, and equipped with all the amenities, devices, and utilities of a modern apartment. It also has all relevant safety and electrical certificates, fire and smoke alarms, intercom, etc. In addition to the three bedrooms, the apartment has a modern kitchen with a recently installed quartz worktop, and a foyer. There is a main bathroom with a bath, shower, sink, and toilet, and then, also, a separate smaller second toilet and sink. This gives convenience, privacy, and space to all residents in the apartment.

Outside space
Additionally, there is a fantastic outside space that is entirely private and large. I will upload a video of this also for you to watch in a few days.

Location
The location of the apartment is fantastic! It is one of the most important and celebrated places in the world! Rennie Court is almost beside Blackfriars Bridge on the Southbank. This means it is within walking distance of Tower Bridge, Borough Market, London Bridge, and the Tate Modern to the East. To the West, there is the whole stretch of the Southbank including the National Theatre, London Eye, Westminster Bridge, then facing Big Ben and Parliament (across the river). This location(s) consists of ancient, historic OLD London in combination with shiny, sparkling NEW London, and with a fabulous diversity of leisure activity at your fingertips: concerts, culture, exhibitions, events, food, gyms, etc. Almost directly opposite the apartment block is the Sea Containers 5-Star hotel and the globally famous, Oxo Tower Restaurant is about 4-minutes’ walk from us. There is a Waitrose immediately under the block and, locally, there are a mix of artisan shops selling accessories, art, fashion, and various ethnic cuisine.

The location is also within a transport hub. Southwark Underground (Jubilee Line), Blackfriars Underground (District/Circle) and Overground are within 5-10 minutes walking distance. Waterloo Station is about 10-15 minutes’ walk from the apartment. There are, of course, a full range of buses that interconnect you with much of London and a Santander Bicycle Docking Station 2-minutes from the apartment on Blackfriars Road (please wear a helmet! 😊)

Who the apartment would suit!
The apartment has been let out successfully on an ongoing basis for twenty years. All these experiences have been positive, and several tenants remained for several years. My experience is that the most suitable tenant is a professional man/woman working in London. This is particularly relevant for those working in the City, Canary Wharf, Piccadilly, etc. There have also been a lot of students who have lived there, mostly, master’s level or PhD students who were studying at LSE, Imperial, King’s College, etc. It is also completely fine if it is all male, all female, or a mix.

Please note that on the Spareroom registration process, it asked whether couples are welcome. I am open minded to this, and it would have to be agreed with the other tenants, but I would, at least, be willing to have a conversation on it. However, the existing room seems too small for a couple.

Rental terms
All tenants are provided with a rental agreement that sets out clearly the terms and conditions (T&Cs). This Agreement is a template I purchased from Spareroom. Therefore, it is completely legally-sound, transparent, and up to date. Its T&Cs are all fairly standard and there are no surprises. The deposit is one month’s rent, and it is lodged with the Deposit Protection Scheme thus giving protection to the tenant. I am flexible as to rent, but I am seeking £1,400 INCLUSIVE of everything, i. e., ALL utilities (electricity costs, internet, and water) and service charge and council tax.

I base this on my own online research whereby relevant monthly rent for such a room is about £1,450 PLUS utilities and council tax. The utilities and council tax (Band F) are about £360 per month, i. e., about £120 per tenant (three tenants). Therefore, a market competitive rent is about £1,600. However, I tend to provide a discount to the market value so that I can secure excellent tenants, so I think £1,400 INCLUSIVE of everything is very fair. I also think it is easier for everyone if I just give tenants one cost to think about instead of several and, therefore, I provide a fully inclusive rent.

Also, this amount is not inflexible. I am only going on the recent experience I have and some online research of comparable properties. Therefore, there is some guesswork involved, and if someone responds to this advertisement proposing a lesser amount then I will read it with an open mind.

Current tenants
The chap leaving the room is a young professional who is moving into a new place with his girlfriend. The other two tenants are (1) another young German professional working in finance. I think he is early 20s. A very, very nice guy. And (2) a Brazilian lady about 50. She is a lovely, private, professional lady.

Pets
I would love to be able to say yes to any potential tenant who would like to have a pet, but the bylaws of the building do not allow it.

Parking
There is a basement car park, but the space is let on an ongoing basis. HOWEVER, there are other spaces available, and I could likely organise a space for you on a flexible basis. Also, if you have someone visiting and staying over, then I can generally arrange parking for a night or two cost-free.

Guests
You are very welcome to have guests and little parties. That is normal and I am completely fine with it.

Next steps
If the above interests you, then you are welcome to view the apartment at your convenience. Several tenants have entered tenancies with me based on (1) the videos, (2) the pictures, and (3) the above explanation. However, you are very welcome to visit and view anytime that is mutually convenient. Just email or call me and I will make the arrangements for you to visit.

And thank you for reading all of the above. I know I wrote a lot, but I feel it is important to give as much information as possible to prospective tenants so as to save them time.

Thank you,
John