Alliance House

I had an absolutely amazing year living here, and after a full year, I can genuinely say that I would recommend this accommodation to other students. When I first arrived, I was honestly a little concerned about the relatively small room and the fact that there isn’t a Tube station right nearby. But those concerns disappeared very quickly. The location is actually incredibly well connected, especially for student life. The neighbourhood is great, buses are frequent and convenient, and even after nights out, I always found it surprisingly easy to get home. The staff were another highlight. Everyone was incredibly kind, helpful and approachable, and they really made the place feel like home. The kitchen is spacious and has everything you need, while the rooms are cosy, practical and easy to keep clean. My only real criticism would be the bed — I found it quite small and the mattress quite firm. However, I solved this very easily with a memory foam topper, which made a huge difference. I even had a guest stay with me on an air mattress, and despite the room being small, we were surprisingly comfortable. One of the things I appreciated most was that this is postgraduate accommodation. Most of the flatmates and neighbours I met were Master’s or PhD students, which created a really fun, social and mature atmosphere. I met some genuinely great people here and made memories that I’ll take with me. Looking back, I’m actually glad I gave the place a chance despite having some doubts when I first arrived. After spending the entire year here, I can sincerely say that it was a great choice and a really enjoyable part of my student experience. If you’re considering living here, I genuinely recommend it. ❤️

After spending almost a year at this place I got to call home during my Master’s, it’s truly saddening to say that I’ll be moving out soon. This is a lovely place in a very nice neighbourhood of Newington Green, there’s plenty of local shops to buy everything from, cute cafes, a Tesco near by and about 10 minutes walking distance from Dalston. There’s plenty buildings on the premise, each with a different access key to different rooms. The room you get is small but cozy and I think it’s the perfect size. You get your own bathroom too so that’s super nice. There’s a common area in the main building which is also where the washing room is (1 floor down). The scenery is absolutely stunning in spring and summer, just mind the spiders and mosquitoes since there’s trees everywhere. The staff were so helpful and friendly all of the time, nothing to complain!

Very friendly staff.

Was the nice days living in there back in 2018-19

Good location and good transportation links but £240 weekly for a shared kitchen/bathroom and a 10m2 room is awful. No big shops nearby so everyone just gets takeaway or lots of small shops from the local Tesco. Old building but there is constantly works going on, daily it seems. Incredibly cold in winter and hot in summer. Facilities in disrepair and no one cares about them. Paint job needed in multiple places. Windows barely open. Communal spaces not cleaned often enough. Fridges too small for 2 people. Cannot reasonably budget. Management, especially Caleb Mayende, don’t care and are so rude. Security think they are so much better than themselves, rude too. Hot water is scalding and can give burns up to the 2nd degree. WATER NOT SAFE TO DRINK FROM TAP.

Loved it here mostly! cons ... only one A/C for the staff during summer, super hot for the rest of residents. Staff walk in and out of your room whenever, expect that there will be plenty of maintenance routine checks which feels like an invasion all the time and sometimes lack of planning. Heater outages during winter to be expected and it can only be restarted in the morning when staff comes in so a few nights you'll definitely freeze. Random fire drills sometimes which is annoying. 4 washing machines and 4 dryers for the whole building, plan accordingly

Good-ish value, with some caveats: Overall, if you are in a rush, anxious about finding your own place, a fresh undergrad, don't cook much, can afford a single flat, or don't want the hassle of paying bills. I would definitely recommend. If you are more London-friendly and have the time, I would find your own place for better value/privacy/less hassle cooking. +ves: + Newington Green is a nice/cute central-ish micro-neighbourhood + Transport links are varied with busses, Mildmay/Windrush Lines at Canonbury, or 20 min walk (7 min Lime Bike) to H+I Victoria Line + Many organic high-end grocers, cafés, and boutiques on the Green (if you have the money) + Close to Clissold Park, Angel, Dalston, Stoke Newington, Islington + About 30 min to City Uni by bus (depending on time of day/waiting/which part of campus etc). + Staff are nice/helpful + Most packages will be signed for you by the concierge. + Laundry room includes proper dryers (working 95% of the time) so you can go from dirty to clean/fully dry clothes in about 2 hours. + if you get a single flat (M-Block) you will be at the front/main/period part of the building, with the Green right on your doorstep + Fast internet + Heating included -ves/things to know: - For the amount you pay, you could get a studio flat in another neighbourhood that may be 10/20 mins further from campus, or a larger flat/house share with friends for cheaper - For maintenance reasons/room inspections, expect people to be entering your room once or twice a month, whether you are there or not, with very late/wide-range notice. Bear that in mind if you wfh/call a lot, and for privacy reasons - Most staff are nice, but some take a prison warden-esque approach, checking drawers/wardrobes/toilet bowls/under the bed etc. So make sure any personal items you don't want inspected are hidden or not in the room. Mini-fridges or dorm-style appliances are strictly prohibited - Curtains only open from one side, the side where you'll be sitting at your desk, so expect to be visible from the outside even if they are slightly open, and/or for bright courtyard lights shining in at night. - Windows only open about 3 cm - Kitchens are placed on corners with windows all around with a panopticon feel, and sharing with 8 people makes timing/cooking awkward. Plenty of freezer space, but fewer than 8 fridge shelves - Kitchens only include two electric-resistive hobs and two fanless ovens. Expect to buy your own/see multiple sets of cutlery/knives/kitchen utensils/air-fryers/instant-pots/chopping boards/kettles etc - Newington Green is a very upper-middle class and relatively residential, don't expect many shops/restaurants on a student budget, unless you walk about 20/25 min to Dalston - The only local casual food options are a chippy, pizza, or Turkish. The Tesco Express seems under-stocked, - If you get D block or the upper floors, there is a long outside walk to leave the premises to street level. This adds an extra 5 mins of travel/walking time. There are no side exits - This includes getting to the only common room/post/laundry, and to pick up food deliveries. There is no way of contacting your room from the front so you need to be waiting out front for food deliveries/package deliveries that require ID (e.g. shaving razors, kitchen knives which are impossible to find in stores due to local crime reasons) - The en-suites are very small (you can shower sitting on the toilet). There is one bolted on shower-head with no handheld. Expect hot water to go about once/twice a month -The sinks are extremely small and awkwardly placed with separate hot/cold taps. There are no shelves/storage so you will need to buy multiple stick-on caddies. - Walls are thin regarding noise - The single bed mattress feels quite springy and is not secured to the cot-like base, so you can't sit up without the mattress sliding off - Intensely bright fluorescent main lights - internet requires virtual sign in, so getting smart bulbs, or non computer/phone devices (e.g. home servers, or e-readers) to connect may not work

I love it

Had a terrible experience. Students are living in poor conditions

I wish I could had taken pictures. The toilets is absolutely disgusting. Hair everything. Toilet is dirty. Everything. It was so freaking horrible. Also it has pride flag everywhere. Very in your face. Doesn't take regard to non pride followers