Types of places to live

Flats and houses

These types of properties are:

Rented from a private landlord
May be advertised or managed by a letting agent
Rent usually does not include bills
Contracts are usually for one year

How to find these options:

You can search for flats and houses on our property platform
See the where to look section for further details

Choosing to live alone or sharing

Living alone	Flat sharing
Living independently	Good for meeting new people
More expensive	Cheaper option
Greater privacy	Shared kitchens and bathrooms
Sole responsibility for rent, bills and the condition of the property	Joint responsibility for rent, bills and the condition of the property

Flats and houses

These types of properties are:

Rented from a private landlord
May be advertised or managed by a letting agent
Rent usually does not include bills
Contracts are usually for one year

How to find these options:

You can search for flats and houses on our property platform
See the where to look section for further details

Choosing to live alone or sharing

Living alone	Flat sharing
Living independently	Good for meeting new people
More expensive	Cheaper option
Greater privacy	Shared kitchens and bathrooms
Sole responsibility for rent, bills and the condition of the property	Joint responsibility for rent, bills and the condition of the property

Private halls of residence

Browse through listings of private halls of residence.

Common Features include:

Mostly ensuite rooms, with access to shared kitchens
Some self-contained studios
Common rooms, social spaces and study spaces for residents
A good way to meet other students
Rent usually includes utility bills and internet
Self-catered
Overall cost is generally higher than for shared flats/houses or University-managed accommodation
51 week contracts, with some shorter options available
Sometimes has in-house security
Located within commutable distance from universities

Things to check

Is the hall a member of the ANUK (Accreditation Network UK) Code of Standards for Larger Developments?

The ANUK Code sets benchmark standards that tenants can expect in their private hall of residence
Full details can be found on the National Code website

Is the hall in which you are interested still under construction?

There is always a risk that the building might not be ready for you to move in on the agreed move-in date
It is advisable to ask the management in advance about the contingency plans in place in the event that construction work takes longer than expected

Goodenough College, Postgraduate London Living

AD Goodenough College, London

Living with a resident landlord

Things to consider:

Renting a bedroom in the landlord’s own home
Resident landlords can be of all ages, from a variety of backgrounds
Contracts might be for a fixed length of time or flexible
Can sometimes be a cost effective way of living in central locations
Bills might be included in the rent
There might be particular ‘house-rules’ that restrict your freedom and independence

What about Homestay accommodation?

Live with a host family
Long or short-term contracts
Breakfast or other meals sometimes included
Good for those learning English as a second language
Payment usually required upfront rather than monthly/weekly
We recommend using Homestay Agencies that are registered with the British Council
Search Homestay accommodation via our property platform

Housing for students with disabilities

Properties that are well-designed or adapted for the needs of disabled renters can be difficult to find in London.

In the private rented sector generally, newly-built blocks of flats are more likely to be accessible than older properties.

Private landlords and letting agents are prohibited from providing less favourable treatment if you have a disability and are looking to rent accommodation.

Landlords have a duty to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ for disabled tenants. Landlords cannot charge a higher rent or a higher deposit for disabled tenants.

Information about grants for making adaptations to your home visit the Disabled facilities grants section of the UK government website.

Further support

The Equality Advisory Support Service (EASS)
Can provide more details about disability rights in relation to private rented housing.
0808 800 0082
Text phone: 0808 800 0084
equalityadvisoryservice.com

Disability Rights UK
Is the leading charity promoting the rights of disabled people.
disabilityrightsuk.org
disabilityrightsuk.org/housing-links

Disabled Students Helpline
0330 995 0414
students@disabilityrightsuk.org

Many newly-built private halls of residence in London have rooms that meet the needs of disabled students.
See the section above, Private halls of residence for further details.

Housing for students with families

Family accommodation in London can be difficult to find. We advise that students should only bring their families to London once suitable long-term accommodation has been found.

Some student residences and housing associations can assist couples and those with children. Places are limited, however, so we advise getting in touch with these organisations as soon as possible.

The rest of the information and guidance in this publication is
equally applicable to students with and without families.

Read on to find out more about looking for and living in private rented accommodation:

Choosing your flatmates

Things to think about and discuss with future
housemates include:

Budgets	Once rent, bills and other essentials are accounted for, will one flatmate be struggling financially whilst the others can afford to go out regularly? See the section on budgeting tips.
Cleaning	Will you set-up a cleaning rota and all pitch in, or will cleaning be more of an ‘as and when’ (or never…) task? See the section on contracts to find out more about your contractual obligations.
Schedules	Are you an early-riser or do you stay up late? Will your housemates be up and about while you are trying to sleep?
Noise	Do you study mostly at home or in the library? Will you need a quiet living environment or are you looking for a sociable home-life?
Overnight guests	Are you expecting to have your partner stay over regularly? Will there be an agreed ‘limit’ on guests, after which your more frequent visitors are asked to contribute to a share of the bills?
Pets	Any pets should be agreed with your flatmates as well as the landlord or agent. Are your flatmates happy to take care of your pet if you go away for a few days?
Contract length	Do you all need the accommodation for the same length of time? Will someone need to leave part-way through the year for an elective placement or semester abroad?
How many flatmates?	The average group-size is three or four students. Properties for larger groups do exist, and work out cheaper ‘per person’. Organising a larger group for viewings and contract signings could be a hassle, though!

Flatmate finder flowchart

Take our quiz to see which type of flatmate you are!

AD Luxury Student Accommodation South London | YourTRIBE

Finding flatmates

There are a number of useful resources to help you find your future flatmates.

ULHS Flatmate Finder Facebook group

On this group, you can post adverts for rooms in your shared student flats/houses or find other students to go flat hunting with. The page is reserved exclusively for students in London. You can find more details on the group and join via here.

ULHS Flatmate Finder events

Before the start of each academic year, ULHS hosts two Flatmate Finder events to help connect students looking for shared accommodation. The events include activities to help you network, have fun getting to know new people and learn a bit about the private rented sector in London.

Always look out for information about our upcoming events.

College events and social media pages

Your college may also run various events where you can meet potential flatmates. This can include open days and sharers days in various formats.

They may also run different social media pages or platforms which you can sign up for to meet people. You may be required to provide your student ID or other details to prove that you are a student or offer-holder. Contact your college’s accommodation team to find out what they offer.

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