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The keys are temporary. Your need to get online is not.
A short tenancy, serviced apartment or relocation stay can be too brief for a conventional broadband contract and too long to spend tethered to a phone. The practical answer is often temporary internet that arrives with you and leaves when you do.
Start with what the accommodation already includes
Ask the landlord, letting agent, relocation company or accommodation provider:
- whether WiFi is included in the rent or nightly rate;
- whether it is a private connection for the property or shared with other units;
- where to find the network name and password;
- who is responsible when it stops working; and
- whether there are any data, device or acceptable-use limits.
Do not rely on a listing that simply says "WiFi available" if you need it for work. Ask whether the connection reaches the room you will use and whether other residents share it.
If included WiFi is faulty, report it first. A temporary mobile connection can be a useful backup, but it does not remove the accommodation provider's responsibility to supply anything promised as part of your booking or tenancy.
Decide whether fixed broadband is worth arranging
Fixed broadband can make sense if you will stay long enough, the address can be activated promptly and the total commitment fits your plans. Before ordering, check:
- the minimum contract or rolling notice period;
- activation and installation times;
- setup, delivery and cancellation costs;
- what happens to the service when you leave;
- whether equipment must be returned; and
- whether the installation changes the property.
If an engineer needs to drill, attach equipment or run a new cable, check the tenancy and get any required permission before booking. BT's fibre installation guidance, for example, tells tenants to confirm that their landlord agrees to new fibre cabling. Do not assume an existing socket means a new service can be switched on immediately.
For a stay with an uncertain end date, the contract and notice period can matter more than the advertised monthly price.
Compare temporary internet options
Choose the lightest option that will comfortably cover the people, devices and days involved.
Phone hotspot for a brief, light stay
A phone can share its mobile data with a laptop or tablet. This is a sensible first option for one person checking email, browsing and handling ordinary admin for a few days.
Check the data allowance and keep the phone charged. It becomes less convenient when several people need access, the phone leaves the property or regular calls and streaming are part of the stay.
Pocket WiFi for one person who changes location
Portable WiFi suits a tenant or relocating worker who needs the connection to travel between the accommodation, office and other addresses. It creates a separate personal network without tying up the phone.
If the need is mainly one settled property with several occupants, a plug-in Home Router is usually the more natural shape of service.
A 4G or 5G Home Router for a temporary household
A mobile Home Router uses the mobile network and creates one shared WiFi connection inside the property. It does not need an active landline or fixed broadband installation.
It can suit a tenancy lasting several weeks or months, a serviced apartment, temporary accommodation during insurance or building work, and a relocation period before permanent housing is confirmed. It also keeps the connection independent from any one person's phone.
Check coverage at the exact rental address
Mobile coverage can change from one street, floor or room to the next. Use Ofcom's Map Your Mobile coverage checker to compare predicted 4G and 5G coverage at the accommodation.
Ofcom notes that walls, building materials, nearby structures and network demand can affect what you actually receive. Basement flats, thick walls and some modern glazing can make indoor results different from the map.
If you can visit before the stay, test a phone on the relevant network. In a larger building, ask the accommodation provider whether residents have trouble with mobile signal inside the particular flat, not only at reception or outside.
Arrange delivery before you arrive
A temporary router is only useful if the parcel is safe when it reaches the address. Confirm the full flat number, access instructions and the name an on-site reception or concierge expects.
If you will not yet have access, ask an authorised person to accept and hold it. Do not send equipment to a short-term address and assume it can wait unattended in a communal hallway.
FlexiWiFi's current delivery and returns information covers delivery to valid UK addresses, including accommodation and workplaces. Check the latest lead time before choosing the rental start date.
Set up without changing the property
One advantage of mobile WiFi is that it does not require you to alter the rental. Put the router in a clean, open and ventilated position where the mobile signal is usable and a mains socket is safely available.
Do not drill, run permanent cabling or move the landlord's broadband equipment without permission. Keep supplied equipment and instructions together so nothing is left behind at checkout.
Connect essential devices first, then test the real tasks you care about. If you will work from the accommodation, try the company VPN, a video call and normal file access before relying on the setup for a full day. The guide to working from home before broadband is ready has a fuller test list.
Keep personal and shared use sensible
If several people share the accommodation, agree who can use the temporary network. Use the supplied security settings, keep the WiFi password within the household and follow any employer rules for work devices.
Large downloads, console updates and cloud photo backups can compete with calls and other essential traffic. Let everyone know that mobile performance may vary with signal and local network demand.
For sensitive work, follow your employer's security policy. A private temporary network may be more convenient than communal WiFi, but it is still an internet connection outside the office and should be treated accordingly.
Match the end of the internet to the end of the stay
Write down the accommodation checkout date and any uncertainty around it. A relocation may extend, building work may finish late or a permanent tenancy may become available sooner than expected.
No contract. Rent it for as long as you need it. Extend a FlexiWiFi rental under the current terms if the stay continues, or send it back when you are done. Keep the proof of postage until the return and any deposit refund are complete.
This guide is for the person living in temporary accommodation. If the connection needs to travel across an old home, a stopgap address and a new home, use the separate guide to staying connected while moving between homes. Students in halls or a shared house can use the student WiFi guide. A future guide for holiday-let operators will cover repeated guest stays and property management rather than a tenant's own temporary need.
Compare the wider temporary broadband options before booking, especially if you are choosing between portable WiFi and a Home Router.
Get online for the stay, not for the next two years
Check what is included, decide whether fixed broadband is proportionate and confirm mobile coverage before choosing a temporary service.
A hotspot may be all one person needs for a few days. For a short-term household that wants one shared connection without modifying the property, a temporary Home Router can cover the stay and leave with you when the keys go back.
Useful to know
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