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When to Look

You cannot normally arrange accommodation more than 4-6 weeks in advance so most students look for private rented accommodation in August and September. If you are thinking of private Halls, you may need to look earlier. The London rental market is highly competitive and availability of housing has got much worse since the pandemic so it is important to move fast. You can read more about the rental market here.

Where to Live in London

Deciding where to live in London can be a challenge. You might need to think about balancing an affordable rent with travel time and costs.

To help, here is a map of the average weekly rent across London:

Travelcards

If you're 18 or over, a student and living in a London borough, you can get discounted travel with an Oyster photocard. This offers a 30% discount on the standard adult-rate Travelcards and Bus & Tram season tickets (the discount doesn't apply to pay-as-you-go Oyster travel). You'll need to apply online once you have enrolled on your course. You can find out more information and apply on the TfL website.

You can also check price caps and Travelcard prices between zones by passenger type, which can be helpful to compare the total cost of rent and travel between inner-London and outer-London areas.

Another way to reduce your travel costs is to add a 16-25 Railcard or 26-30 Railcard to your 18+ Student Oyster photocard to travel on the Tube, London Overground, TfL Rail and most National Rail services in London. This can save you 34% on pay-as-you-go off-peak fares and daily caps.

How to Find Accommodation

University of London Housing

UCL is a member of University of London Housing Services, who offer a comprehensive service to all University of London students. They have a range of properties that they rent out themselves, including a number of registered independent halls of residence. They have a housing platform which is regularly updated on their website and they also have a list of registered letting agents.

They also publish a very useful booklet – London Student Housing Guide  - which covers all aspects of finding and living in private rented accommodation. University of London Housing Services  offer a comprehensive service to all University of London, including UCL, students. You can find more information on the University of London Housing Services website.

You can also contact them by email to [email protected] or by telephone on 020 7862 8880.

Stay with UCL

UCL Student Accommodation office is open for enquiries about UCL student housing from 9:00 to 17:00 Monday to Friday. You can find more information on the UCL Accommodation website. You can also contact them by email to [email protected] or by telephone on 020 7679 6322.

Letting Agencies and accommodation

Many properties are rented through agencies, so you get a bigger choice BUT some agencies are better than others. It is worth checking whether the agency is a member of a professional body. You can check this on the following websites (these are the most reputable):

OpenRent - A direct to landlord letting service.
RightMove - A private property portal, with properties to rent direct from landlords and agencies.
SpareRoom - Geared towards moving into an existing shared flat, but there are sometimes whole properties listed as well.
Zoopla - A private property portal, with properties to rent direct from landlords and agencies.

You can also use one of the University of London Housing Services’ registered letting agencies

Many agencies also advertise through websites and local papers.

If a landlord is accredited with the London Landlord Accreditation Scheme (LLAS) , they can display the logo and this is evidence of good quality accommodation.

Private Halls of Residence

A lot of postgraduate and undergraduate students will find accommodation in private halls. UCL works with several different organisations to offer private accommodation to students living in London.

Private halls can vary but most rooms are en-suite with shared kitchen facilities. Private halls will also have common rooms, study spaces and are a good way of meeting new students. One thing to note is that overall costs of living in private halls tend to be higher than shared accommodation.

Student Accommodation Providers

Facebook Groups & Forums

This Facebook group is dedicated to UCL students looking for a room, or who have a room to rent.

The University of London also have a Facebook Group where students can advertise rooms to rent.

Unipol (Student Housing) have a forum where you can advertise rooms for rent to students only.

Renting Checklist

If you find a property that you would like to rent, make sure to use our renting checklist to help you understand your contract.

Short Term Accommodation

Hostels and Hotels

You may find you need to temporary accommodation while you look for long term accommodation, when you first arrive in London or at the end of your studies. There are numerous hotels and hostels; hotels are more expensive, and hostel rooms are typically shared with other guests. Here are some websites you could use:

Tripadvisor.co.uk

www.yha.org.uk
Booking.com
Lastminute.com
Expedia.co.uk
Laterooms.com
Hostelbookers.com
Hostelworld.com

Disclaimer: The details given are for information purposes only. Inclusion on the listing does not constitute a recommendation by the Students' Union UCL.

Rental Fraud

Lots of students looking for somewhere to live whilst at university are commonly victims of rental fraud. Between 1 April 2014 and 31 March 2018, victims reported losing a total of £22,103,940 to rental fraud - an average of £1,396 per victim. 

How does it work? Scammers target students online who are looking for somewhere to live. Scammers will advertise rooms or homes to rent on free advertising websites and social media platforms such as Facebook. They then ask students to pay a holding deposit before viewing a property. Once the money has been paid, the fraudsters become uncontactable, leaving the students out of pocket and urgently needing somewhere new to live.  

How to avoid getting scammed Never pay a ‘holding deposit’ before viewing a property. If you are viewing the property, try and take someone you know like a friend or relative.  

Check they are legit. You can check the agent/landlord you are in contact with by asking if they are part of an association or governing body such as Safe Agent, the NLA, Property Mark, ARLA and then contacting the governing body to confirm. If a landlord tells you that they own the property, you can check if this is true by checking with the Land Registry. This is important because if anything goes wrong you have a system to help redress the issue.  

Get photos. If the advert has no pictures, then ask the landlord or agent to send some over to you. If they refuse or can’t, avoid it!  

Get their digits. Get a contact number which is firstly a business number (e.g., 020) and secondly one you can call (not a fax number). Scammers usually avoid giving out numbers and will only want contact via email.  

Protect your deposit. If you’re living in private rented accommodation with an assured shorthold tenancy and you are asked to pay a deposit, then it must be protected with a government-backed tenancy deposit scheme. Your landlord/agent must provide you with information on where the deposit is held.  

Be cautious of money transfers. If you’ve been asked to transfer money using Western Union or Moneygram and then send a screenshot for proof, you probably shouldn’t. Unless it’s someone you know, scammers can use your details to withdraw money from anywhere in the world.  

Use your common sense. If the accommodation seems too good to be true, then it probably is. 

Ask us. Feel free to contact the Advice Service. We can look over any contracts you've been sent or adverts you are unsure about. We also have information on places to look and can help find you accommodation. You can also contact your local Citizens Advice, University of London Housing Services or Shelter if you need any advice or support.

Please head to our Useful Housing Contacts for more details.If you think you have been a victim of rental fraud, then report this to Action Fraud, the national fraud and cyber-crime reporting centre. You can report the fraud online or you can call them on 0300 123 2040.