London

UK student housing · London

London,
sorted.

What it actually costs, where students really live, and how not to get scammed.

£1,780 typical month from £175/week rooms fill by mid-July

The money

What it really costs

Per month, for a typical student. Not the brochure number.

Rent
£1,200
≈ £277/week
Food
£220
cooking mostly
Transport
£160
18–25 railcard
Everything else
£200
phone, going out
Typical month
rent, food, travel & life
£1,780
≈ ₹1,87,000

Cooking at home and sharing a room? Closer to £1,420. Studio and eating out? Nearer £2,300.

The map

Where students actually live

Rent tracks the tube zone — the further out, the cheaper. Set your budget to see where you can afford to look.

My budget

Wembley Zone 4 £175+/wk

Wembley

£175–£230/week

Cheapest serious option. Newer builds, big rooms, proper kitchens.

Westminster · Middlesex25 min to central
Shepherd's Bush Zone 2–3 £200+/wk

Shepherd's Bush

£200–£265/week

Good value for west London. Westfield on your doorstep.

Imperial · Brunel18 min to central
Whitechapel Zone 2 £210+/wk

Whitechapel

£210–£280/week

Best food in the city. Walk to Queen Mary.

QMUL · City12 min to central
Stratford Zone 2–3 £220+/wk

Stratford

£220–£290/week

Modern blocks, huge mall, fast trains. Where most new builds are.

QMUL · UCL East15 min to central
Elephant and Castle Zone 1–2 £250+/wk

Elephant & Castle

£250–£330/week

Central without central prices. Walk to LSE and King's.

LSE · KCL · UAL10 min to central
Camden and King's X Zone 1–2 £280+/wk

Camden & King's X

£280–£360/week

The most expensive, and the most alive. UCL is next door.

UCL · SOAS5 min to central

The traps

Before you pay anyone

Six signs a room is a scam. Takes a minute. Saves a term's rent.

  1. 1

    Paid before you've seen it

    No money before a live video viewing and a signed contract.

  2. 2

    Bank transfer or crypto only

    Real landlords take cards. Untraceable payment is the loudest alarm.

  3. 3

    Won't show you the room live

    If they can't video-call you from inside it, it isn't theirs.

  4. 4

    Deposit not in a government scheme

    By law it must be in DPS, MyDeposits or TDS. Ask for proof.

  5. 5

    “I'm abroad, I'll post the keys”

    This is the oldest one in the book.

  6. 6

    “Three others want it, pay now”

    Urgency exists to stop you checking. A real room waits a day.

A real London student room

Rooms that are actually real

Verified London rooms, deposit protected, bills included. Browse what's left.

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