Accommodation in the UK

When you fly into London, a place to stay quickly becomes your most important (and expensive) priority. The accommodation available in London provides a diverse range of hostels, bed & breakfasts, guesthouses, home stays, hotels, bedsits, flats and house-shares. If you are apprehensive about your London adventure it may be advisable to arrange short-term accommodation prior to departure.

Prospero has a number of accommodation contacts and we have an accommodation guide which lists short and long-term accommodation and local letting agents. This information can be shared with you either before you leave home or when you arrive in the UK. It is also worth checking the office notice board or asking the consultants about other teachers who may have accommodation available. For those who intend leaving the search for accommodation until their arrival in London (although we would strongly advise against this), a hostel or bed & breakfast would be the best short-term option.

Given that the quality of these establishments varies considerably it may be necessary to do a little ‘footwork’ before making any choices. It is particularly important to inspect a room, before making any commitment, and for those interested in a single room be aware that they are more difficult to find than a twin or double. You should also enquire about reduced rates for weekly stays as well as checking that breakfast is included with your accommodation. It is also important to be aware that the demand for accommodation is particularly high during the holiday periods (i.e. Christmas, Easter and the mid-year Summer holidays so you should consider advanced bookings if you are travelling during this busy tourist period.

For hostel accommodation through the Youth Hostels Association (YHA) - www.yha.org.uk - you will need to attain a membership which can be done before leaving home or when in the UK. If you are unsure about accommodation, the best website to use is www.visitlondon.com.

Having found suitable short-term accommodation it is then necessary to start searching for a longer term living space. It will be helpful to have a rough idea of the location where you intend to reside before you begin your search. This may depend on your work location, so it is advisable to discuss this with your consultant when you come into the office for an interview. Your options for longer term accommodation include bedsits, flats and houses. The usual arrangement is that the landlord will require between one month and six weeks rent in advance as a deposit plus your first month’s rent. The cheapest option is usually a bedsit or a shared room in a house.

Perhaps the simplest option is a room in a flat-share or house share. This saves you the trouble of having to deal with the red tape of arranging your own room and is a good way to meet others. The best way to find this type of accommodation is through www.thegumtree.com or publications like the TNT Magazine, Loot, and The Evening Standard in London. For out of London, just like home, local papers are a good place to start