London, one of the top two global cities and the capital city of the UK, is a destination where many people dream to visit at least once in their lifetime. London is a vibrant and historic city known for its iconic landmarks, diverse culture, and significant global influence. A major aspect, for which London has gained fame, is higher education. For more than a century, many students have been choosing London for their higher education, and today, with the advent of the internet, this trend has enhanced a lot.
When students enroll in London, their major requirement happens to be accommodation. In this intake also, a great demand for student housing in London can be witnessed. But, the major problem that occurs in this regard is the cost of accommodation. Since London is a top global city and the capital of the UK, quite obviously, the cost of living in this city is high. So, finding low-cost accommodation can be challenging many times. But, still, it is not impossible to find low-cost or affordable student accommodation in London. Below, you will read about 7 tips to find low-cost student housing in London during this intake.
1. Search for Shared Rooms/Studios
Shared rooms can be found in London for two or more residents. Similarly, you can also find double occupancy studios. In shared rooms or studios, students don’t need to pay the full rent, and the rent is split equally among all the residents of a room or studio. So, every student needs to pay only his/her part of the rent. This is considered one of the best ways to find low-cost accommodation in London or any city in the world.
2. Look for Private Accommodation
Private accommodations are developed and owned by private developers, and the owners do their best to attract the students. So, they offer many accommodations at low prices; however, private accommodations are found in different price ranges. You need to check which accommodations are within your budget to find affordable accommodation in London.
There are three types of private accommodations available in London. The major ones are purpose-built accommodations for students, which are developed according to the requirements and preferences of students, such as study rooms, Wi-Fi, gym, cinema, games room, and more.
Students find many high-end and basic amenities in these accommodations. The second ones are private rental apartments, which are the general apartments with general amenities. Homestays are also available in London, in which students can stay with families in London in their homes.
3. Visit Online Portals with Listings of Accommodations
There are some online portals, which provide listings of accommodations for students in different cities in the world including London. Universityliving.com is one of the best examples of such portals. On such portals, you can read the details of different student housing properties, private rental apartments, and homestays. The details that you can find include prices, amenities, distances from universities, etc. So, you can know about the prices of different accommodations and choose low-cost accommodation.
Read also: Elevate Your Learning: Discover the Best Free Online Courses for World-Class Education
4. Use Special Features of Online Portals
You can use the special features of online portals to find low-cost student accommodation easily. You can sort accommodations from low to high or high to low, which is one of the special features. Besides, you can also filter the list according to different bases including price ranges. Some portals also provide a feature to compare the prices and some other details of multiple student housing properties and private apartments on a single webpage.
5. Look Beyond Central London
Housing in zones 3-6 can be significantly cheaper than in zones 1-2 in London. Research neighborhoods that are a bit further out but still have good transport links to your university.
6. Start Your Search Early
Start searching for accommodation in London immediately receiving after your acceptance letter. This is because the prices of accommodations increase as the time of the commencement of the university sessions comes closer.
7. Get Discounted Accommodations
From time to time, discounted accommodations are offered to students which you can know through different sources. Online portals also provide information about discounted accommodations and special offers. Besides, you can know about them with the help of social media platforms.
