Everything about IRONWORKS HOUSE

• •Safety. The building runs secure access, CCTV and an on site team, though New Cross and Deptford carry higher than average street crime for London, so standard caution walking home late is genuinely warranted.
• •Green space. Folkestone Gardens is a few minutes away, Deptford Park slightly further, and Greenwich Park with its observatory and hill views is a short bus or cycle for a proper weekend walk.
• •Who is around. Heavily student, with Goldsmiths, Trinity Laban and Greenwich cohorts alongside a long standing, very diverse local population and a serious independent arts and music scene.
• •What is around. Deptford is about eight minutes away with its market, independent record shops and one of the best cheap food streets in South London, from Vietnamese to Nigerian to Turkish.
• •Transport. New Cross Gate, New Cross and South Bermondsey stations are all walkable, giving Overground and Southeastern services into London Bridge, Victoria and Canada Water for the Jubilee line.
• •Noise. This is an inner London area beside rail lines and a busy road corridor, so background transport noise is constant and worth factoring into your room choice.

Supermarkets and groceries

• •Sainsbury's New Cross Gate, the closest full supermarket for a weekly shop
• •Aldi and Lidl in Deptford for the cheapest reliable basics
• •Deptford Market on the high street for fresh produce at genuine market prices
• •Costless Supermarket, around 0.6 miles away, for African and Caribbean groceries

Cafes and student eats

• •Deptford High Street, the best value food street nearby, covering Vietnamese, Nigerian, Turkish and Caribbean
• •New Cross Road takeaways and cafes, the standard between lectures option
• •The Amersham Arms and The Birds Nest, both long standing Goldsmiths student pubs
• •Little Nan's and the independent cafes around Deptford for study coffees

Study and library

• •On site study lounges and a group study room included with residency
• •Goldsmiths Library, open extended hours during term
• •Deptford Lounge Library, free and genuinely one of the better public libraries in South London
• •Stephen Lawrence Gallery and Greenwich campus libraries for Greenwich students

Gym and fitness

• •On site gym included with your residency, no separate membership needed
• •Goldsmiths sports facilities, discounted for students
• •Seven Islands Leisure Centre and local PureGym branches for heavier training
• •Greenwich Park and the Thames path for free outdoor running

Health and admin

• •Lockyer Pharmacy, around 0.6 miles, plus Boots branches in Deptford and New Cross
• •Lewisham Hospital for A&E, reachable by bus in around fifteen minutes
• •Local NHS surgeries in New Cross for GP registration on arrival
• •Banks and post offices in Deptford and Lewisham town centre

Provided by the property

• •Fully furnished room with bed, desk, chair, storage and a private en suite bathroom
• •Shared kitchen and lounge in cluster flats, or a self contained kitchenette in studios
• •All utility bills, superfast wifi and contents insurance included in rent
• •Gym, karaoke room, TV lounge, study lounges, courtyard, app enabled laundry, bike storage and parcel handling

Bring or buy immediately

• •Bedding, duvet, pillows, sheets and towels, which are not supplied
• •Pans, plates, cutlery, mugs, a kettle and clearly labelled food storage for a shared kitchen
• •Cleaning supplies for your room and your share of the communal areas
• •A Type G adaptor, an extension lead and a waterproof coat if arriving from overseas

Day 1

• •Collect keys with photo ID and complete the room inventory before unpacking anything
• •Photograph every mark, appliance and bathroom fitting, then submit the inventory the same day
• •Test wifi, heating, hot water and lights, and report any faults in writing to the on site team
• •Do a first shop at Sainsbury's New Cross Gate or Aldi in Deptford for bedding, food and cleaning basics

Day 2

• •Meet your cluster flatmates and set a kitchen and bin rota, which matters more in a six to nine bed flat
• •Register with a local GP and confirm your university enrolment
• •Set up an Oyster or contactless travel card and walk to New Cross, New Cross Gate and South Bermondsey stations in daylight
• •Download the laundry app, tour the gym and study lounges, and locate your nearest pharmacy

• •Total cost. En suites from around £251 per week and studios from around £360, with promotional plans from around £270. Multiply the weekly rate by your contract length for the true annual figure.
• •What is included. All utility bills subject to fair usage, superfast wifi, contents insurance, gym, karaoke room, TV lounge, study lounges, courtyard, laundry access, bike storage and parcel handling.
• •What is not included. Bedding and linen, room and kitchen cleaning, a TV licence if you watch live or on demand television, and your travelcard.
• •Instalments. Rent is normally paid in instalments aligned to university terms, with the first instalment due before or at move in.
• •Deposit. A holding or reservation payment secures the room and is typically credited against your first rent instalment.
• •Cooling off. A short cooling off period applies after signing, during which the holding payment is refunded in full. Confirm the exact window in writing.
• •No Visa No Pay. Where your student visa is refused and you provide official evidence, you can be released from the tenancy agreement.
• •No Place No Pay. If you fail to secure your university place and lose student status, official documentation allows cancellation of the booking.
• •Fair usage. Utilities are included subject to fair usage limits, so unusually heavy consumption may be charged separately. Ask for the threshold in writing.

1. •Goldsmiths, University of London
2. •University of Greenwich
3. •Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance
4. •The Engineering and Design Institute London
5. •Lewisham College
6. •King's College London

What you should know before your child signs

• •All bills are included. Utilities, superfast wifi and contents insurance sit inside the rent, subject to fair usage limits worth confirming in writing.
• •Cluster flats hold six to nine students. That is a busy shared kitchen, so a smaller Premium cluster is worth the modest extra cost.
• •New Cross is genuinely urban. It is creative and well connected but also rough in places, so normal London caution applies walking home late.
• •Three stations sit within walking distance. New Cross, New Cross Gate and South Bermondsey give real resilience when one line is disrupted.
• •Trinity Laban runs official halls here. An institution placing its own students in a building is a meaningful signal about management standards.
• •Cancellation cover exists. Documented visa refusal or a lost university place normally allow release from the agreement with prompt evidence.

• •Arrival. Heathrow and Gatwick both connect via London Bridge, from where New Cross is a short train ride. Book a check in slot before you fly, and take a taxi from the station if you land late with heavy luggage rather than navigating buses.
• •No UK guarantor. Most international students will not have a UK guarantor, and that is entirely expected here. An advance payment plan is normally offered in its place, so raise the question at application stage rather than after signing.
• •Visa safety net. No Visa No Pay covers a documented refusal and No Place No Pay covers a lost university place. Keep the official letter, submit it immediately, and confirm the evidence deadline in writing, since these claims are time limited.
• •Setup. Open a UK bank account in your first fortnight, get a pay as you go SIM from Lebara, Lyca or Giffgaff, register with a local GP, set up contactless travel, and pack a Type G adaptor before you travel.
• •Home food. Deptford High Street covers Vietnamese, Nigerian, Turkish and Caribbean groceries within walking distance, Costless Supermarket stocks African and Caribbean staples, and Peckham's Rye Lane is a short bus ride for a much wider range.