Among the many UK cities, London is the first choice for international students. Overseas students are attracted to London because of the concentration of world-renowned colleges and universities, including University College London, the London School of Economics and Political Science, and the Imperial College of Science and Technology. However, the first big problem international students have to deal with is to find the student accommodation in London.
Getting a good student accommodation can be a real struggle, especially in a place like London where housing is tight and prices are high. Here we will talk about the renting situation of several famous colleges and universities in London.
UCL (University College London)
University College London is uniquely situated in the heart of London. Most of the school’s halls of residence are within a 10-15 minute walk of the university.
The halls of residence are diverse. The majority of halls of residence are single rooms, including beds, desks, chairs, sinks and bookshelves. There are also a small number of relatively inexpensive double rooms available. Also, there are some family halls of residence available to students. This will need to be applied for along with the application to the school.
The university guarantees that all first-year international students will be able to apply for a place in University accommodation if they apply within the specified time frame. All university halls of residence are provided with kitchens. However, students are expected to provide their own utensils, such as plates, pans, etc.
LSE (The London School of Economics and Political Science)
The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) provides accommodation in its student residences. And they are located in ten different areas of central London. Approximately 25% of first-year undergraduate students live in several student residences shared with other University of London colleges. The university guarantees that all first-year undergraduates and some postgraduates can live in student apartments, but there is no accommodation available on campus.
The nearest Grosvenor apartments are a 5-minute walk from the university, while the furthest apartments are a 45-minute ride on the tube and bus. Most of the student apartments are ethnically and sexually diverse. Apartments are generally offered on 31-week, i.e. excluding Easter and Christmas vacations, or 40- and 50-week accommodation contracts.
The largest student accommodation, Bankside Apartments, was opened in 1996 and has a capacity of 617 students in an 8-storey building. The apartments are ideally located next to the south bank of the River Thames, behind the famous Tate Modern. High Holborn Apartments is the second largest student residence, a 10-minute walk from the school. Other apartments are located in better parts of London, including Butler’s Wharf Flats, Rosebery Flats, and Carr-Saunders Flats.
Since 2005, the university has opened three new student apartments to cater for all first-year undergraduates. Lilian Knowles Apartments, opened in 2006, can accommodate 360 students.
The student apartments newly opened in October 2006 on Northumberland Avenue are located next to Trafalgar Square and the River Thames. And they are within easy reach of the famous business districts of Oxford Street, Piccadilly Circus, London’s Chinatown, Covent Garden and many West End theatres. The apartment building is Grade II listed and was once a luxury hotel during the Victorian era and later used as government offices.
IC (Imperial College)
Imperial College is located on the south side of London’s Hyde Park. It is in the famous South Kensington area, with the luxurious Harrods, the London Natural History Museum and more nearby.
Applications for halls of residence can begin once you have received your letter of offer from the university. And applicants can choose their preferred type of residence. Students usually have to apply early for university residence halls, as some are very popular. After reserving a dormitory, you must pay the deposit as soon as possible. Otherwise, the university dormitory will not be reserved for you.
First-year students of the university have priority in securing dormitories. Generally speaking, the university guarantees accommodation within or between colleges for first-year university students, with second priority given to first-year overseas postgraduate students. New students can apply not only for housing within the College but, if lucky, also for accommodation at the University of London headquarters.
In terms of dormitory living facilities, generally, university dormitories provide a kitchen, laundry, telephone, TV, parking space and so on. Kitchen facilities include a refrigerator, freezer, stove, microwave, kettle and toaster. However, students must provide their own utensils, such as plates, pans, etc. All dormitories are provided with internet access. Dormitories are categorized into 39 weeks and 51 weeks, with 51 weeks usually for postgraduate students.
Things to consider when renting a room in London:
- Study the regional zoning of London. Get to know the location, transportation, humanities and security of each zone, then choose your ideal area;
- Search the internet for properties in these districts, and find the ones you like from the overwhelming information about houses;
- Contact the agent to arrange to see the house. You can only know what a place looks like by seeing it in person. The photos agents put on their websites are often embellished and differ significantly from the real.
- After personally looking at a few places, choose your favourite one and give the landlord an offer to indicate the intention to rent. Write down their occupation, current place of residence, and the length of the contract, as well as the price you want to pay.
- The landlord will read your personal information and offer. Then, they will prioritize and communicate with the tenants who have made them an offer. Of course, if the landlord gets a deal with any one person, the next person doesn’t stand a chance.
- If the landlord thinks you offer a reasonable price and considers your character and personality to be more satisfactory, you will be initially selected as a tenant.
- Sign a formal tenancy agreement with your landlord. As a party to the contract, you will need to read and understand each clause very carefully, asking the landlord and agent to explain anything unclear to you and make changes where necessary. Finally, ensure you sign this contract after you are satisfied with each clause.
- Pay the first instalment: agent’s fee + deposit (usually based on six weeks’ rent) + first month’s rent. At this point, the tenant has all rights to the property except ownership, even if the tenancy has not yet started.
