A month or more in a London apartment: sort the boring stuff first

On a stay of a month or more, the view stops mattering fairly quickly. What counts is who changes the sheets, where the washing goes, how you see a doctor and what the Tube is costing you, and if you settle those in the first few days a London serviced apartment starts to feel like a flat you live in rather than a hotel room you're tired of.

Cleaning, rates and what to pack

The word 'serviced' covers a lot of ground. Only a minority of the residences we list mention laundry or maid service at all, and some clean daily, some weekly and some only between guests. Ask for the schedule in writing before you arrive, and check whether fresh linen and towels are included or extra. A lighter service often suits a long stay better anyway, since a weekly clean with a linen change is plenty when you're out at work all day, and it means fewer knocks on the door on the mornings you're in.

Most residences take bookings of a few nights, and a small handful insist on a month minimum because they price for residents rather than visitors. If you're staying past a month, ask every place on your shortlist for a monthly rate instead of assuming the nightly figure applies; reservations teams expect the question, and it's worth having the answer in writing. If you're bringing a dog, check early, as only a minority of residences mention taking pets.

Pack fewer clothes and more layers. A London month can go from shirt-sleeve afternoons to cold rain in the same week, so a light waterproof and a warm jumper matter more than a fifth pair of shoes, and if there's a washing machine a fortnight of clothes is enough. Bring the few things that make a room yours, like a couple of photos, the book you're halfway through or your own pillow if you're fussy about pillows. They take up next to no space and by week four they count for a lot.

Doctors, fares and a weekly routine

If you'll be here several weeks, register with a GP surgery near the apartment before you need one. NHS guidance says you don't need proof of address or immigration status to register, and if you're in an area for less than three months you can sign up as a temporary resident. Hospital treatment for overseas visitors is another matter, so check your travel or company health cover before you count on it.

Use the same contactless card or phone for every Tube and bus journey. TfL caps pay-as-you-go fares by the day and by the week, with the weekly cap running Monday to Sunday, so once you hit it a busy week stops costing more; switch between card and phone, though, and TfL treats you as two separate payers and the cap no longer works. Walking helps too, because central London is smaller than the Tube map makes it look, and in the first fortnight it's the quickest way to learn your patch.

A long stay feels settled once you have a weekly rhythm that has nothing to do with the office. In Marylebone, the farmers' market in the Cramer Street car park runs every Sunday from 10am to 2pm and is where the locals do their weekend shop, while over the river Borough Market is at its nicest on a weekday morning, before the lunch crowd turns up.

Exercise is the other anchor. Only about a quarter of residences mention a gym, so plenty of long-stay guests use the parks instead, and the Outer Circle in Regent's Park and the paths around the Serpentine in Hyde Park are both popular running loops. For classes or a pool, ask local gyms for a monthly membership rather than signing up for a year. Introduce yourself to the building manager or reception team in week one too, since on a long stay they're the people who sort the broken boiler, hold a parcel or point you to a decent dry cleaner.