The Student Room Group

UCL Accommodation 2nd year

Hi guys,

My brother will be in his 2nd year next year and needs to start looking for somewhere to live (i have a vested interest as i want to live in London during the summer when hes not there!)

I just have a few questions that he wants to know about:

When do students generally rent flats/rooms from? When i was at Durham it went from 1st July - last week in June the following year.

When are flats/rooms generally available to be signed up for?

What would be approximately the average per week per person price for a single room/room in a flat with a location say not more than 10 mins walk from UCL?

Any help would be great!
Reply 1
pogel17

What would be approximately the average per week per person price for a single room/room in a flat with a location say not more than 10 mins walk from UCL?

Mate... that ain't gonna happen. A private rent controlled flat in bloomsbury? More chance of a lottery win hehe.

As far as I'm aware most students end up in Zone 2, and so in their second year will use the tube instead of walking. The farther out from UCL, the smaller the rent is a general rule of thumb.

Prices vary considerably but if you're in Zone 2 like in Camden Town, your rent won't be far different from first year accomodation costs I don't think (I'm probably wrong...)
Reply 2
i've only seen people in an ex-counsil flat that is 10 miutes walk away from UCL...

i agree with the above poster... if you go to camden, at least you'll have somewhere nicer to live but it will probably be a bus journey to get to uni...

it's up to you... i'd personally go with the camden option but you may want to live nearer even if the accomodation isn't as good...
Reply 3
nickb123


Prices vary considerably but if you're in Zone 2 like in Camden Town, your rent won't be far different from first year accomodation costs I don't think (I'm probably wrong...)


My brother pays £64 a week at the moment in student halls (actually a house so self catered). What would prices be like in Camden Town then? How far is it by bus?

I take it that its really impossible to find a flat or anything close to UCL then? He has a maximum budget of about £120 a week so would that make any difference?
Reply 4
pogel17
My brother pays £64 a week at the moment in student halls (actually a house so self catered). What would prices be like in Camden Town then? How far is it by bus?

I take it that its really impossible to find a flat or anything close to UCL then? He has a maximum budget of about £120 a week so would that make any difference?

64 for self-catered - I assume he's in a twin then.

Camden Town prices I don't know that well, but my guess would be around £100 a week - it depends. If you're with mates, you'll generally pay much less, so if you have a good friend after your first year, it would be financially a good idea to suggest sharing. For example, I did see one instance in Camden Town where it was two-bedrooms, £100 if one person moved there, £120 if two... so as you can see you can save quite a lot!

Remember also, unless you somehow get somewhere within walking distance, you'll be shelling out about £50 a month on a train pass.
What about halls in the second year if you didn't live in them for the first year?
Reply 6
My friend lives in a 1 bed flat a 3/4min walk from UCL, 250 a week.
Reply 7
tetedupet
My friend lives in a 1 bed flat a 3/4min walk from UCL, 250 a week.


£13,000 a year! Well rodger me and call me Mary! I bet this guy isnt your average student.
Reply 8
I'm in halls this year and there's 2/3 of us looking to move into a flat next year...Going to start looking fairly soon, and Camden's our choice, especially as that's where I am atm. It is within walking distance of ucl (good exercise!!), but the buses are brilliant too, and so much cheaper than the tube (especially the bendy ones, which are technically free). We're looking for about £100-£120 a week, tho if we find cheaper ones that are liveable, then it's all good.
Reply 9
pogel17
£13,000 a year! Well rodger me and call me Mary! I bet this guy isnt your average student.


Well, he says he has a trust fund from when his grandparents died, but I'm sure it's not bottomless! He was paranoid about moving too far away from UCL because he once got mugged and he didn't want long journeys to and from UCL alone
Reply 10
Everyone gets mugged. Get over it. I was in an oral class the other day - 3 girls, then one guy walks in saying his wallet and travelcard had just been nicked on the DLR and that's why he was late. Olga had her phone nicked on the street, Eleonore in Eat, and I had my phone and purse stolen in a ucl orchestra rehearsal last term. No way of avoiding it, it'll happen.
Reply 11
Sopharama
Everyone gets mugged. Get over it. I was in an oral class the other day - 3 girls, then one guy walks in saying his wallet and travelcard had just been nicked on the DLR and that's why he was late. Olga had her phone nicked on the street, Eleonore in Eat, and I had my phone and purse stolen in a ucl orchestra rehearsal last term. No way of avoiding it, it'll happen.

Lovely... thanks for that depressing account. Really make the people feel confident about moving to London.
nickb123
Lovely... thanks for that depressing account. Really make the people feel confident about moving to London.


She's right though, don't be naive!
Reply 13
tetedupet
She's right though, don't be naive!

I'm not being naive, I'm saying not every person who goes to UCL will be attacked and mugged and left emotionally scarred like which is being implied.

Its an ever present danger, of course, but to effectively say "you're not a UCLer til you've been the victim of crime" is a bit farfetched
Reply 14

Would be good to get the thread back on track. Anyone want to venture an answer to my first two questions - from when are flats usually rented and when are they usually available to sign a contract for? Thanks
Reply 15
i wonder is it possible to get into uni halls if ur a 2nd yr student?xxx
Reply 16
Generally flats are on a 12-month contract that begins in July. If you're really lucky, you'll find one on a shorter contract that begins in September.

I've been told that students don't start looking til May, as that's when landlords begin looking for new tenants - but some of us do get it sorted before then.


As for flat prices, and the Camden area... haha. I believe it is fairly hard to find a place in NW1, and most students move as far out as N15 to find places with a weekly price of around £80-110 (depending on whether bills are included). I'm lucky in that I managed to make friends with second years who just happened to have a room freeing up this summer - it's in Kentish town, NW5, for £125 a week. A lot, yes, but the location means transport remains a null cost for me - I cycle to uni.

As for getting into halls as a 2nd year... I quote an email that all UCL students should have received a while back:

email
Due to hall closure for refurbishment during the next academic year, there
will be a drop in the number of available UCL bed spaces, and as a result no
ballot will take place this year for returning students.

Students with a disability, illness or other special needs can apply, and
will be considered by the Dean of Students, for a place in residence. Such
applicants should contact Ms. Siobhan Cosgrove in the
first instance to request an application form. Each case will need to be
supported by recent medical documentation which must explain the need for
UCL student accommodation. Please note:

1. Your inability to live in the parental home cannot be considered as a
special need.
2. Your financial situation cannot be taken in account in allocating
residential places.

Intercollegiate Halls will only consider applications from students who are
current, or previous, residents of their respective Intercollegiate Halls.
Reply 17
I've been very lucky with accommodation next year....

My best friends g-d parents have a 3 story house in chalk farm (5mins walk from camden town tube station and 2 mins walk from chalk farm tube station) which they're moving out of, so me, her and 2 friends are living there....for £80 a week. We're right next to the big morrisons, the 24 bus runs outside our house straight to the cruciform building....PERFECT! OR its a 35 min walk to uni, which isnt a prob for me (well maybe when its raining....)

I think we're gona start paying from beginning of september....

Im v lucky :smile: Most of my friends are thinking about looking after our exams. The 'official list' of available accommodation comes out on may 9th....