Advertising terms and abbreviations

Many property advertisements use a range of abbreviations and terms with which you may not be familiar. Frustratingly, the abbreviations are not always consistent. For example inc and incl are both abbreviations for inclusive, meaning that the bills are included in the rent.

In order to show how these abbreviations and terms are used we have written two typical advertisements, together with a translation of what they mean. These two advertisements include the majority of terms and abbreviations that you will come across.

First advertisement

Brockley Lrg bedsit. Nr stn. N/s prof pref. Dep/refs reqd. W/m, m/w, & all mod cons. £320 pcm. Gch, Bills incl

Brockley Most adverts begin by saying where the property is. Brockley is an area of South East London (SE4).
Lrg bedsit Large bedsit. A bedsit is a room with its own cooking facilities but where you would share the bathroom and toilet with other tenants.
Nr stn Near station.
N/s prof pref Non smoking professional (i.e. not a student) preferred.
Dep/refs reqd Deposit and references required.
W/m, m/w, Washing machine, Microwave.
all mod cons "All modern conveniences". There is no precise definition of what this means. It could just mean you have a fridge and cooker. Ask what they mean by this phrase when you call them.
£320 pcm The rent is £320 per calendar month.
Gch Gas central heating.
Bills incl Utility Bills are included in the rent. Inclusive can also be abbreviated as “inc”

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Second advertisement

Finsbury Park Dble en-suite room with p/shwr on grd flr in quiet hse. Share kit. Veg pref.Newly refurb.F/f. £108 pw. Bills excl. Cls to all amenities. 20 mins to central London. No DSS

Dble Double room.Please note that there is no agreed definition of a double room. Most of the time when landlords describe a room as a double , they are just indicating that a room is large rather than that it is for two people. Always check what they means by this when you call.
en-suite rm An en-suite room is a bedroom with its own bathroom or shower.
p/shwr Power shower
grd flr Ground floor (i.e street level)
quiet hse Quiet house.
veg pref Vegetarian preferred. The people you would be sharing with would prefer to share with another vegetarian.
Share kit. Share kitchen with others.
Newly refurb Newly refurbished
F/f Fully furnished. The vast majority of property in London is rented furnished.
£108 pw. Bills £108 per week. Bills excluded (i.e you will need to pay excl bills in addition to this rent)
Cls to all amenities Close to shops, takeaways, restaraunts
20 mins to central London 20 minutes travelling time to central London.
No DSS The landlord will not accept Housing Benefit. This generally does not apply to students.

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