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UCL Halls of Residence

Most students spend their first year at University at halls. These buildings are usually owned by UCL or private providers. UCL has varying types of accommodation based on your degree, if you have children or need accommodation over the summer.  

As of 25/09/2023, UCL Accommodation have rooms available across several sites and price points.

You can join the waiting list through the UCL Accommodation Portal.

All rooms will be allocated based on availability, maximum week rate and stated preferences. However, there is no guarantee that your preferred choice of room will be available.

Undergraduates 

For undergraduates, there are 16 halls, most located within 2 miles of the Bloomsbury Campus. You will typically be expected to stay in these halls between September and June.

Postgraduates 

UCL has 15 postgraduate residences, all within 6 miles of the Bloomsbury Campus. Postgraduate accommodation is offered for 50 weeks and 4 days.

Students with Children 

UCL has a small number of residences for students who are married or in a civil partnership. There’s also family accommodation for students who have children. If you fit into one of these groups then take a look at the accommodation you may be eligible for, however just bear in mind that accommodation is not guaranteed for these groups.  

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.  

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. You can find more information of the University of London Housing Services website. They also publish a very useful booklet – London Student Housing Guide - which covers all aspects of finding and living in private rented accommodation. 

UCL have four recommended private halls of residence providers:

Your Rights when Living in Halls

If you live in halls provided by UCL, you are known as an “Occupier with basic protection”. This is important to know as it determines what rights you have. Students in halls enter into a licence agreement with UCL where you’re allowed to occupy the ‘study bedroom’. As a licensee you have no legal interest in the property but are required to uphold a number of obligations such as paying rent. For 2022/23 you can read the Licence Agreement on UCL’s website. 

If you want to terminate the licence agreement, you can do so in the following circumstance: 

  • Leaving during the first term: you must submit a ‘Notice to Quit’ request to UCL via the online accommodation portal. Please note that you will be liable to pay rent to UCL until another student is found that can take over your room. If no student is found, you are liable for the first invoicing period (until 7 January 2023). 
  • Leaving at the end of the first term: you must submit an online ‘Notice to Quit’ form no later than 9 December 2022. If you submit this after 9 December 2022, you will remain liable for rent until a student is found to take over your room. If no student is found, you are liable to pay rent until the end of the third term for invoicing purposes (24 June 2023 or 13 September 2023 for a 50.57 week contract).  
  • Leaving during the remaining terms: You must submit an online ‘Notice to Quit’ form and are liable to pay rent until a student is found to take over your room. If no student is found, you will be liable to keep paying rent until the end of the contract period (24 June 2023 or 13 September 2023 for a 50.57 week contract). 

Houses in Multiple Occupation 

Some landlords and agents must have a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) licence to allow them to rent to you. The licence requires landlords and agent to ensure the property is well maintained and safe to live in. For a property to be a HMO, both of the following must apply: 

  • at least three tenants live there, forming more than one household 
  • you share toilet, bathroom or kitchen facilities with other tenants

If there are at least five tenants, then it is classed as a large HMO. All large HMOs need a licence from the council. You have every right to ask the landlord/agent to show proof the licence has been granted or you can contact the local council directly and check. You may be able to claim back money if the landlord has been renting to you without a licence under what is called a Rent Repayment Order (RRO). Contact us if you need any further information about Rent Repayment Order.