Finding Accommodation

When to Look

June, July and August is a good time to look at housing for September. If you start looking early, you can do your research and reduce stress as the new academic year approaches.

Private landlords start advertising their properties towards the end of the current tenancies.

The London rental market is competitive and the supply of housing has been in decline, so it's important to keep an open mind and be persistent with your search.

If you are thinking of private Halls, you may need to look earlier as these allow bookings a longer time in advance.

UCL Accommodation is application based, and you'll need to apply by deadlines and meet eligibility criteria. You're not prioritised for accommodation beyond your first year of studies unless you have additional needs, for example a health condition or being care experienced. A waiting list opens for left over rooms in September, but we'd recommend looking at your other options before this.

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:

The average student rent in London is estimated at £778 per month but it can be higher in some areas of London.

To get an idea of rents for whole properties across London, you can take a look at this interactive London Rental Map, however the information is always slightly behind the current trends. Living in areas outside central London may offer you a reduced rent, but you'll also need to factor in travel time and costs.There is also a map of the average weekly rents 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.

18+ Student Oyster Photocard

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.

Caps and Travelcard Prices

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 housing platform which is regularly updated on their website. This includes properties/rooms from their registered letting agents and registered independent halls of residence. They also rent out some rooms themselves.

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 can be contacted about UCL student housing. You can find more information on the UCL Accommodation website, including email and phone details.

Letting Agencies and accommodation websites

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.

Below are examples of websites you can use to find accommodation:

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. 

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 in shared houses and flats.

You can visit UCLs Alternative Accommodation for Students page to find out about many private halls of residence, including any specific prices negotiated by UCL.

Facebook Groups & Forums

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

We have also put together some resources on finding emergency accommodation. This includes suggestions for where to look, sources of funding, and charities that might be able to help in an emergency.

Rental Fraud

When you're looking for somewhere to live it's so important to be aware of rental fraud and avoid becoming a victim. Between 1 April 2014 and 31 March 2018, more than £22m was lost to rental fraud - an average of £1,396 per victim (according to Action Fraud).

How does it work? Scammers target students online who are looking for somewhere to live. You may feel pressured to find somewhere to live or not know much about renting, which can make you more vulnerable.
Commonly, 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.  
However, scammers are making increasing efforts to try and get money. For example, we're aware that scammers sometimes gain access to a property, for example by renting it for a short time, and show prospective tenants around to seem legitimate.

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.  

Carry out checks. 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.  Agents should be signed up to both a redress scheme and Client Money Protection scheme. These are important because if anything goes wrong you have a system to help redress the issue.
If a landlord tells you that they own the property, you can check if this is true by checking with the Land Registry.

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!  

Look out for mistakes. Scam adverts or correspondence often includes strange choices of words or poor spelling.

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 might avoid giving out numbers and will only want contact via email.  

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.  

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.  

Use your common sense. If the accommodation seems too good to be true, then it probably is. For example, being offered below the usual rent for the area.

University of London Housing Services have a really useful list of things you can check to reduce the risk of fraud.

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.