Planning. Areas of London 28i. Getting around 46i. Staying safe 48i. Budgeting 52i. Council Tax 55i. Living with friends 57i

Transcription

1 Planning Areas of London 28i Getting around 46i Staying safe 48i Budgeting 52i Council Tax 55i Living with friends 57i 27

2 Areas of London London is a huge sprawling city. If you are studying at a college or university outside central London, you may be able to find accommodation that is just a short bus ride away from college, or even within walking distance. Universities in east and south east London, in particular, are situated in areas where there is a relatively good supply of inexpensive private sector housing. If you are studying at a college or university in central London, ie in Bloomsbury, Kensington, Paddington or the West End, getting out of bed and strolling to your lectures is a very expensive ambition. Private sector accommodation in central and west London is not only expensive, but also usually fairly cramped and there is very little available for large groups of more than three persons. This means that most students live outside travel zone 1, even if they are studying in Central London. For any student looking for housing there are two essential items that you will need: 1 A Z Map of London ( 4.95, available from almost any newsagent). 2 A travel card (see Getting Around section pages for more information). Top student tips Remember that in the city centre, everything is more expensive, not just rents.there are no cheap supermarkets in central London. In terms of travelling time, how close you are to a tube is usually more important than how far you are from your destination. When choosing a flat make sure not only that you get home during the day but that there is a night bus nearby or you will be paying large taxi bills every time you have a night out. Late night garages and 24 hour supermarkets make a real difference for food and cigarettes, if you need to stay up all night writing an essay. Remember, if you don t have access to a car any shopping you buy will have to be carried and that this can be expensive if you are using a corner shop. It is much better to try and rent reasonably near a supermarket and if possible buy some things in bulk with other flatmates. When you are seriously interested in a property, don t just look at the surrounding area during the daytime. Go back at night and see if you still like it. 28 London Student Housing Guide Planning 29

3 London postcodes and average rents North N1 Shoreditch, Islington N2 East Finchley N3 Finchley N4 Finsbury Park, Manor House N5 Arsenal, Drayton Park N6 Highgate N7 Tufnell Park, Holloway N8 Turnpike Lane N9 Lower Edmonton N10 Muswell Hill N11 Bounds Green, Frien Barnet N12 Woodside Park, North Finchley N13 Palmers Green N14 Southgate, Oakwood, Arnos Grove N15 South Tottenham, Seven Sisters N16 Stoke Newington, Stamford Hill N17 Tottenham N18 Upper Edmonton N19 Upper Holloway, Archway N20 Totteridge, Whetstone N21 Winchmore Hill N22 Wood Green E1 E2 E3 E4 E5 E6 E7 E8 East Whitechapel, Mile End Bethnal Green, Aldgate, Stepney Bow Chingford Clapton East Ham Forest Gate Dalston E9 Victoria Park, Homerton E10 Leyton E11 Snaresbrook E12 Manor Park E13 Plaistow, West Ham E14 Poplar, Isle of Dogs E15 Stratford E16 Canning Town E17 Walthamstow E18 Woodford South East SE1 Bermondsey, Lambeth SE2 Abbey Wood SE3 Kidbrooke, Blackheath SE4 Brockley SE5 Camberwell, Denmark Hill SE6 Catford, Bellingham SE7 Charlton SE8 Deptford SE9 Mottingham, Eltham SE10 Greenwich SE11 Vauxhall, Oval, Kennington SE12 Lee SE13 Lewisham, Hither Green SE14 New Cross SE15 Peckham, Southwark SE16 Rotherhithe SE17 Walworth SE18 Shooters Hill, Woolwich, Plumstead SE19 Norwood SE20 Penge SE21 Dulwich SE22 East Dulwich SE23 Forest Hill SE24 Herne Hill SE25 South Norwood SE26 Sydenham SE27 West Norwood SE28 Thamesmead South West SW1 Victoria, Pimlico, Belgravia SW2 Brixton, Tulse Hill SW3 Chelsea SW4 Clapham SW5 Earls Court SW6 Fulham, Parsons Green SW7 SouthKensington, Knightsbridge SW8 South Lambeth SW9 Stockwell SW10 West Brompton SW11 Battersea SW12 Balham SW13 Barnes SW14 East Sheen, Mortlake SW15 Putney, Roehampton SW16 Streatham SW17 Tooting SW18 Southfields, Wandsworth SW19 Wimbledon, Colliers Wood SW20 Raynes Park, West Wimbledon W1 W2 W3 W4 W5 W6 West West End, Soho, Mayfair Bayswater, Paddington, Acton Turnham Green, Chiswick Ealing Hammersmith, Ravenscourt Park W7 Hanwell W8 Kensington W9 Maida Vale, Warwick Avenue W10 North Kensington W11 Notting Hill, Holland Park W12 White City, Shepherds Bush W13 West Ealing W14 West Kensington North West NW1 Camden Town, Chalk Farm NW2 Dollis Hill, Willesden Green NW3 Hampstead, Belsize Park NW4 Hendon NW5 Kentish Town, Gospel Oak NW6 Kilburn, West Hampstead NW7 Mill Hill NW8 St. John's Wood NW9 Colindale NW10 Willesden, Harlesden, Kensal Green NW11 Brent Cross, Golders Green Central EC1/3/4 City of London EC2 Barbican WC1 Bloomsbury WC2 The Strand, Holborn 30 London Student Housing Guide Planning 31

4 I North London CROUCH END N8 Open spaces Finsbury Park (N4) is the largest park in North London and venue for open air music festivals during the summer. Alexandra Palace (N22), former site for the BBC, is set on a hill with fantastic views over London. Highgate Wood (N6) is an area of wild woodland close to Hampstead Heath. PRIORY PARK N8 STOKE NEWINGTON N16 CROUCH END N8 FINSBURY PARK N4 ALEXANDRA PALACE N22 Food and entertainment Areas that have a good mix of bars and restaraunts are Islington Upper Street (N1), Stoke Newington Church Street (N16) and Crouch End (N8). Cheap Turkish and Kurdish cuisine can be found on Green Lanes (N4).A popular music venue is the Garage (N5). Museums and galleries White Cube Gallery (N1), is one of the most famous contemporary art galleries in London, based in the very trendy Hoxton Square. Sports North London is home to two very popular football teams, Arsenal (N5) and Tottenham (N17). Local match derbies are fiercely contested. GREEN LANES N4 RAILWAY WALK N4 TO N6 32 London Student Housing Guide Planning 33

5 I North West London REGENTS PARK NW1 Open spaces The most famous open space in London is Hampstead Heath (NW3). There are views from Parliament Hill on the heath, right the way across London. Regents Park in NW1 has an open air theatre that is popular in summer and the ever-popular London Zoo. HAMPSTEAD NW3 NW1 KENWOOD HOUSE NW3 Food and entertainment Camden (NW1) has dozens of music venues and clubs whilst the Roundhouse is being developed into a prestige arts centre. Golders Green (NW11) is home to a large Jewish community and consequently a range of kosher restaraunts. There are theatres across North West London including Hampstead Theatre (NW3) and the Tricycle cinema and theatre (NW6). CAMDEN LOCK NW1 HAMPSTEAD HEATH NW3 LONDON ZOO NW1 Museums and sport Museums include: The Freud Museum, Kenwood House and Keats House, all in NW3.The British Library is in NW1 and Lords cricket ground in NW8. NW1 Markets Camden market (NW1) is one of the busiest and probably the best known markets in London.You can buy almost anything here (and wonder afterwards why you did!). ST PANCRAS RAILWAY STATION NW1 KENTISH TOWN NW5 TYPICAL HOUSING NW5 34 London Student Housing Guide Planning 35

6 I East London CANARY WHARF E14 MUDCHUTE FARM E14 Open spaces Victoria Park ( E3) was built in the 1840s to persuade working class East Enders away from the West End parks (Hyde Park, Regents Park) where their presence would disturb the local gentry.whatever its origins, this is now one of the most attractive open spaces in London. BRICK LANE E2 BRICK LANE E1 Food and entertainment Whitechapel (E1) is home to a large Bengali community and is one of the best places in London to eat a cheap curry. In the last 10 years the whole of this area has become increasingly trendy with a large variety of new bars and clubs opening up. E8 has the Hackney Empire theatre. COLUMBIA ROAD FLOWER MARKET E2 HACKNEY MARSHES E5 HACKNEY EMPIRE THEATRE E8 Museums and galleries East London has traditionally been home to a large community of artists which means that there are many art galleries in the area.the most famous is the Whitechapel Art Gallery (E1). Markets East London is famous for its open air weekend markets.a brief selection would include: Spitalfields furniture and clothes (E1), Columbia Road flowers, (E2) Broadway food (E8),Walthamstow almost everything (E17). GRAND UNION CANAL E2 PIE AND MASH SHOP E2 36 London Student Housing Guide Planning 37

7 I South East London? TYPICAL HOUSING SE4 PUB SE1 OVAL??? STATUE IN GREENWICH PARK SE1 TYPICAL HOUSING SE5 Open spaces Greenwich is home to the Greenwich Royal Observatory and a fantastic park. The walk along the South Bank of the Thames from Waterloo to Tower Bridge is one of the best in London. Brockwell Park (SE24) has the Brockwell Lido (an open air swimming pool). Food and entertainment For entertainment SE1 is home to the following theatres: The National, Shakespeares Globe and the Young Vic. There are a number of clubs popular with students in both Camberwell (SE5) and New Cross (SE14) TATE MODERN SE1 Museums, galleries and attractions SE1 is home to The Design Museum, Imperial War Museum,Tate Modern art gallery, London Aquarium and London Eye. Greenwich (SE10) has the National Maritime Museum, the Cutty Sark and, of course, the Millennium Dome. SE23 has the Horniman Museum. CUTTY SARK SE1 BROCKWELL LIDO SE24 MILLENIUM BRIDGE SE1 ELEPHANT AND CASTLE SE1 Markets Borough market (SE1) is the most famous food market in London. Greenwich market (SE10) is most famous for antiques and furniture, East Street (SE17) for almost everything. 38 London Student Housing Guide Planning 39

8 I South West London GRANVILLE MARKET SW2 KEW NEAR SW15 Open spaces Kew Gardens and Richmond Park are just next to SW15.They are easily accessible from South West London. Brockwell Park (SW9) and Clapham Common (SW4) are surrounded by more urban areas. Food and entertainment The Royal Court Theatre is based in SW1. Clapham (SW4) has a wide variety of bars and restaurants.this is a popular area with students. At weekends it gets packed with people from outside London enjoying a night out. Brixton (SW2) is also a popular area. Traditionally home to a large Caribbean community, it has some of the best music venues in London. BATTERSEA SW11 OVAL SW9 CLAPHAM PUB SW4 BRIXTON SW2 CLAPHAM SW4 WIMBLEDON SW19 Museums, galleries and attractions SW7 has both the Victoria and Albert and Natural History Museums. Famous buildings in South West London include Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament (SW1), the Royal Albert Hall (SW7) and Battersea Power Station (SW11). Sport SW19 is home to Wimbledon tennis club, whilst SW9 has the Oval cricket ground. SW6 is home to both Chelsea and Fulham football clubs. BRIXTON SW2 40 London Student Housing Guide Planning 41

9 I West London Open spaces The most famous park in West London is Hyde Park. Hyde Park has Speaker s Corner and is often either the starting or end point for political demonstrations. OXFORD STREET W1 HYDE PARK W2 NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL W11 SHEPHERD S BUSH EMPIRE W12 Food and entertainment W1 and W2 around Oxford Street are considered by many to be the centre of London.They have a very wide variety of clubs, bars and restaurants. Many tourists will spend most of their time in London around these areas. Further west in Hammersmith (W6) you can find the excellent Riverside Studios arts centre whilst W12 has the Shepherds Bush Empire music venue. Museums, galleries and attractions The Royal Academy of Arts and the Handel House Museum are both in W1. Popular tourist attractions such as Madame Tussauds and the Planetarium are also in this postcode. Markets Portobello market (W11) is the worlds largest antiques market. Rather more down to earth is Shepherd s Bush market (W12) food, clothes etc. URBAN LONDON 42 London Student Housing Guide Planning 43

10 I Central London COVENT GARDEN WC2 BRITISH MUSEUM WC1 WC2 CHINATOWN WC2 THEATRELAND WC2 ST PAUL S CATHEDRAL EC4 Open spaces There are very few open spaces in central London. However, there are some attractive squares. Russell Square in WC1 would be one example. Food and entertainment Chinatown in WC2 has many fantastic restaurants. For entertainment, your choices are almost unlimited. Soho and Covent Garden (WC2) are home to a range of lively bars and clubs. If you want culture then there are dozens of theatres and if you go to the more sedate EC2, you will find the Barbican Arts centre. Museums and galleries Museums include: The British Museum WC1, Sir John Soanes Museum WC2 and The Museum of London EC2. Art galleries include: the National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery and Courtauld Institute Gallery, all in WC2. KING S CROSS WC1 44 London Student Housing Guide Planning 45

11 Getting around London is divided into six travel zones; zone 1 covers Central London and zone 6 is furthest away from the centre. How much you need to pay for transport depends on where you are studying, where you live and probably also where you work. Familiarise yourself with travel routes to college (and work, if appropriate) before you set out house-hunting; and remember that the underground is not the only public transport available: there are also buses, overground trains and the Docklands Light Railway. Also be aware that by midnight, most public transport will have closed down, apart from night buses. Travelcard costs with student discount See the map on the inside back cover for the size and position of the zones For detailed information on the 18+ Student Scheme go to (Choose Tickets and Oyster TfL's ticket and photocard options Photocards and discounts 18+ Students) or phone and select the 'Student Oyster Photocard' option. 7 Day Monthly Annual Zones 1 & Zones 1,2 & Zones 1,2,3,4 & Zones 1,2,3,4,5 & Useful websites: If you are likely to travel into college or university most weekdays, buying a weekly, monthly or even annual period ticket is more economical than paying for single journeys. There s good news for students as they can benefit from lower cost period tickets (travelcards and bus passes). Anyone with a valid Student Photocard can buy travelcards and bus passes at 30% off the equivalent adult fare. Check your university, college or school to find out if they are registered on the Transport for London Student Photocard scheme. If this is the case, you will be able to apply for a Student Photocard once you are enrolled. Both full time and some part time students can apply. If you are not going to travel into Zone 1, or are only going to do so rarely, it is possible to buy travelcards which are cheaper: 7 Day Monthly Annual Within one zone Two zones Three zones Four zones Cycling can be the cheapest, healthiest and fastest way of getting around London. Despite improvements to cycle routes, however, London's roads can be dangerous. Transport for London's website provides a good cycling code and advice about training, as well as tips for staying safe 46 London Student Housing Guide Planning 47

12 Staying safe Street safety Like all large metropolitan cities London has its fair share of crime. Students own more expensive consumer goods per head than the rest of the population, for example 70% own a computer or laptop and 86% have a mobile phone. Home Office statistics indicate that 1 in 3 students is the victim of a crime. Don t become a statistic. Following these simple tips will make you feel more secure and could just make all the difference. Good student safety advice can also be obtained through the Home Office website at: Never take personal safety for granted. Use your instincts if you don t feel safe, take action.when going out follow the PLAN. Prepare Think How do I get there? and How do I get back? before you go.tell someone where you are going, who with, and when you ll be back. Think when you drink. Everyone is more vulnerable to crime when they ve been drinking. If you re planning a big night out, arrange beforehand to go home with friends, or in a taxi.your safety is more important than the cost of a taxi! you know where you re going. Don t look like a victim. Carry a personal attack alarm (and know how to use it), emergency phone numbers (including the number to cancel your credit cards), some change, a phone card and your keys in a safe pocket. Avoid risks and be aware Be aware keep looking at and listening to what s happening around you. Keep one hand free not shoved in your pocket or cluttered up with shopping. Avoid showing valuable items in public places.try not to use your mobile phone in the street. If you have to make a call, keep an eye on who s around. If your phone is stolen, immobilise it (call your network or ). Watch It Use cash machines wisely, in groups, and during the day if possible. Put your card and cash away quickly and be aware of who s around you. Keep your belongings with you at all times.wear your bag across your body. Never take your safety for granted Never say to yourself It only happens to other people. It s only a short journey. They look honest. The above points are a guide only.trust your instincts if you feel something is wrong, it makes sense to take action to avoid danger. Look confident Wear comfortable clothes and shoes that let you move easily. Remember your body language stand tall and look like 48 London Student Housing Guide Planning 49

13 Safety at home Know the risk Twice as many burglaries happen in private homes or flats as in university halls. Make sure all the doors and windows have good locks before you move in. Lock it up Half of all burglaries happen on the spur of the moment through unlocked doors or windows. Always lock your door. Deadlocks Burglars who come through windows hate them because you need a key to open deadlocks from the inside as well as the outside. If you have them use them. Don t show it off Make sure your TV, video, computer and other valuables can t be seen from the window, and never leave cash lying around. Keys Don t leave spare keys outside, or in a garage or shed.and keep house and car keys out of sight in the house car theft through burglary is on the rise. Insurance The average cost of a student burglary is 900. Insurance is cheaper! At least get cover for your most valuable gear like your computer, TV, stereo and bicycle. Keep lists of the make, model and serial numbers of your electronic items to help police track them down if they are stolen. UV marking Use an ultraviolet pen to mark your stuff with your university name and student ID number. They re very cheap, and many Student Unions even give them away for free. Holidays If you can t take your valuables with you during the Christmas, Easter and summer holidays, arrange for them to be held in secure storage or left with a friend. Safety first If you see signs of a break-in like smashed windows or open doors don t go in. Go to a friend or neighbour s house and call the police. Emergency & useful contacts Police, Fire or Ambulance 999 London Victim Support Crime Stoppers Rape Crisis National Drugs Helpline Drinkline Samaritans NHS Direct Home Office website 50 London Student Housing Guide Planning 51

14 Budgeting Remember to budget for food The National Union of Students (NUS) estimates that the average student expenditure in London for the academic year was 10,493 with a little less than a third of this accommodation costs. Most UK students will be eligible for the statutory financial support package, which comprises of support towards your tuition fees and help with your living costs. There are some extra payments which can be claimed-such as access to learning funds and benefits for students with dependantsbut these are means-tested and fairly meagre. Realistically, most students will have to work to fund their education. The NUS estimates that around 42% of students currently work part-time. The TUC's Students at Work survey in 2000 reckoned that figure was far higher, with 60% of students having to work to meet basic living costs.the good news is that in London there are plenty of opportunities for part time work. Nevertheless, you will still need to learn the art of budgeting if your debts are not to get completely out of control.this isn't as simple as it sounds. A budget has to be accurate to be effective so you need to keep track of everything that you spend. Therefore, keep a record of what Our website has an online budget calculator for you to calculate your own budget. lon.ac.uk Planning Budgeting and Council Tax There are 963,000 part-time jobs in London you spend in shops, pubs, and anywhere else.these things soon add up and you probably spend more than you think. To give you an idea of the kinds of costs that you should be budgeting for, we have prepared a sample budget sheet overleaf. If you require advice on budgeting or money management, please contact your College or Welfare service. Individual start-up costs Per person 1 month rent deposit month rent in advance Deposits for telephone, TV rental etc Equipment-cutlery, crockery, linen, etc Total start-up costs 1, Approximate expenditure Annually Per week Rent 5, Water rates (between 3) Electricity (between 3) 2.50 Gas (between 3) 2.50 Mobile phone Broadband 2.00 Personal insurance TV licence (between 3) TV & video rental (between 3) Total bills and rent London Student Housing Guide Planning 53

15 Additional individual expenses Annually Per week Travel card zone 1 & 2, monthly card Housekeeping (food etc) 1, Books and equipment Entertainment 1, Cigarettes/tobacco/alcohol 1, Newspapers/magazines/CDs Clothing/footwear Make-up/toiletries Individual weekly expenditure total (inc bills and rent) Possible income for UK students UK student-loan 06/07 6, UK student part-time work income (10 months) 4, Overdraft (10 months) 1, Individual weekly income Other possible expenditure Car insurance, road tax and fuel 1, Gym/sport's club membership Students studying art and design, science, engineering and medics may have extra costs. 54 London Student Housing Guide Council tax Make yourself aware of the rules surrounding Council Tax in order to avoid any unpleasant surprises. What is Council Tax? It is a charge made by Local Authorities on residential properties to pay for local public services. It is not a tax on an individual. Who has to pay the Council Tax? Most non-students and part-time students who are over 18. Are all students exempt from Council Tax? Only properties occupied by all full-time students are exempt. A full time course of education is sometimes defined as one which requires on average at least 21 hours of study a week and 24 weeks of attendance each year but it may be less if your college or university defines your course as being full-time. What if we have a group of full-time students and non-students? Where students share with part-time or non-students the full-time students will be disregarded for the purposes of calculating the household s bill. However, it is for the members of the household to decide how the bill should be apportioned and paid as with any other household bill. From 1st April 2004 local authorities cannot bill or enforce payment from any full-time student member of the household. Planning 55

16 What about a student with a spouse and/or dependants? The spouse and dependants of an international student will also be treated as if they are full-time students provided they are not British citizens and are prevented from working or claiming welfare benefits by the terms of their leave to remain in the UK.A UK student sharing a flat just with their partner will be entitled to a 25% discount on their Council Tax bill (provided that their spouse is not also a fulltime student in which case they will be entitled to the full exemption). The best way for a full-time student to avoid problems with their local authority on the payment, or as it should probably be, non-payment of Council Tax is: 1 To make sure that you only share with other full-time students. 2 To get from your College Registry or School Office, an exemption certificate stating that you are a full time student and send it your local authority (keep a copy). If you do not know the relevant local authority then ask your Landlord/Agent, or use the following website: Living with friends Do you all have the same attitude to tidiness? There are many people whose company you can enjoy in the Student Union bar but who you would not enjoy living with. Successfully sharing a house with someone requires a completely different set of skills from enjoying a good night out with them or even living in the same corridor in a College or University residence.to illustrate this, try answering the following quiz: 1 Which of the following most typifies your attitude to tidiness? a It s important that everyone pulls their weight (ie housework rotas). b So long as the washing up is done, I can live with some clutter. c Can t say that tidiness has ever been hugely important to me. 2 Which of the following most typifies your attitude to noise? a I m here to study and need peace and quiet to do this. b So long as you turn down the music when I need to get to sleep, I m easy going. c I want to live in a party house. I can put up with your noise, if you can put up with mine. 3 What time do you usually go to sleep? a I have a lot of early starts and so I m usually asleep by 11pm. 56 London Student Housing Guide Planning 57

17 Can you live with this? b If I ve got a deadline to meet I can sometimes stay up all night but usually I m asleep anytime between 12pm and 2am. c I m a part-time vampire and do not appreciate the benefits of daylight. If you answered mostly As, you should not consider living with Cs. You will almost certainly begin to fight at some stage.this is not to say that As are more reasonable than Cs, it just means that you have different perspectives. Other factors that you need to consider are: Friends staying overnight, and longer periods if the flat is for four, how will you feel when you are forced into sharing with six or seven? Do you all have a comparable income? Tensions can occur when some of the group can go pubbing and clubbing a lot and one or more of the group can barely afford to eat. Are you all in agreement on the length of the lease? What will happen if some of your group leaves after nine months of a twelve month agreement who pays the rent for the rest of the tenancy? See Contracts, page 78. Before you take the decision to form a group to go househunting, you should have a frank discussion about expectations, eg rules Top student tips about guests, cleaning, washing-up, sharing food, payment of bills, when the heating should be on, etc. Spending time discussing these matters now will avoid small individual irritations or big problems building up into irretrievable situations, and you will still be friends at the end of your tenancy! Consider having a kitty for general expenses (washing up liquid, toilet paper, etc).also consider having a logbook beside the phone to note all national/ international calls.this should prevent a lot of arguments. Set rules about guests, especially for parents visiting or partners staying. In general the more people you share with, the cheaper it is. Therefore, someone living in a two bed flat will pay more for their room than someone living in an equivalent (area and quality) four bed house. However, once you go beyond four, there are no additional savings to be made. How many to share with? 58 London Student Housing Guide Planning 59

18 Properties with five or more tenants may need to be licensed and the landlord may pass the costs of this onto the tenants. For more on licensing, please refer to pages Another reason why smaller groups are often a better idea is that when you have large groups renting (i.e. five or more) the state of cleanliness in the house or flat will almost inevitably deteriorate. Once you have done other people's washing up two or three times, you are likely to do what everyone else in the house is doing i.e. pick out the items you need from the festering mess in the sink, wash them up, use them and then replace them back into the rancid pile of dirty pots, pans and plates. If the house does descend into this kind of mess during the tenancy, you are also likely to have a problem with mice. Mice are a London epidemic and need very little encouragement to invade your house. Therefore, if you don t like mice and tidiness is important to you, you will probably need to consider living with a smaller group. In addition, if you are looking for a central London property, you will need to limit the size of your group.there are very few four or five bedroom properties in central London.Typically, you will find one or two bed flats with a living room that you can convert into a third bedroom. For central London properties, in order to maximise your chances of finding somewhere, you should not really consider groups larger than three. 60 London Student Housing Guide

19 Planning checklist Research areas of London that are within easy commuting distance to your College/work. Make sure you are aware about travelling safely around London and making your home secure. Don t forget to take out insurance. Make a budget. Make sure you know about Council Tax rules. Make sure that you have a good discussion about house rules with your prospective co-sharers.you need to ensure that everyone has the same expectations about the kind of house they want to live in. 62 London Student Housing Guide