There are many options of accommodation available, read here about some of them and start to think about what will suit you best.
Hall of Residence
Goldsmiths provide halls of residence for around 1,000 students. Halls of residence is 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. All halls prices include bills which means you don’t have to worry about budgeting separately for it. Halls of residence are not necessarily the cheapest accommodation around and it does tie you into a 40 week contract, this is something you should bare in mind before deciding.
For more details of the Halls of residence available, please go to the Goldsmiths website
Shared student Houses/Flats
If you either didn’t 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. The union will be hosting a speed house mating events, there may be a room available in a student house (Check market place), the University notice board or visit the University of London housing service website for housing events and there flatsharing message board.
It is also worth posting an advert or checking websites such as gumtree, studentpad, spareroom and a host of other similar websites which let you look through spare rooms in current house shares or lets you post adverts looking for a room or housemates.
Some areas to look at whilst searching locally include: New Cross, New Cross Gate, Brockley, Crofton Park, Honor Oak Park, Forest Hill, Dulwich, Nunhead, Greenwich, Peckham Rye, Queens Road Peckham, Lewisham, Ladywell and Catford.
Uk Student Life has some good tips on things to think of when choosing an area to live in.
Please check out our file on rental fraud before handing over any money or signing any contracts.
It is important that you choose your co-sharers carefully.
Renting a room as a lodger in someone’s home
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.
The advantages include:
Generally slightly cheaper (although this is not always the case) and bills are often included in the rent.
Usually kept in good repair (owner occupied properties are generally kept in better repair than rented properties).
Good availability, these offers are sometimes the only way that a student can find a property in a central location.
The disadvantages are:
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.
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 elses rules regarding playing music, using the washing machine etc
You may find adverts for this on the college notice boards, but do make sure that you visit them first with a friend.
Host Families
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.
An additional advantage of this kind of accommodation is that usually you do not have to commit yourself to a very long stay and if it isn’t working, you can end the arrangement fairly painlessly.
Purpose Built Halls of Residence in the Private Sector
In recent years housing associations and other organisations have built new halls of residence for students. They are often more expensive than housing provided directly by the university but, nevertheless, have usually been built to a high standard and are almost always en-suite and self catering.
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 ad more about the Code is available from the following website: http://www.anuk.org.uk/LargeCode/
The University of London has a list of Halls which are registered with them. This can be accessed here.
Independent Student Hostels with charitable status
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).
The most comprehensive source of information about hostels is the London Conference of Overseas students website.www.lcos.org.uk
Studio Flats
Typically Studio Flats are one room with a kitchen and separate bathroom. Many private providers have built blocks of Studio Flats specifically for students. Rents start at about £200 per week for these new developments but can excede £320.
Of course, the advantage of these developments are 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 find cheaper options rented directly from private landlords. These will usually be cheaper and larger than the Studio Flats in purpose built blocks. However, you really are on your own here. Please check out our file on rental fraud before handing over any money or signing any contracts.
Homeshare
Homeshare is a charity that provides an exchange service where individuals who are looking for a valuable experience and affordable accommodation are matched with an elderly person who is looking for a hand around the house for 10 hrs a week. This is an excellent opportunity if you are looking for a quieter style of life, while living in a homely environment with shared use of the home’s facilities.
We look for individuals who have a genuine interest in helping older people, 23+ years of age, and who are studying or working full time. There is a minimum of 6 months commitment and a monthly fee of £68.70 for the accommodation that goes towards the running costs of the charity.
If you are interested, please phone Homeshare on 0207 376 4558 or visit our website.
To top
Ad Hoc Property Guardian
At any point in time, there are hundreds of flats, houses and offices that lie empty in this city. Of course, there are good reasons why. Some will be awaiting new owners. Some will be vacant before new tenants move in. But whatever the reasons, they are all decent buildings that are simply not being used.
Ad Hoc works with the owners of these properties to offer affordable short-term living accommodation for working professionals and students.
It’s an innovative approach that is proven to work. You get accommodation at a fraction of the cost that you would expect, and property owners get piece of mind, knowing that there are Guardians in their property to keep an eye on it. On average, Guardians are able to reside in a property up to eight months. Licence fee per week for zone 1(London TFL zones) £70, Zone 2 £ 60 per week and zone 3 and further out is £ 50 per week.
If you are a responsible person over 21 years of age on the lookout for affordable accommodation, why not register for free? Simply call Ad Hoc at our London office 020 7226 9900 or email guardians@adhoc.eu
How soon can you arrange your housing once you know you’re coming to London?
Housing for students with disabilities.
What are the options for students with disabilities?
Housing for students with families.
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.
Housing for students from overseas.
What is London like for an overseas student?
Advertising terms and abbreviations.
Having difficulty making sense of all those abbreviatations in adverts? What is a bedsit? This should help.
Area Guide to London
North or South, East or West? Find out what other students think about where they live.
Getting around
Information abut public transport inthe capital.
Staying safe
Home Office statistics indicate that 1 in 3 students is the victim of a crime. Don’t become a statistic. Following these simple tips will make you feel more secure—and could just make all the difference.
Living with friends
How to make sure that you remain friends at the end of the tenancy.
Rent Prices
To find out what the average rent price for a property in a particular area this website is really useful:
Inspecting a property
How to check that your property will not turn into the house from hell.
Licensing of landlords and Gas Safety
What are the legal requirements that a landlord must meet with regard to property safety?
Neighbours
Make sure you know who your neighbours are going to be.
Negotiating and guarantors/references
Getting the best deal involves negotiating with the landlord.
Contracts and checking ownership
What kind of contract will you have and what will it mean?
Money matters
What will you be asked to pay in order to secure your home?
Inventory and Schedule of Condition
It is essential that you have an accurate record of the condition of the property when you move in. If you don’t, you could run into problems at the end of the tenancy with getting your deposit back.
Utility companies
Make sure you only get charged for what you have used. Take readings of all the meters when you move in.
TV licensing
Insurance
Make sure you take out insurance when you move in.
Introduction
There are three main rules for dealing with housing problems. They are..
Holding Deposits Campaign
Every year in London tens and possibly hundreds of thousands of pounds are unfairly withheld from holding deposits paid by prospective tenants to letting agents.
Tenancy Deposit Protection
Damage Deposits
How to prevent your landlord ripping off your deposit
Repairs
How to get your landlord to carry out repairs
Mice, rats and other infestations
When is it the landlords duty to deal with infestations?
Leaving early
Under what circumstances can you leave before the end of your contract?
Intrusive landlords and noisy neighbours
The landlord keeps coming round and letting himself in..my neighbours are a nightmare. What can I do?
Where else can I go for help?
Free sources of help for people with housing problems.
Hostels
Links to independent student hostels.
Halls of Residence
Halls of Residence are open to visitors over the Summer. Links to all the different providers can be accessed here.
Lodging with other students over the Summer
In many student households, someone will want to be away for several months over the Summer. Sometimes you can rent their room off them.
Search
I am looking for other students to form a group to go flat/house hunting with
I am looking for offers of housing from other students (flatshares/houseshares)
I want to know more about different areas of London and to see what other students have said about where they live
Post Adverts
We need to advertise a room in our flat/house to other students
I am looking for housing and want to place an advert so that students with offers of housing can contact me directly
Area Guide
Location, location, location ... Tell others about where you live. Post a comment on the Area Guide.
Tell us what is good and bad about where you live
Deed of Assignment form - If you are in a shared household but one person wants to leave, they will usually need to find a replacement. Once they have found a replacement, the above deed of assignment should be completed. This ensures that the leaving tenant is fully released from the contract and the replacement tenant fully signed up in their place.
Guarantor form - Many landlords now ask for Guarantors for the rent. A Guarantor will guarantee to the landlord to pay the rent if the tenant defaults. It is important that a Guarantor ensures that they have only guaranteed the rent for their own son/daughter rather than for the whole household. This Guarantor form does this.
Inventory - A basic inventory form can be downloaded here. We suggest that you supplement this with a photographic record of the property at the beginning of the tenancy.
Surrender document - If all of you in a property need to leave your property before the end of your fixed term contract, you will need to agree the surrender of your tenancy.The landlord does not have to agree to a surrender and you will need to negotiate this.There are two options outlined in the surrender document.If you have found replacement tenants, you may be able to persuade him to release you without any penalties. In this instance, you should delete clause 3.3 from the surrender document.If you have not found replacements but are prepared to forgo your deposit in return for being relased from the contract, you should delete clauses 3.1 and 3.2 from the document.
House Hunting Checklist- A basic list to take along to any house viewings which covers key questions about the area, the property and the landlord.
Rental Fraud- Some advice from the City of London Police with regards to fraulent student rentals, keep on your guard!
Gas Safe- Better to be Gas Safe than Sorry! Facts and tips on how to ensure that you stay safe.
Thanks for your feedback!
Comments?