Everything about Northumberland House

• •You are living inside the tourist heart of London. Trafalgar Square is two hundred metres away, which means constant footfall, street performers and crowds. Brilliant for atmosphere, tiring if you want calm.
• •Green space is genuinely close. St James's Park is a five minute walk, with Victoria Embankment Gardens even nearer for a quiet bench, and Hyde Park reachable in around twenty five minutes on foot.
• •Safety is generally strong but city specific. The area is well lit and busy at all hours with heavy police presence, though pickpocketing around Trafalgar Square and Leicester Square is a real and constant risk.
• •The crowd around you is not students. Civil servants, hospitality workers, tourists and theatre goers dominate. You will find your community at university rather than on your street.
• •Everyday shopping is expensive locally. Central London prices apply to convenience stores and cafés, so most residents shop further out or order groceries in for anything substantial.
• •Nightlife is on your doorstep. Covent Garden, Soho and Leicester Square are all within a fifteen minute walk, which is either the main attraction or the main problem depending on your temperament.

Supermarkets and shopping

• •Tesco Express, Strand, closest option for daily basics
• •Sainsbury's Local, Charing Cross and Villiers Street
• •Marks and Spencer Simply Food, Charing Cross station
• •Boots, Strand, for pharmacy and toiletries
• •Whole Foods and larger supermarkets around Piccadilly for a bigger shop
• •Chinatown supermarkets, roughly ten minutes away, for East and South East Asian ingredients

Cafés and student friendly food

• •Pret A Manger and Starbucks within a two minute walk, the daily default
• •Gordon's Wine Bar on Villiers Street, a historic and genuinely atmospheric spot
• •Covent Garden food market and stalls, around eight minutes away
• •Chinatown for affordable, generous portions at almost any hour
• •Soho's cheaper cafés and bakeries, a fifteen minute walk
• •Villiers Street takeaways and casual eateries, the closest budget cluster

Study, fitness and everything else

• •Communal lounge and study space within the building
• •Maughan Library at King's College London, if you are a KCL student
• •LSE Library, one of the best social science libraries in the world
• •The National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery, both free and both minutes away
• •Charing Cross Library on Charing Cross Road for free public study desks
• •Gyms around Covent Garden and Strand, including budget chains
• •St James's Park and Victoria Embankment Gardens for running and fresh air
• •On site laundry, luggage storage and lift access within the building

What the property already provides

• •Bed, study desk, chair, wardrobe, bookshelf and storage cabinets
• •Private bathroom in en suite, studio and flat room types
• •Fitted kitchen with four ring hob, electric oven, fridge freezer, microwave, extractor hood and toaster
• •Wi-Fi and all utility bills included from day one
• •Communal lounge with TV, study space and on site laundry
• •Twenty four hour security, lift access and luggage storage

Bring or buy in week one

• •Bedding, duvet, pillows and towels, none of which are supplied
• •Pots, pans, plates, cutlery and a decent knife
• •A UK plug adaptor and an extension lead, since sockets in older buildings are limited
• •Cleaning supplies, washing up liquid and bin bags
• •Airtight food containers, essential given tight shared kitchen storage
• •Earplugs or a white noise app, given the central location and street noise

Day one checklist

• •Collect keys from reception and save the front desk and security numbers
• •Complete the inventory form and photograph every existing mark, chip or stain
• •Test hot water, heating, Wi-Fi and lighting before the office closes for the evening
• •Report any fault immediately so it is logged with a date attached
• •Locate the laundry room, bin store, lift and nearest fire exit
• •Do a first shop at the Tesco Express or Sainsbury's Local on the Strand

Day two checklist

• •Register with a local GP surgery, ideally before term properly begins
• •Open a UK bank account or set up a digital account like Monzo or Revolut
• •Collect your BRP if you are an international student and it is due for pickup
• •Get an Oyster card and apply for the 18+ Student Oyster photocard through your university
• •Walk your route to campus once, in daylight, so day one of term is stress free
• •Introduce yourself to kitchen mates and agree basic shared space rules early

Total cost. Rent is quoted weekly across a fixed tenancy, typically running 40 to 51 weeks depending on the contract chosen. En suites start around £245 per week, studios from roughly £360 and one bed flats from about £550. A 44 week single en suite tenancy therefore lands near £10,800, so always multiply the weekly rate by the exact number of contract weeks before comparing properties.

What is included. Electricity, water, heating, high speed Wi-Fi, communal lounge access, study space, on site laundry availability, lift access, luggage storage, twenty four hour security and building maintenance. There are no separate utility accounts to open or split.

Instalments. Payment can normally be made in full or across three to four instalments. A UK based guarantor is required for any instalment plan. Without a guarantor, the full tenancy amount is payable before move in.

Deposit. A holding deposit secures your chosen room, with the amount varying by room type. It is generally refundable at the end of the tenancy, subject to deductions for damage beyond fair wear and tear under standard UK deposit rules.

Cooling off period. You typically have fourteen calendar days from receiving your accommodation offer to cancel and recover your holding deposit in full. Bookings made within fourteen days of check in follow shorter timelines. Check our refund policy and terms and conditions for exact detail.

No Visa No Pay. If your student visa application is refused, the booking can normally be cancelled without penalty on submission of the official refusal letter.

No University No Pay. If you miss your grades or your university place falls through, the booking can usually be cancelled with written evidence from the institution.

1. •King's College London
2. •London School of Economics and Political Science
3. •The Courtauld Institute of Art
4. •London Film School
5. •University College London
6. •University of the Arts London
7. •SOAS University of London
8. •London South Bank University
9. •City, University of London
10. •University of Westminster

What you should know before your child signs

• •The tenancy is legally binding. Contracts typically run 40 to 51 weeks and cannot be exited midway, so treat the signature as a full year financial commitment.
• •A UK guarantor is needed for instalments. Without one, the entire tenancy amount is payable upfront, which is a substantial single payment to plan for.
• •All bills are genuinely included. Electricity, water, heating and Wi-Fi are covered, which removes the most common source of unexpected first year costs.
• •This is Zone 1, so rent is higher. The trade off is a walkable commute to KCL and LSE, saving both travel money and around an hour daily.
• •It is an older, converted building. Rooms and bathrooms are compact. Manage expectations if your child has seen glossy new build photographs elsewhere.
• •Security is staffed around the clock. Twenty four hour security, controlled entry and a busy, well lit street make late returns from the library safer.
• •Cancellation protections exist. A fourteen day cooling off period applies, alongside No Visa No Pay and No University No Pay clauses with official evidence.

Arrival. From Heathrow, take the Piccadilly line to Leicester Square or the Heathrow Express to Paddington and change. From Gatwick, take the train to Victoria then a short tube ride. Charing Cross station is around a hundred and sixty metres from the door, so the final leg is genuinely simple with luggage.

No UK guarantor. Northumberland House requires a UK based guarantor for instalment payments. Without one, the full tenancy amount is payable upfront. Approved guarantor services such as Housing Hand can act on your behalf for a fee, which unlocks the three or four instalment plan instead.

Visa safety net. The No Visa No Pay clause protects you if your student visa application is refused. Submit the official refusal letter promptly and your booking can normally be cancelled with your deposit returned, subject to the exact terms in your signed agreement.

Setup. In your first week, register with a local GP surgery, open a UK bank account with a digital provider like Monzo or Revolut, collect your BRP if applicable, buy a UK SIM card, and apply for the 18+ Student Oyster photocard through your university for cheaper travel.

Home food. Chinatown is a ten minute walk and covers Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Malaysian and Vietnamese ingredients well. For South Asian, Middle Eastern, African and Caribbean groceries, head to Whitechapel, Green Street or Brixton, all reachable by direct tube in under half an hour.

Modern student accommodation offering stylish ensuite rooms, vibrant communal spaces, contemporary interiors, excellent amenities, secure living, and a convenient location near universities and transport.

📷 Twin bedroom with two single beds, wood chests of drawers, a desk with a green pinboard and desk fan, black chairs, and teal curtains on an arched window.

📷 Single bedroom with a wood desk and shelving unit, orange curtains, a large sash window overlooking a period building, and a bed with white linens.