Why UK?
According to the latest enrollment statistics provided by the Higher Education Statistics Agency, London was home to 116,675 international students in 2018. Along with local students, they accounted for a student population of around 400,000 students. If that doesn’t sound interesting to you, let us tell you that this number is almost equal to how many residents there are in Manchester.
These figures are anything new to London. The UK’s capital has always been an attraction to prospective international students. It boasts a large number of universities, most of which score very high in national and international ranking. In addition, its diverse community and vibrant lifestyle makes London a dream for every student in the world.
But have you ever thought about what would you do if you’re on the verge of leaving your home to go to study in London? There are many issues you need to deal with by yourself, and it all seems to be difficult to handle.
Housing is one of the biggest concerns international students in London have. The problem is there are limited finances and plenty of expensive housing options to put in balance. To help you with that, below we provide you with every piece of information you need to have to find suitable accommodation during your studies in London.
The cost varies, and it depends on several factors. Location and your personal lifestyle will account for the most part of housing costs in London. Let’s break this down into more details to get you to our point.
It is almost a universal rule that downtown areas in every city of the world, especially in big capitals and heavy populated like London, are more expensive to rent than those in the periphery. Unfortunately, London is one of the most expensive cities to live in, and if you don’t manage to sort out your options during your studies, chances are you might not be able to go through it.
To support this, the table below displays the average cost of renting in London, both in the city centre and outside the city centre
|
Apartment |
Averaged Cost |
|
1 Bedroom at City Center |
£1,750 |
|
1 Bedroom Outside City Center |
£1,230 |
|
3 Bedroom at City Center |
£3,300 |
|
3 Bedroom Outside City Center |
£1,980 |
Your personal lifestyle is another important factor that will greatly determine your housing cost in London for international students. If you’re a person who is not ready to make compromises with your preferred lifestyle, we’re afraid to tell you that you’re going to pay a great wealth for your accommodation.
In some respect, almost all international students adjust their old lifestyle a bit, to limited financial capacities, and you might consider the same because every single cent matters. For example, you must accept that you will have to accommodate an apartment small in size and without the best furnishes. Or you may be used to share an entire apartment all by yourself, but that would amount to an unbelievably high cost.
Student dorms are a cheap option to rent. Except for financial benefits, student dorms provide you with other advantages in terms of accessibility and your student life. For example, you will share rooms and libraries with other local and international students. Also, you will have easier access to the university campus and the area around, plus there is food included in your bill.
Usually, universities in the UK which have their individual dormitories share a specific number of rooms for their international students. Unfortunately, the number of available places in these student halls exceeds the number of overseas students; thus, many students are forced to search for other alternatives.
The cost of housing in university dorm halls change depending on your university. Overall, the price for a single dorm room in London ranges between £150 and £250. However, the cost will be reduced if you decide to share it with other students. For example, at the London School of Economics, a dorm room for three students has a price of around £115 per person per two weeks. In this fee are included 6 dinners and 1 brunch weekly.
To handle the high number of incoming international students in London, there are many private dorm halls where you can seek accommodation. Their rent price is surely higher than in university’s student halls but significantly lower to private accommodation in apartments.
The cost of housing a private single dorm in London ranges between £110 and £210 per week. Similar to university halls in this fee, there is usually food included. Note that student housing prices in London are subject to change, so it is recommended you always check on your own to see what is the exact cost.
When none of the above options work out, you must seek private accommodation. London is a big city, and there are many apartments you can rent. Portals such as Homelike have apartments in London for all budgets. However, to avoid a hard-to-afford rent price, you must choose the right filters such as studio, maximum price and affordable neighbourhoods.
What’s the cost of housing a private accommodation in London?
Housing student private accommodation in London will cost you higher than student halls. Overall the weekly cost for renting a private student accommodation in London varies between £300 and £550 for single-room apartments. The weekly cost for renting a three-bedroom apartment in London ranges somewhere between £400 and £600.
There are certain things you need to keep in your mind when trying to find suitable private accommodation in London.
Focus on Peripheral areas
Location is a significant indicator of your housing cost in London. As we mentioned above, likewise in almost every other capital in the world, downtown areas are much expensive to rent than apartments outside the city centre. This may depend on where your university is located, but if their campus is in the city centre, don’t hesitate to look for an apartment somewhere in the periphery.
You will have to commute regularly for attending classes, and sometimes you might get stuck in rush hours, but it is worth taking into consideration cost affordability. Plus there are many travelling means that you can use and move freely in London.
Sharing apartment
As an international student, saving money is among your top priorities. Sharing your apartment with other local or international students is a perfect way to cut the cost of housing in London. There are many students who constantly look for roommates in online student forums. Do a little research and reach contact with them.
Local Magazines and Online sites
If you’re new to the city of London, finding a place to accommodate is not easy. You need to rely on some reliable information sources. Fortunately, there are many online sites and local magazines that inform you on time for every available apartment to rent in London and their actual price. Please do yourself a favour and google them to save yourself time and money.
Find Your Accommodation on Time
It is important that you dedicate your whole time to your studies in London. If you don’t find a place to accommodate well in time, you can end up spending a lot of time which you would be using to prepare for your exam. Thus, we recommend all international students in London try to find student housing before landing in the UK. In the end, if you don’t find one that suits you, at least you will have a list of resources and agencies where you can seek help with your accommodation.