Well I've been renting an R22 for over a decade, but I'm in the States so, my experience will undoubtedly be different from yours.
My advice to you is to ask around at flight schools if they will rent to you, since there's no reason to get a PPL at a school that won't. Also, know what their rental policy entails, like required number of hours you must rent each month to avoid having to go up with an instructor, and their policy on off airport landings.
Out here if you find a school who will rent to someone who didn't train there, you will have to do a checkout with one of their instructors. It could be just one simple flight, or five long, grueling ones, depending on the time building status of the instructor.
To be honest though, after a while, just lollygaging around the city, or sashaying down the coast in a 22 once and a while loses its luster, and eventually flying almost feels like a burden,...in other words, I spent all that money getting the license, it'd be a waste to let it lapse.
,...but I guess its still better than not flying at all.