Student Accommodation in London

Writer Samuel Johnson once famously said: “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life”, and with its world-renowned universities, a lively atmosphere and diverse culture, London is a rather wonderful place to be as a student.

You could say London is ‘open’ 24/7 (except during the recent lockdowns, of course!), so it’s the perfect place for you to live your best uni life. And 400,000 students agree!

London is one of the world’s top study destinations – often named as one of the best university cities. With 40 prestigious institutions to choose from, London’s top four unis are within the top 35 in the world. Add to that some of the best attractions, nightlife and eateries in the country on your doorstop, and you’ll be truly spoilt for choice!

To make the most of life in the ‘Big Smoke’, why not join our student community here at Sanctuary Students? Read on to discover more about life in the city, and our student accommodation in London.

London has one of the largest concentrations of universities in the world, with approximately 40 institutions in and around the city. Some of the easiest to access from our student accommodation include:

• Kings College London
• Queen Mary University
• London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE)
• University of the Arts London (UAL)
• London South Bank
• London College of Communications (LCC)
• City University of London
• University of London
• School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS)

London attracts students from across the globe – in 2019/20, of 2.46 million UK students, 400,000 were at higher education institutions in London. What’s more, over 41,000 students go to the University College London – the most students attending a single UK university. There are also around 110,000 international students in London.

As a capital city, London does experience crime, but the levels are no higher than any other major cities in the world. Small measures can greatly reduce the risk of vulnerability, for example avoiding walking home alone at night or using adequate locks on your bike.

London is one of the best student cities in the world – after all, 400,000 students can’t be wrong! And since where you choose to live will define your student experience, we wanted to shine a light on our student accommodation in London. Our eight properties are based in the central London Zones 1 and 2:

• Whitechapel (Don Gratton House and The Craft Building)
• Southwark (Manna Ash House)
• King's Cross (Dinwiddy House and Paul Robeson House - postgraduates only)
• The East End (Coopers Court)
• Newington Green (Alliance House)
• Spitalfields (Lilian Knowles House) 

Depending on your interest, London has some of the best areas around the world, with vibrant culture, incredible history, amazing entertainment, world-class shopping and food from all round the world. Each of our properties will help you find the areas you’ll enjoy best, while being near to the buzz of central London.

Choosing a student room that’s close to the action will be especially important in 2021 when things begin to open up again after Covid-19 – there’ll be a packed schedule of music, sporting and cultural events, which will be bigger than ever!

The zones in London generally dictate the cost of student accommodation, as well as specific areas and types of housing you’re looking for. At Sanctuary Students, our properties are in Zones 1 and 2, meaning you’re close to the centre and can also save on travel costs, as many attractions are within walking distance.

As a private hall, we give you greater value for money with all-inclusive bills. Most of our properties offer state-of-the-art shared kitchen and living areas, where you can meet up with friends and relax in your free time. They’re also perfectly located to explore all that London life has to offer.

You can view the pricing on each individual property page above, but to give you a flavour:

• Manna Ash House (Zone 1) has en-suite rooms in a shared flat for £280 per week and a studio flat at £320 per week.
• Don Gratton (in the middle of Zones 1 and 2) has en-suite rooms in a shared flat for £220 per week.
• Coopers Court (Zone 2) has an en-suite rooms in a shared flat for £220 per week.

Unfortunately, we don’t have parking available at our student accommodation in London, and we generally recommend that our students don’t bring a car to London due to our properties being in central locations, meaning drivers would incur congestion (£15 daily) and ULEZ (£12.50 daily, depending on fuel type) charges. We may be able to accommodate your car for a couple of hours during check-in – subject to availability.

With plenty of public transport options, getting around London is a breeze – you certainly won’t miss having a car!

With our London properties all centrally located in Zones 1 and 2, you’ll find all your local amenities close by. However, if and when you do need to travel, travel links are easy to come by, whether it’s the London Underground, buses or trains.

All of our student flats are just a short walk away from a tube station, linking you to the rest of London and further afield. For example, Manna Ash House is a four-minute walk from Southwark tube station, and Coopers Court is quite literally around the corner from Mile End station.

When it comes to day-to-day groceries, you couldn’t be in a better place than in our student halls. Being in the city means we have shops and takeaways very close, and if you want something else, all the bike delivery services will deliver very quickly. If you’re looking to do a ‘big shop’, our friendly team will also be happy to offer advice about where to find the nearest supermarket.

London welcomes students from across the world, and is one of the most linguistically diverse cities in the world, with up to 250 languages spoken. London is home to around 110,000 international students, and here at Sanctuary Students, we’re proud of our community of international students – we’re here to make your transition to student living in the UK as smooth as possible.

We’ll allocate you a room with fellow international students to help you settle into your new home, and our on-site teams are on hand 24 hours a day, to make sure everyone in our student community is happy, healthy and safe. We have a wealth of knowledge about the local areas, and will tell you everything you need to know, from using the laundry to the best way to get to university.

When you’re considering where you want to live for your Master’s degree or PhD, it’s important to think about whether your needs have changed since those fresh-faced undergraduate days. Here at Sanctuary Students, we’re home to students of all ages at various stages of their studies.

Our uni accommodation in London is a perfect option for postgraduate students. We allocate our postgrads rooms near fellow postgrad students, so you’ll be surrounded by like-minded people in the same position as you. We offer value for money and an easy setup (including all-inclusive bills and on-site cleaners), so you can focus on your studies. Plus, our high-speed Wi-Fi is ideal for helping you tackle that heavy workload!

London is one of the world’s most culturally diverse cities, so foodies will be pleased to hear there’s plenty of choice if you want to eat out or visit a food market. You can go for a tongue-tingling curry on Brick Lane or head to Soho and Islington for some great cafes and restaurants. And don’t forget about London’s many parks where you can get away from the busy streets and enjoy a relaxing picnic when the weather’s nice. If you’re after a takeaway, there’ll be plenty of options on your doorstep, and what’s more, our student accommodation in London has communal areas and kitchen spaces where you can enjoy your chosen cuisine with your housemates.

Oxford Street is the place to “shop ‘til you drop”, with many well-known high street stores alongside a selection of independent stores. Elsewhere in London, you can indulge in some retail therapy in Carnaby Street, Seven Dials and Westfield Shopping City in Stratford. The city is home to a number of markets and there are great places to pick up anything from vintage clothes to locally produced fruit and veg. Some of the best-known markets include Borough Market, Spitalfields (round the corner from our student accommodation at Lilian Knowles House) and Camden Market.

Students can have the best nightlife in London. There are some great clubs – enjoy cheesy tunes and fancy dress at Club de Fromage, and indie nights at Club NME, KOKO and Covent Garden’s Los Locos, to name just a few. If you’re planning to dance ‘til dawn in a super-club, the Ministry of Sound and Fabric are a couple of great options.

But it isn’t just about the nightlife. If you’re a culture vulture, London is full of top attractions and there’s plenty of sightseeing to do. Head up to the Southbank and visit the Tate Modern (a 10-minute walk from our Manna Ash student rooms).

Museums are also a great place to start, as entry is free most of the time, so you can visit as much as you like. Popular choices include the Victoria and Albert Museum, Museum of London and Natural History Museum, and students can also get reduced theatre tickets to see some of the top West End shows. If you're keen to do some cheap sightseeing, the number 4 bus is a good one to catch – it goes past Waterloo, the Houses of Parliament, St Paul's Cathedral and The Barbican.