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Looking to rent a boat or a room on one London!


Louis Dias

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Hi all,

 

(Please let me know if there is a better place/forum to put this post - Thanks!)

 

As the title suggests, I am looking for long term accommodation aboard a boat. I will consider any boats in livable conditions, though a narrowboat seems like the most likely candidate.

 

The boat would ideally be within London zones 1 to 3 (I work as an Operations Manager and my workplace is situated by London Bridge), although I am open to suggestions so feel free to make any. I am looking for a room at the very least, though taking an entire boat would be ideal (I can put down a sizable deposit £1500 to £2000).

 

I was a sea cadet when I was a boy so I have more knowledge about boating than your average Joe. I have advanced knowledge of engines and experience maintaining and troubleshooting/fixing them. I have experience piloting speedboats, and a few other motorized vessels. Moving the boat every 2 weeks is not an issue for me.

 

Please see my spareroom ad for more information on me. (Don't worry about my budget on there, that's negotiable) http://spareroom.co.uk/3576569

 

If you know anyone who is looking to rent, you have somewhere to rent, or you have helpful advice - Please contact me.

I'll try to keep an eye on this post for replies, but you can reach me via louis@diecastproductions (dot) com or 07449 816 761.

 

Thanks in advance!

Sorry for the long post...

Edited by Louis Dias
edited email addy
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So, you may want to do some research first about the legalities of renting, the landlord will need to have different insurance and a believe it would need to be on a residential mooring. It would also need to have a more stringent safety cert.

 

You will get some negative response no doubt as this is asked a lot, and there are a load of hooky landlords in London causing loads of grief.

 

I say this with knowledge, I rented in London when I first moved onto a boat years ago, I didn't have a clue of the rules and just gave a bloke some rent money for an old heap. It was fine in the end he didn't rob me, but loads of people have.

 

I wish you well but the reality of finding a legit zone 1-3 mooring will be nigh on impossible.

 

Use your head not your heart..

Edited by Wanted
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best off 1. london boaters facebook page 2. walking the towpaths and talking to people.

 

and expect a load of abuse from the know-nothings on here.

 

it's possible, it's not easy and it's entirely a question of trust so you need to talk to people.

 

wanted' post sums it up nicely.

Edited by Alf Roberts
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Hi Louis and welcome

 

There is the legal way and the illegal way. wink.png

 

Link to what is required from the owner of the boat to be legal.

 

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/boating/boating-businesses/starting-or-expanding-a-boating-business/residential-letting


ps. you may wish to disguise your e-mail address and phone number or the spy-bots will get you.

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the landlord will need to have different insurance and a believe it would need to be on a residential mooring.

 

Like all the hire boat companies that have to keep a resi mooring for all of their boats?

Edited by Delta9
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Like all the hire boat companies that have to keep a resi mooring for all of their boats?

No because they don't have people living full time at their mooring. People come and go boating, moving around the canal system and return having had a nice break. Then they go home and someone else comes to do the same.

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You can rent a room on a houseboat in the capital - a static Thames houseboat. Much more difficult to rent a room on a cruising canalboat on the canal - have you been on one? Most have only one bedroom, it's a small, intimate space so boatshares are quite rare.

 

Just bear in mind that it's not permitted to rent a cruising boat. CRT have outlined in the link that Bottle posted, what the requirements are for legal lets, which seems fine in principle, when the truth is, there seems to be no one at all doing this, Infact, I'm not sure there's even one single legal let available out there. There are a couple of boats in the Regents in town that are legal lets from moorings but they are airbnb and the cost reflects this (£150 per night)

 

If you do it, it all has to be done under the radar, if CRT get wind of whats going on, then your landlord will be contacted and there is the risk that a new license will be refused (breach of license terms).

 

There is a sob story on London boaters on Facebook right now, a boat that was rented out in Limehouse marina, really reads to me that the boat was evicted from the marina for breaching their terms. The great majority of marinas will not allow you to to let your boat out.

 

Ask on Facebook, highlight your experience as it means that if you are lucky, perhaps someone with a good boat might message you. But bear in mind that demand far outstrips supply. you have more chance of renting a room in the warehouse district of Tottenham (approx 5000 residents) than renting a cruising narrowboat. There are approx 1000 boats cruising, only a minority percentage of these are rented and I know that it's hard to rent in the warehouse district in Tottenham as I've friends who have tried and failed!

 

The best rentals are word of mouth, trusted arrangements between friends. You probably won't get to hear about who does these.

 

Newbies with no experience who don't know the boatlord personally have less chance of a good rental. I can think of at least five instances where newbies with no experience have damaged the boats that they were renting, in some way, so people tend to be very cautious about experience, either that or the boat is a wreck and they don't care.

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Google 'boat sitting', you may get lucky if you can provide excellent references. Quite a few boat owners live abroad in the english winter and may like to have someone to look after their boat from, say, November to March.

 

I am not sure what 'for reward' means. I believe I can legitimately loan my privately licenced (CRT) boat to friends and expect them to compensate me for wear and tear, that is 'not for profit'. My leisure craft insurance covers this.

 

Google 'houseboat london bridge' and you will find some in Kew for £1,300 - £1,500 pcm. Having been brought up and worked there I hate London but if I had to work in the City I would enjoy living on the river at Kew rather than commuting from a suburb like Croydon..

 

Advertise on a dating agency, "Wanted, woman with own boat in London. Send picture of boat". boat.gif

 

Good luck, Alan.

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[quote name="Alan Saunders" post="1500498" timestamp=

 

Advertise on a dating agency, "Wanted, woman with own boat in London. Send picture of boat". boat.gif

 

Good luck, Alan.

 

Like it very creative thinking I'd give you a greenie but I don't know how

Regards kris

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Wow. I never imagined a response like this. So much helpful advice, and a lead to boot! If I could round you all up, I'd buy you all a pint.

 

I've contacted the lead Degu passed on. Thanks a million pal! I won't say much right now, just in case there are people leaching on my query.

 

Bottle - You make a good point about contact details. Unfortunately I can't work out how to edit my post (might be because I am new to the forum). If a moderator could replace .co.uk with (dot) co (dot) uk, I would very much appreciate it as I don't think I can do that. The number should be okay as I have put a space every 4 to 3 numbers.

 

Please continue to share any leads or advice you might have. I am committed to life on the canals so it definitely will happen, just a matter of time. I'll let you all know if I do manage to land myself a boat boat.gif .

 

Regards,

Louis.

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At the bottom right of your post you will see 'edit' faded out just click on there and edit.

 

There is a time limit for doing this but you should be OK.

 

If not then there is 'report' also faded out that you can do and send a message to the mods.

 

The mods do not check all posts so a heads up (report) will get to them.

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Just come across this while window shopping https://m.apolloduck.com/feature.phtml?id=277091don't know if it would be of any interest to you

 

I recognise that boat and I think it is on a permanent mooring inside Paddington Basin, so it is quite possible that it is a legit rental. it actually looks a decent boat for that money, especially if it is the boat I think it is on a mooring.

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If you do it, it all has to be done under the radar, if CRT get wind of whats going on, then your landlord will be contacted and there is the risk that a new license will be refused (breach of license terms).

 

There is a sob story on London boaters on Facebook right now, ....

 

 

...and there is is a different sort of 'sob story' in our work item trays right now. We have been contacted by a 'renter' who's accommodation turned out to be a boat with multiple 'standard' non-private boat BSS non-compliances. Other dangers and problems that developed a few days into the 'rent'. Potentially fatal hazards linked to fire and carbon monoxide poisoning are the sort of issues we are talking about.

 

Under the radar renting can prove to be very expensive in health terms. And even if issues are discovered before more serious injury occurs, swapping contracts and finding emergency accommodation in the area where you need to be can have impacts on financial and employment health too.

 

Be warned, under the radar renting is likely to find you with zero protection - you could be aboard a dangerous boat, with no checks and balances, no contract, no landlords gas certificate and no insurance cover.

 

And then as Lady Muck describes, you could lose the mooring and then the boat licence, and then your home...

 

Not so much location, location, location, but beware, beware, beware should be any renters watch words.

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Google 'boat sitting', you may get lucky if you can provide excellent references. Quite a few boat owners live abroad in the english winter and may like to have someone to look after their boat from, say, November to March.

 

I am not sure what 'for reward' means. I believe I can legitimately loan my privately licenced (CRT) boat to friends and expect them to compensate me for wear and tear, that is 'not for profit'. My leisure craft insurance covers this.

 

Google 'houseboat london bridge' and you will find some in Kew for £1,300 - £1,500 pcm. Having been brought up and worked there I hate London but if I had to work in the City I would enjoy living on the river at Kew rather than commuting from a suburb like Croydon..

 

Advertise on a dating agency, "Wanted, woman with own boat in London. Send picture of boat". boat.gif

 

Good luck, Alan.

 

To be pedantic, the OP is working at London Bridge, not technically in the City.

I'd enjoy living on the river at Kew, but (1) for that sort of price you could rent a nice house in Croydon and (2) the travelling time to London Bridge would be longer from Kew, unless you have a tender with an outboard and somewhere to moor it at the other end.

 

Almost anywhere in SE London, including some of the least expensive areas of London, has trains into London Bridge if you give up and go for bricks and mortar, but if you draw a blank looking for a boat in London, you may want to consider the Medway. It's a longer commute, but on the right side of London, and moorings there are perhaps not so oversubscribed?

 

To wildly misquote Jane Austen, a young man not in possession of a fortune must be in want of a woman with her own boat and a dodgy engine. Your big advantage over others looking to get afloat in London may be your knowledge of engine maintenance.

 

I don't have first hand knowledge, but from reading various other topics about boats with no home mooring in London, I get the impression that a boat owner who regularly moves on and is willing to visit some of the outer suburbs is not very likely to come onto CRT's enforcement radar, and that if you're just living as a non-paying (officially) guest on someone's boat there is no problem over being seen as renting. If you're prepared to share there's probably a boat owner out there with a dodgy engine who's a good fit for you.

It'd be cheaper than renting on land, but after doing a day job and all the boat stuff you might not have a lot of spare time left.

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To quote Jane Austen, a young man not in possession of a fortune must be in want of a woman with her own boat and a dodgy engine. Your big advantage over others looking to get afloat in London may be your knowledge of engine maintenance.

 

I think I remember that extract. Wise words. There are some equally wise words from Vice Admiral Nelson, though the exact words evade me. Something about the internet and McCain oven chips...

 

Yes I work near London Bridge, but currently I commute by bicycle from Eltham south London racking up a grand total of 100 miles a week. The amount of food I have to consume just to commute is unreal. To add to this I need a job hop, and being north of the river is a huge plus in respects.

 

I have read a lot on the topic, and I intend to do this properly. I recognise this is an arduous was of living and believe it or not this is part of the reason I want to do this. It's not just a dreamy romantic spur of the moment desire - I have thought long and hard and I have weighed in the pro's and cons and I can say I am happy to accept the lows (what I call challenges) as well as the highs. I'm a highly organised, resourceful and responsible young chap which I also think makes me stand out from the crowd and I am 100% determined to make this happen. *end of elevator pitch*

 

At the bottom right of your post you will see 'edit' faded out just click on there and edit.

 

I did look for a good half hour. It wasn't there but It has appeared now. Thanks whoever edited my email address.

Edited by Louis Dias
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Maybe a good business idea would be to have a hotel boat on the London canals, doing accommodation only.

This can be moved on an as needed basis with tenants receiving texts as to where to go for new mooring position.

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