looking for a boat to rent in central london

[luna rosa 0]

Me and my girlfriend are lookin for a boat to rent for minimum 6 months, and id like some help guys. Cherrs luis.

[luna rosa 0]

Me and my girlfriend are lookin for a boat to rent for minimum 6 months, and id like some help guys. Cherrs luis.

[Mike the Boilerman 6457]

Welcome Luis!

 

May I suggest this isn't the best place to ask?

 

Reasons for saying this are 1) the vast majority of peeps here are owners and 2) renting a narrowboat to (presumably) live on is a hornet's nest of difficulties if done legally.

 

There are a few threads here dealing with the subject in fine detail so have a bash at using the search facility, box top right of every page. The main difficulties are that a commercial licence, insurance and Boat Safety Certificate are necessary for a landlord (boatlord?) to rent out his narrowboat legally, and that most of the landlord/tenant law is not drafted to deal with boat issues cropping up.

 

This means that firstly, most narrowboats you might find on Gumtree etc for rent are operating outside the law and therefore tend to have dodgy landlords, so you take your chances, and secondly, as the landlord has very few ways of preventing you cruising off into the distance in his boat never to be seen again, only the scruffiest, crappiest, least well-maintained boats are ever likely to be available to rent.

 

And thirdly, residential moorings are like hen's teeth, cost the earth and generally subletting is barred so the mooring you'll get with a rented boat is likely to illegal too.

 

Apart from all that, go for it!

 

MtB

 

 

P.S. I know this reads like 'pouring cold water' etc but I don't mean it that way. I'd far rather you go into this fully informed rather than not knowing.

[junior 501]

Having taken all the above into account, lots of people in London live on rented boats and the regularly come up.

 

If you don't care about the legalities, get on Gumtree or post a 'Wanted' advert on the London Boaters Facebook page as they are the 2 places they are most commonly advertised.

[Mike the Boilerman 6457]

Junior is quite right. Find a boatlord you get on with and you both trust each other, then stick to what you agreed, and everything will go just fine.

 

It's when one or other party decides to ignore what was agreed that the trouble starts. So trust is all-important.

 

 

MtB

[Athy 901]

It won't be easy, for legal reasons. Better to buy a cheap boat, then sell it again after the six months. But good luck with finding what you want.

[debbifiggy 8]

It won't be easy, for legal reasons. Better to buy a cheap boat, then sell it again after the six months. But good luck with finding what you want.

Be very careful and use the search facility on this site. If you are in London on CRT run waters the following applies to all boats used for residential lettings.

 

Residential Letting

These are boats let out for long term residential use.

In order to let a boat out for long term residential use the boat must be on a mooring that has consent for residential use.

Key Considerations

In addition to a home mooring with planning consent for residential use, you will need to demonstrate that you have the right to access facilities such as fresh water, sewage disposal, rubbish disposal and fuel.

If you are on a secure mooring site where access to the site is via a code or key system, you must provide evidence that the other moorers on the site are happy for you to offer the boat for residential letting.

Regulations

You will need:

• a commercial insurance policy giving third party and public liability cover for tenants.
• a Non-private boat safety scheme certificate.
• a full handover document clearly describing how to operate the boat and all of the equipment on board safely. This must include a 24 hour emergency call out service.

A copy of the regulations that apply to each sector can be found here

Insurance

You will need a commercial insurance policy that provides third party and public liability cover to a value of £2m.

Boat Licence

Residential boats will require a Business Licence. A price list can be found here

Other regulations

Other regulations may apply to your business. For example, boats let out for hire must have a Gas Safe Certificate. Please read our General Guidance section and make your own independent enquiries to ensure that you understand and comply with all the regulations relevant to your proposed operation.

Please submit an Operating Proposal if you wish to set up a new residential let.

 

Also read this

 

Renting a boat to live on, or hiring out your own boat

Having a boat as a home is an increasingly popular choice for some people, creating tempting opportunities for owners to offset costs. Our important message to both groups is to do careful homework first.

Renting out a boat isn’t just a simple matter of agreeing the terms and showing your tenant around the boat. There are important legal and safety issues involved that, if they’ve been ignored, could land you and/or the tenant in real difficulties, even ending in tragedy.

First of all, as a landlord, you have a duty of care to the tenant. Regardless of any written or verbal agreement, if the boat catches fire, or the tenant dies of carbon monoxide poisoning, it’ll be the owner or licence holder in the Coroner’s Court Dock. If you can’t demonstrate that you’ve met all the legal requirements, including having the right type of boat safety certification (the requirements are higher for rented out boats) and proof that you’ve gone through the handover procedure correctly, you may end up with a serious criminal conviction. If you’re thinking of letting out your boat for any reason at all, you need to talk to The Trust's business boating team who’ll help you get to grips with the requirements to ensure your boat is safe and your tenant is protected.

If you’re thinking of renting a boat to live on (or for any other purpose) make sure you do your research thoroughly before you start.

• The Residential Boat Owners’ Association (rboa.org.uk) is a great place to begin – they have chapter and verse on all the cons as well as the pros of living afloat.
• If you go to inspect a possible boat, make sure that it’s displaying a valid navigation authority licence – for boats on Canal & River Trust waterways, a square licence should be in the window facing outwards that clearly says ‘Business Licence’. If you have any doubts, drop an email to our customer services team at customer.services@canalrivertrust.org.uk (tel. 03030 404040) with the boat’s name and index number, explain that you’re thinking of renting the boat and ask them to confirm that it has the right kind of licence.
• Check that, if the boat has a home mooring, the owner of the mooring site has granted consent for the boat to be lived on by someone different.

 

There have been quite a few people in London who've ended up having very very bad experiences by renting "unofficially". I'm sure Lady Muck will be along shortly to share some tales of woe and I'm not going to say anything further about a cetain "company" that tried to do unofficial renting in London not that long ago.

 

Debbi

[bottle 176]

Double thread: other thread: http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=65457&hl=

 

have reported this one so the moods can combine.

[luctor et emergo 310]

Two identical posts, explosive subject, first poster...

 

 

Cynical, moi?

 

 

:-)

[WJM 120]

Try Quiliam Estate Agents in Brentford

[Grace and Favour 183]

Double thread: other thread: http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=65457&hl=

 

have reported this one so the moods can combine.

Have merged

Ta!

[cotswoldsman 1076]

Me and my girlfriend are lookin for a boat to rent for minimum 6 months, and id like some help guys. Cherrs luis.

Try London Boaters Facebook Page. Best to get one with an engine but make sure it works

[Wanted 1494]

Yeah I saw the one in Brentford the other day, they quite often pop up there so worth nipping In as well.

 

When we first moved onto boat we fully broke the rules and rented an old tub for far too much money, it was all good though as we were fully aware of the risk that we decided to take, we knew that we had little in the way of tenure and insurance and that was good for us. It gave us a stepping stone to buying our own boat. The only niggle, or worry that I had is that if the boat we were on caused damage to someone else.

 

 

 

I would not advise for or against but would urge you to know exactly what the risks are and the rest, is up to you.

 

 

Oh, and if you do decide to take this route, keep yer head down!

[Peter X 343]

In Central London, eh? Who'd'a thunk it?

 

Luis, I suggest you seriously consider all the legal problems outlined above, look at the cheapest flats available in places like Croydon, Thamesmead, Barking, Chatham and Luton (and the fares for commuting to wherever you need to get to) and do a dispassionate comparison of all the pros and cons, including the practical considerations of security of tenure and access to utilities from boats. You may come to the conclusion that life afloat is not such a wise move for you.

[Mike the Boilerman 6457]

Yeah I saw the one in Brentford the other day, they quite often pop up there so worth nipping In as well.

 

When we first moved onto boat we fully broke the rules and rented an old tub for far too much money, it was all good though as we were fully aware of the risk that we decided to take, we knew that we had little in the way of tenure and insurance and that was good for us. It gave us a stepping stone to buying our own boat. The only niggle, or worry that I had is that if the boat we were on caused damage to someone else.

 

 

 

I would not advise for or against but would urge you to know exactly what the risks are and the rest, is up to you.

 

 

Oh, and if you do decide to take this route, keep yer head down!

 

 

Totally agree.

 

Bear in mind most if not all the risk from incorrect license and BSS, no insurance etc normally found in 'under the radar' boat rentals lies with the landlord.

 

The tenant will only care about any of it should something go really badly wrong like an injury caused by the boat or the equipment in it.

 

And of course that should CRT find out about the rental they will lose their home...

 

MtB

[Lady Muck 2]

And If it's a boat that has been declared continuous cruising, you will not be able to remain in Central London without drawing attention to the enforcement team , for instance you cannot live solely between Camden, Paddington and Islington visitor moorings permanently whatever the Gumtree ads tell you, you'll be ticketed and then written to and enter the enforcement process. Especially if you are spotted at the same handful of moorings again.

[David Mack 1585]

Be very careful and use the search facility on this site. If you are in London on CRT run waters the following applies to all boats used for residential lettings.

 

Residential Letting

These are boats let out for long term residential use.

In order to let a boat out for long term residential use the boat must be on a mooring that has consent for residential use.

Key Considerations

In addition to a home mooring with planning consent for residential use, you will need to demonstrate that you have the right to access facilities such as fresh water, sewage disposal, rubbish disposal and fuel.

If you are on a secure mooring site where access to the site is via a code or key system, you must provide evidence that the other moorers on the site are happy for you to offer the boat for residential letting.

Regulations

You will need:

• a commercial insurance policy giving third party and public liability cover for tenants.
• a Non-private boat safety scheme certificate.
• a full handover document clearly describing how to operate the boat and all of the equipment on board safely. This must include a 24 hour emergency call out service.

A copy of the regulations that apply to each sector can be found here

Insurance

You will need a commercial insurance policy that provides third party and public liability cover to a value of £2m.

Boat Licence

Residential boats will require a Business Licence. A price list can be found here

Other regulations

Other regulations may apply to your business. For example, boats let out for hire must have a Gas Safe Certificate. Please read our General Guidance section and make your own independent enquiries to ensure that you understand and comply with all the regulations relevant to your proposed operation.

Please submit an Operating Proposal if you wish to set up a new residential let.

 

Also read this

 

Renting a boat to live on, or hiring out your own boat

Having a boat as a home is an increasingly popular choice for some people, creating tempting opportunities for owners to offset costs. Our important message to both groups is to do careful homework first.

Renting out a boat isn’t just a simple matter of agreeing the terms and showing your tenant around the boat. There are important legal and safety issues involved that, if they’ve been ignored, could land you and/or the tenant in real difficulties, even ending in tragedy.

First of all, as a landlord, you have a duty of care to the tenant. Regardless of any written or verbal agreement, if the boat catches fire, or the tenant dies of carbon monoxide poisoning, it’ll be the owner or licence holder in the Coroner’s Court Dock. If you can’t demonstrate that you’ve met all the legal requirements, including having the right type of boat safety certification (the requirements are higher for rented out boats) and proof that you’ve gone through the handover procedure correctly, you may end up with a serious criminal conviction. If you’re thinking of letting out your boat for any reason at all, you need to talk to The Trust's business boating team who’ll help you get to grips with the requirements to ensure your boat is safe and your tenant is protected.

If you’re thinking of renting a boat to live on (or for any other purpose) make sure you do your research thoroughly before you start.

• The Residential Boat Owners’ Association (rboa.org.uk) is a great place to begin – they have chapter and verse on all the cons as well as the pros of living afloat.
• If you go to inspect a possible boat, make sure that it’s displaying a valid navigation authority licence – for boats on Canal & River Trust waterways, a square licence should be in the window facing outwards that clearly says ‘Business Licence’. If you have any doubts, drop an email to our customer services team at customer.services@canalrivertrust.org.uk (tel. 03030 404040) with the boat’s name and index number, explain that you’re thinking of renting the boat and ask them to confirm that it has the right kind of licence.
• Check that, if the boat has a home mooring, the owner of the mooring site has granted consent for the boat to be lived on by someone different.

 

There have been quite a few people in London who've ended up having very very bad experiences by renting "unofficially". I'm sure Lady Muck will be along shortly to share some tales of woe and I'm not going to say anything further about a cetain "company" that tried to do unofficial renting in London not that long ago.

 

Debbi

 

Debbi,

 

What is the CRT view on the approach taken by a company recently mentioned on the forum that offers "long term hire", but then goes on to state that they are selling you a minority share in the ownership of the boat for the duration of your "hire", and that the boat is licenced for continuous crusing?

[debbifiggy 8]

 

Debbi,

 

What is the CRT view on the approach taken by a company recently mentioned on the forum that offers "long term hire", but then goes on to state that they are selling you a minority share in the ownership of the boat for the duration of your "hire", and that the boat is licenced for continuous crusing?

I would direct that question to one of the Trust's Trade Team managers. Their contact details are available on the Trust's website business boating pages. The company I was thinking of in my original post was the one operated by "john the duck" who used to post on here some year's ago. You'll find more snippits on the Granny Buttons blog.

Debbi

[FadeToScarlet 65]

And If it's a boat that has been declared continuous cruising, you will not be able to remain in Central London without drawing attention to the enforcement team , for instance you cannot live solely between Camden, Paddington and Islington visitor moorings permanently whatever the Gumtree ads tell you, you'll be ticketed and then written to and enter the enforcement process. Especially if you are spotted at the same handful of moorings again.

 

Presumably it'll be the registered owner written to, not the renter, so that could be another problem, if the renter doesn't receive the letters!

[Mike the Boilerman 6457]

Presumably it'll be the registered owner written to, not the renter, so that could be another problem, if the renter doesn't receive the letters!

 

I can't imagine that being too large a problem as it seems to take CRT about five years to de-licence then remove a piss-taking, CMing liveaboard boat from the cut, by which time the tenant is highly likely to have moved off anyway, and the boat 'sold off' to a mate to nullify enforcement.

 

MtB

Edited April 4, 2014 by Mike the Boilerman

[luctor et emergo 310]

Either you have chased away another delicate first poster, or

 

 

Oh, what do I know.

 

(Insert head shaking smiley..)

[RLWP 1555]

Cynical, moi?

 

 

 

Yes, at the moment, you are a thoroughly miserable git. What's up Luctor?

 

Richard

[Grace and Favour 183]

 

Yes, at the moment, you are a thoroughly miserable git. What's up Luctor?

 

Richard

Well - he is Dutch - that can't help can it? ( )

[Mike the Boilerman 6457]

 

Yes, at the moment, you are a thoroughly miserable git. What's up Luctor?

 

Richard

 

It's obvious surely. He's sold his NB and got one of those nasty 'lumpy water' boats.

 

He's SEASICK!

 

 

MtB

[luctor et emergo 310]

 

It's obvious surely. He's sold his NB and got one of those nasty 'lumpy water' boats.

 

He's SEASICK!

 

 

MtB

At least I'm not telling people off for dressing up and having fun...

 

:-)