How to book a student residence

We are a booking agent. We don’t own the residences on this site. We work with the companies that run them, find you a room that fits your dates and budget, and handle the booking and payment. Here is how it works, from your first enquiry to your arrival.

1. Send us your application

Fill in our application form with your dates, where you will be studying or working, your budget and anything that matters to you, such as a private bathroom or a kitchen of your own. If you have seen a residence you like, choose it on the form. If you haven’t, leave it open and we will suggest options. Applying is free and you are not committing to anything.

Give us the full address of your school, university or workplace. Travel time is usually the thing students care about most, and we can only judge it properly from a real address.

2. We reply with options

We check availability with the residences for your exact dates and usually reply the same working day. For each option we send a link to the residence, the room type, whether the bathroom and kitchen are private or shared, the weekly rate, the £50 booking fee and the total for your stay.

If nothing matches what you asked for, we will say so and suggest what is realistic for your dates and budget.

3. Choose your room

Reply to tell us which room you want. Rooms are not held while you are deciding, so they stay available to other students until they are booked. This matters most in August and September, when rooms go quickly.

4. We hold the room and send your invoice

Once you choose, we ask the residence to hold the room, usually for 24 hours, and send you an invoice for the full stay plus the one-off £50 booking fee. Please check the invoice carefully: the residence, room type, dates and total.

5. Pay for your stay

You can pay by card using the link on the invoice, which confirms payment straight away. A card processing fee of about 3.5% is added. Some banks block a first payment to a UK business, so if your card is declined, contact your bank or pay by transfer instead.

You can also pay by bank transfer to the account shown on the invoice. International transfers take a few working days to clear, so please email us a copy of your payment receipt and we will ask the residence to keep the room for you while the money arrives. Your bank may take a charge along the way, so check that the full invoice amount will reach us.

Student residences ask for the whole stay to be paid before the booking is confirmed. They don’t usually offer weekly or monthly payments, or payment on arrival. For stays of more than eight weeks, booked at least six weeks ahead, some residences accept a deposit first. See our reservation deposit scheme.

6. Receive your confirmation

When your payment has cleared we confirm the booking with the residence and send you a confirmation document showing your name, the residence, your arrival and departure dates, the room type and your invoice reference. Universities, employers and visa authorities accept it as proof of accommodation. If you need a letter on headed paper, ask us and we will do our best to help.

As we are the booking agent, we don’t issue a tenancy agreement. Your invoice and our booking terms set out what you have agreed to.

7. Arrive in London

Your confirmation includes the residence contact details. For check-in times, arrival arrangements and anything about your room during your stay, contact the residence team directly, as they run the building day to day. Check-in is usually from mid-afternoon and check-out by 10am, but times vary by residence.

Students under 18

Only a few residences accept 16 and 17 year olds. For those, the booking and the invoice are made out to a parent or guardian. We will also ask for an emergency contact other than the student.

Changes and cancellations

Your booking is for fixed dates. Changing them is sometimes possible, but only if the residence agrees. Bookings cancelled close to the arrival date are not refunded. Our booking terms explain the cancellation rules in full.

Planning a stay of a few weeks rather than a full year? Read our guide to short-stay student accommodation in London.

Start your application