Finding somewhere to stay will be the first task when you get to Britain. Whatever else you do, make sure you sign a contract with the landlord or landlady (the person who owns the flat or house) and that you get a copy of it yourself. There are plenty of people trying to sell you a room or flat which is such bad quality that it wouldn't be fit for use as a prison, let alone a home. Fortunately, the law in Britain gives you the right to fair treatment both in terms of the contract you sign and the quality of the place you live.

There are of course state-funded flats which every local authority makes available to people on low incomes. These, however, are only allocated to citizens of the country (or in some cases people in the country for asylum) and in any case take a very long time to get. As accommodation in London is very expensive, one of the ways you might be able to spread the cost of a flat is to arrange a flat-share option. In this case, you will probably have a handful of people with the full run of the building but your own room. You would need to be in pretty desperate circumstances if you wanted to share a room as well, especially if you are sharing with a person working different hours from you. As a result, it might be a good idea to shop around for something cheaper before going this far.

Some useful phrases when flat hunting:

Would I have use of the garden as well?

Who should I call in the event of a burst pipe?

Can I arrange to take incoming calls?

Is there an inventory book anywhere in the flat?

Does the heating come on automatically?

Where can I modify the temperature?

Always double lock the door when you leave.

Always lock and bolt the door when you leave.

Security in London is particularly important because of the high crime rate. Thefts from personal properties are high, so expect to have at least two keys to wherever you are living. If you have home contents insurance, locking the place properly might be one of the conditions of the insurance firm paying out if you are burgled.

You'll be sharing the bathroom and the kitchen.

How much is the deposit?

How much notice would I need to give before terminating the contract?

Could I have a copy of the tenancy agreement?

I wouldn't advise you to go too near the industrial estate late at night. It's not that safe, especially for foreign visitors.

Unless you are with a companion, some parts of the towns and cities in Britain are not safe to wander around at some times of the day. Industrial estates are fine during the working day, but when everywhere is closed, just like most large empty spaces, they can become gathering places for some of the less-than-perfectly-safe locals. As the majority of violent racists comes from this group, it pays to avoid them.

The flat is well placed for the local facilities.

It's close to an all-night mini supermarket.

Is there a launderette near here?

A launderette is a place where you can do your laundry, especially useful if the flat does not come with a washing machine. Launderettes are far more common in Britain than they are in Poland.

Can I leave these for a service wash, please?

A service wash is where you leave the laundry at the launderette and the staff wash it for you, so you can go off and do something else. Obviously it costs more than doing it yourself.

And when you start work:

There is a lot of paperwork, including the sorting out of your social security forms, when you start work. The good news is that this is the job of your first employer. However, he or she will still need to know that it is your first job so these phrases may be useful when you fill in the application forms.

I haven't got a social security number yet. Who do I speak to about that?

Could you tell me what this figure is?

Compare: What is this figure? a less polite way of asking the same question.

What does P.A.Y.E. stand for?

Could I be paid directly into my bank account?

What sort of document do you need as security?