LSE accommodation Q and A

Hi! What if I have been offered a 50-week contract hall but later on I decide to live only for 40 weeks. Do I still need to pay for the remaining 10 weeks?

Reply 22

Also, if I decline a current offer, and I will be added to the waitlist right? Well, does that reduce my chances of accommodation?

Reply 23

OP

Original post by Somsom11

Hi! What if I have been offered a 50-week contract hall but later on I decide to live only for 40 weeks. Do I still need to pay for the remaining 10 weeks?

If it's a 50 week contract, you have to pay all 50 weeks, even if you're not living there for some of it - that's how contracts work.

You can't just decide how much of it you want to pay.

Reply 24

OP

Original post by Somsom11

Also, if I decline a current offer, and I will be added to the waitlist right? Well, does that reduce my chances of accommodation?

You will be invited to join the waitlist if you decline your offer, yes.

It does reduce your chances of accommodation, because on the waitlist you're not guaranteed an offer. Once you decline the first offer you receive, LSE is under no obligation to provide you with accommodation. You may or may not end up with a hall, depending on what becomes available.

Reply 25

Are you aware of what halls are preferable? The only available ones are - Butler's Wharf, Lillian Knowles, Sidney Webb House and Urbanest King's Cross! Any idea which one is better out of the rest?

Original post by LeapingLucy

You will be invited to join the waitlist if you decline your offer, yes.

It does reduce your chances of accommodation, because on the waitlist you're not guaranteed an offer. Once you decline the first offer you receive, LSE is under no obligation to provide you with accommodation. You may or may not end up with a hall, depending on what becomes available.

Reply 26

rita40801

2

Hi! I'm quite confused about what to do with my hallpad application.

In my preferred annual budget, there are only 5 options out of 6 that I want (from the 4 'social' halls) but I am pretty sure that 3/5 of them are now unavailable, hence I am concerned that by the time I submit my application they will all be gone, and I will be put in a random 6th option that's on the list. (such as intercollegiate or something...!)

Do you think that if I select that I wouldn't accept other residences if these were unavailable,
and that my main priority is a single room/catered,
they would just offer me a room in one of the 4 halls with a different budget?

(If i have to select a 6th I will choose a room in a hall with 4 spaces that is self-catered).

I am worried that they will simply put me in a random hall on the list because they want to stick to the budget if I say I would accept other residences but I also want to ensure I get an offer...

Reply 27

OP

Original post by rita40801

Hi! I'm quite confused about what to do with my hallpad application.

In my preferred annual budget, there are only 5 options out of 6 that I want (from the 4 'social' halls) but I am pretty sure that 3/5 of them are now unavailable, hence I am concerned that by the time I submit my application they will all be gone, and I will be put in a random 6th option that's on the list. (such as intercollegiate or something...!)

Do you think that if I select that I wouldn't accept other residences if these were unavailable,
and that my main priority is a single room/catered,
they would just offer me a room in one of the 4 halls with a different budget?

(If i have to select a 6th I will choose a room in a hall with 4 spaces that is self-catered).

I am worried that they will simply put me in a random hall on the list because they want to stick to the budget if I say I would accept other residences but I also want to ensure I get an offer...

I’m really sorry but I’m not really in a position to be able to answer that question - as my only experience with Hallpad is applying myself, I don’t have a large enough dataset to draw conclusions about how to increase your chances of getting the type of room you want.

Reply 28

OP

Original post by Somsom11

Are you aware of what halls are preferable? The only available ones are - Butler's Wharf, Lillian Knowles, Sidney Webb House and Urbanest King's Cross! Any idea which one is better out of the rest?

I'm afraid I'm not familiar with any of those halls - I think they're all postgrad halls (except Urbanest) so I've never been inside any of them.

Reply 29

humean

7

@LeapingLucy I'm a bit confused about the system. On the website, some of the halls say that they don't have any availability, but only some rooms specifically say they're sold out. does this mean that I can't apply for those or should I try my luck with applying since they don't specifically say sold out?

Also do you, or anyone else, know if when I get a room offer, if I don't like it, would I be able to appeal and go for a different price range or something like that? or would that not work?

Thanks so much

Reply 30

Hi, well if it says not available then none of the different types of room rents are available such as in Grosvenor, Urbanest Westminster and Lilian Knowles. No point applying to them as they are completely sold out.

However, if they specifically state that certain rooms are sold out, it means that the remaining rooms with different rates of rent are still available. E.g. High Holborn still has availability for rooms rented at 289 per week. So you should apply to those. Don't take a risk by applying to those which are completely sold out.

You can't appeal but can only reject the offer. Then they will waitlist you, here you can edit your budget range!

Reply 31

OP

Original post by humean

@LeapingLucy I'm a bit confused about the system. On the website, some of the halls say that they don't have any availability, but only some rooms specifically say they're sold out. does this mean that I can't apply for those or should I try my luck with applying since they don't specifically say sold out?

Also do you, or anyone else, know if when I get a room offer, if I don't like it, would I be able to appeal and go for a different price range or something like that? or would that not work?

Thanks so much

Pretty much what SomSom says.

I would just add that once you reject the offer, than LSE are under no obligation to find you accommodation. So it's a big risk to take.

Reply 32

niknik1111

3

Hi if anyone is looking to cancel their tenancy for EN-SUITE ROOM at URBANEST WESTMINISTER for Sept 2019, could you please message me and I can pay you the deposit and do the transfer asap.

Thank you

Reply 33

Connor27

Original post by LeapingLucy

Yes. Which is fine if - like me - you live an hour's drive outside of London and your parents can come in the car to collect all your stuff. It's not so great if you're an international student. Therefore, these halls are (at a rough estimate) probably around 60-70% British.

(During the holidays they rent the rooms out to tourists at higher prices which subsidises rent for students).

However, if you need somewhere to live in London during the holidays, they will find you a room in a different hall (probably Bankside) for 4 weeks. You do have to move all your stuff there though.

Worth noting that one of the wings at Rosebery (I’m not sure which one as I don’t live there!) does the 31 week contract too.

My mate at Rosebery has such a room and does the same thing as you with moving out over the holidays.

Reply 34

humean

7

Would anyone happen to know what High Holborn is like for undergrads? Is it worse socially than not living in halls at all?

Reply 35

asiespric

2

Hey! I got an offer but I declined it a few days ago. After I talked with my friends it would be nice actually to accept it.

So can I take it back now? if I send them an email and if the room is still available do you think they would offer me once again?

Reply 36

OP