hg starting 2014

What are the options? 14

Where to look 22

When to look 28

Housing for students with families 29

Housing for international students 30

Housing for students with disabilities 3313

Starting

There are a bewildering range of housing options for students to consider in London. Below we have listed the most significant together with explanations about the merits of each.

Many colleges will be able to provide housing in their own halls of residence or other accommodation that they have arranged.

Places will be limited and, for undergraduates, it is unlikely that they will be able to house you throughout your studies.

For information about what may be available, including application deadline dates, please contact your college directly.

Please note that colleges can only house their own students. You will, therefore, need to show that you are going to be studying at that college before you apply.

Halls of residence or other college accommodation are not for everybody but they are most students’ first choice. They give you time to get to know other students and learn about London in a supportive environment.

What are the options?

Halls of Residence and other college accommodation

14 London Student Housing Guide

IIf you have either chosen not to apply for halls of residence or your application was not successful, it is most likely that a shared house or flat will be your preferred option. Most students in London live in this type of accommodation beyond their first year.

Most of you want to live surrounded by other people of a similar age and similar views and with a degree of independence from both your parents and the university. If you are coming to London on your own, your university will often offer you assistance in forming a house-hunting group with other like-minded students.

However, it is important that you choose your co-sharers carefully. Many of the worst housing problems that accommodation offices have to deal with are caused by disputes between co-tenants.

For more on this, refer to the section on living with friends, pages 69-70.

Our website carries a flat-sharing message board exclusively for students in London www.studenthousing.lon.ac.uk

Shared student houses/flats

15Starting

There is no such thing as a typical resident landlord. Some are young professionals or recent graduates, others are middle aged couples and some are retired. Some have young families, whilst others have children who have grown up and left home. Although most students’ first preference would probably be to share with other students, it is worth considering the advantages of this arrangement as well as the disadvantages.

Living with a Resident Landlord

The advantages include:

1 Generally slightly cheaper (although this is not always the case) and bills are often included in the rent.

2 Generally more flexibility in terms of the length of agreement with lots of resident landlords wiling to agree short lets.

3 Usually kept in good repair (owner occupied properties are generally kept in better repair than rented properties).

4 Good availability, these offers are sometimes the only way that a student can find a property in a central location.

The disadvantages are:

1 It’s not your home and if you fall out with your landlord/landlady, you will usually have no option but to find somewhere else to live (see page 89 for more on this).

2 You will often have less freedom to bring home friends or guests and this could leave you feeling isolated. In addition, you are living by someone else’s rules regarding playing music, using the washing machine etc.


Host Families are resident Landlords, often with children, who offer accommodation inclusive of meals and the opportunity to live as part of their family. It is a very popular option with some students who are new to London and its culture and/or who may be looking to improve their English language skills.

Most university accommodation offices are not resourced to match students with these families but there are specialist agencies that can carry out this work.

An additional advantage of arranging this kind of accommodation is that usually you do not have to commit yourself to a very long stay. Often you can arrange a stay for as little as two weeks. This means that if it isn’t working, you can end the arrangement fairly painlessly.

The voluntary sector has a long record of housing students in London. Some hostels will have a religious background whilst others will aim to cater to a particular range of students (i.e. music students, medical students, etc.)

A list of links for students looking for thus type of housing can be found on our website.

www.studenthousing.lon.ac.uk A Getting started A What are the options?

Host Families

Independent Student Hostels

17Starting

In recent years housing associations and private companies have built new independent halls of residence for students. They are typically more expensive than housing provided directly by your college but have usually also been built to a high standard. They are almost always en-suite and self-catering. Since they are not directly linked to a particular college or university you will be sharing with a diverse range of young people. When deciding whether this option is suitable for you, find out the length of the contract that you will be expected to sign. Most private halls of residence currently only offer 51 week contracts.

In the case of a new Hall which is still being built when you book, there will always be a risk that the accommodation won’t be ready to move into on the proposed/advertised date so it always advisable to discuss this with the provider in advance.

Finally, you should always try to use a provider who is signed up to the ANUK Code of Standards for Larger Developments. Details of who is signed up and more about the Code is available from the following website: www.nationalcode.org

Private Halls of Residence


Typically studio flats are one room with a kitchen and separate bathroom. Many private hall providers (see previous section) have built blocks of Studio Flats specifically for students. Rents start at about £230 per week for these new developments but can go up to over £400 depending on size, location and quality.

Of course, the advantage of these developments is that you will have a measure of independence but will also be surrounded by other students. In order to ensure that you do not feel isolated you should ask the provider what attempts they make to foster a sense of community within the building.

If you don’t like the idea of renting a Studio Flat in a block with other students, then you can rent one elsewhere directly from a private landlord. However, this option can make students feel quite isolated. If you are a couple your relationship must be very strong to survive the claustrophobia of effectively living in one room. If you are single, you must really like your own company or have a very active social life (expensive).

Studio Flats

19Starting

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University accomodation offices

Many university accommodation offices will have their own list of registered landlords. Others will also provide information on registered letting agents and other specialist housing organisations (i.e. host family agencies, independent halls of residence or hostels).

In some cases your university will manage properties on behalf of private sector landlords. In these cases, your landlord will be the university even though the property is not owned by them.

The advantage of using your university accommodation office is that there is some degree of control/support if you have a problem. The disadvantage is that they are unlikely to have

enough registered landlords or managed properties to house all of their students.

Where to look

Top Student Tips “Local newspapers and Loot go out of date very quickly. Make sure you get the issue on the day it comes out and if you are interested phone straight away”


Loot is an important source of information about private sector housing. The offers are from private landlords, agencies and tenants looking for other co-tenants. They also have a website: www.loot.com

Gumtree (www.gumtree.com) is another similar website.

Local newspapers If you have decided on the area of London that you want to live in, you could also use local newspapers as a source of information. Many adverts use abbreviations or terms with which you may not be familiar. For a brief guide to commonly used abbreviations and terms, please refer to pages 130-132.

Loot and local newspapers

Look out for adverts in

Loot and elsewhere with the above logo, as this means that the landlord is accredited with the London Landlord Accreditation Scheme (LLAS). The LLAS helps accredited landlords operate a successful business and provide safe, quality accommodation in London.

CAUTION Fraudsters will often target students and in

particular, international students through adverts on

these sites. An advert will be placed for a property on an

accommodation website which will seem too good to be

true, for example a Studio Flat in central London for £170 per week.

Often the person advertising has no right to let the property and

sometimes the property does not even exist.

If you are asked to send money as a deposit to the advertiser

without having viewed the property then do not do it.

Also do not agree to send money using Western Union or Moneygram

to your own friend or relative “to prove that you have sufficient funds”.

With the tracking information you give them, the fraudster can steal

your money or your identity.

23Starting

The majority of rented accommodation in London is advertised through letting agents. The advantage of using a letting agent is that you will have access to a large number of properties.

The disadvantage is that because they work on commission, they have a motivation to make sure that the landlord achieves the maximum rent possible. They can also make a range of administration charges to potential tenants (contract fees, referencing fees etc.) However, they cannot charge you just to show you accommodation. For more on this, please see pages 100-101.

Professional Bodies for Letting Agents Government statistics indicate that around two thirds of agents are members of professional and accreditation membership bodies and we would always recommend that tenants try to use these agents where possible. Anyone can set themselves up as a letting agent.

However, those agents that are accredited or members of a professional body are more serious about their standards, have voluntarily chosen to follow the body’s rules of conduct and must take part in regular training.

Letting Agents


Agents advertise through a range of sources. They will place advertisements in papers such as Loot, Renting and the Evening Standard.

They will also use websites such as: www.rightmove.co.uk www.zoopla.co.uk www.primelocation.com

Independent Redress Schemes From 1st October 2014, all letting agents will be required by law to be a member of at least one independent redress scheme, allowing tenants to complain to an independent body. The three schemes are The Property Ombudsman, Ombudsman Services: Property and a new scheme, The Property Redress Scheme.

Some of the most well known are:

ARLA Association of Residential Letting Agents: www.arla.co.uk

NALS National Approved Letting Scheme: www.nalscheme.co.uk

RICS The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors

www.rics.org

You can search for members of these bodies in different areas of London via their websites.

25Starting

Notice boards Around the University you will find a number of notice boards where offers of accommodation will be posted. These will either be from landlords or from students looking for co-sharers. Some universities will also have online notice boards where students can advertise to other students. Advertisements from students to other students can be an excellent way to find accommodation. However, advertisements from landlords can be problematic.

Newsagent windows Once you have decided on an area of London that you like, you should use every resource available to find housing in this area. This includes newsagent windows. It’s not glamorous but sometimes good offers can be found in this way.

The London Student Housing Guide has a popular flat-sharing message board, exclusively for students. On this website you can find offers of housing and other students to go flat hunting with www.studenthousing.lon.ac.uk A Find a flatmate

CAUTION Students should be very cautious of landlords

who try to advertise directly to students without using

their accommodation office. There are many notice boards

around the University and not all of them are adequately

monitored. If a landlord has posted notices around the University and

is, therefore, targeting students, check whether they are registered

with the University. If they are not, why aren’t they?

Noticeboards and newsagents windows


Some of the best housing in London is never advertised but is passed on from one group of students to another by word of mouth. It might be that you can find out about good offers from final year students who are vacating their flats/houses.

However, don’t assume that just because you have found out about housing from a friend that it is necessarily going to be better than that found through any other source.

Faced with the very high rents charged in London, some students and their parents will consider buying as an alternative. In many instances this will involve the parents buying the property and their son/daughter renting out the other rooms to their friends.

It is important that students are aware of both the pitfalls as well as the advantages of this arrangement.

Although you have escaped the stress of being a tenant and dealing with obstructive landlords, you have swapped this for the stress of being a landlord or, at least, the landlord’s representative. No matter how much you protest to the contrary, you are no longer in an equal relationship with your co-sharers. It can be difficult to maintain friendships when you are no longer equal and many friendships have ended over arguments about rent arrears and repairs.

Word of mouth

Family (parents or relatives buying a property)

27Starting

When you look depends on the kind of accommodation that you are looking for.

If you are looking for a place in an independent student hostel or private hall of residence, you may need to apply months in advance. If, on the other hand, you are looking for a flat/house or a room with a resident landlord, you will not normally be able to arrange this more than 4–6 weeks in advance.

Some university accommodation offices will encourage their landlords to advertise early for September. This means that some lucky students are able to arrange their housing as early as May. However, it is a small minority of students that are able to do this and there is no real evidence to show that housing found in May is any better than that found later on.

The majority of students do not arrange their housing until August/September. They will usually arrange temporary housing in London either in a hotel, college hall of residence (usually open to guests both within and outside the University over the summer) with a host family or in a hostel whilst they are looking. Provided you are well organised, it shouldn’t take more than 2-3 weeks to find your housing.

YYou should not try to book your housing without being in London and also, if you are looking for housing that is in great demand (i.e. centrally located), you should try not to leave your search until September.

When to look


Whilst it can be hard for children to settle into their new life and for the family to adjust, London nevertheless, offers an irresistible opportunity for children to experience and develop in a thriving and exciting city, with an amazing diversity of people and cultures.

However, family accommodation is difficult to find and students with families should only bring their family to London once they have arranged somewhere for their family to live permanently.

There is very little accommodation provided directly by Universities to students with families.

Some specialist hostels and housing associations can assist both married

students and those with children, but places are limited and you will need to apply early. See page 17 for details on Hostels.

If you are not able to secure a place in a hostel, you will need to consider an appropriate budget for the private sector. Self-contained flats (in transport zones 2/3) for couples will usually cost a minimum of £230per week and for those with two small children sharing a room this will rise to £300 per week.

If you are an international student and need guidance on other costs, please see pages 62-67 for information on budgets, or contact your university.

Housing for students with families

29Starting

This guide has been written for all students, including international students. If you are not accustomed to the UK system, here are a few tips to get you started:

Many halls of residence or hostels may prioritise applications from international students, and may in fact be keen to offer accommodation to certain nationalities in order to ensure a diverse residential community. Check with you institution to see whether they have accommodation for students.

Halls and hostels are very popular so it’s a good idea to apply to as many as possible, as early as possible. There are many independently run student hostels in

London. Your institution should be able to provide further information.

If you opt for private accommodation, as many international students do, remember that a landlord will require a deposit and one month’s rent straight away. Indeed some landlords and letting agents may ask for more than one month’s rent in advance if you do not have someone in the UK who will guarantee to pay your rent if you don’t pay it (see page 86 for more details)

As UK bank accounts can take some time to open, you should bring enough money to cover your start-up costs (in the form of travellers cheques - do not bring cash!).

Housing for international students


0207 205 [email protected] www.housinghand.co.uk

Are you looking for accommodation?

Do you need a UK rent guarantor?

We can help you secure your property and pay your rent monthly.

WITHOUT A GUARANTOR you may have to pay all your rent in advance.

Contact us to find out more

ad-eg-hh-v1.indd 1 18/07/2014 01:10

Make sure you have somewhere to stay for the first few nights while you are looking for something permanent. For short-stay accommodation, take a look at our website (www.studenthousing.lon.ac.uk) and check whether your institution’s Accommodation Office can help.

UKCISA (The UK Council for International Student Affairs) produces a series of useful guidance notes for international students: www.ukcisa.org.uk


Unfortunately well-designed or adapted buildings for disabled people are still a rarity in London.

However, the Equality Act now means that private landlords are prohibited from giving you unjustified less favourable treatment if you have a disability and are looking to rent accommodation. For example, landlords must not charge someone with a disability a higher rent or deposit than other tenants. Landlords are also subject to a duty to make reasonable adjustment to premises to cater for the needs of disabled persons.

If you are treated unfairly, the Equality Advisory Support Service (EASS) can provide more details about disability rights in relation to private rental accommodation.

The contact details for EASS are: Telephone: 0808 800 0082 Textphone: 0808 800 0084 Website: www.equality advisoryservice.com

It is possible to get a grant to adapt a home if necessary and this applies to private homes as well as council owned properties. To apply for this you need to look on the web site of your local council. There is also information on this scheme on the government web site – https://www.gov.uk/disabled-facilities-grants

Another organisation that may be helpful is Disability Rights UK, the leading charity promoting the rights of disabled people. See – http://disabilityrightsuk.org/how-we-can-help/independent-living

Disability Rights UK also has some useful links relating to housing – http://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/housing-links

Housing for students with disabilities

33Starting

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Documents

international students

likeminded students

halls of residence

worst housing problems

shared house

accommodation offices

type of accommodation

resident landlords