MSc Neuroscience at the Institute of Psychiatry
King's College London

Accommodation

The Institute maintains an Accommodation Service to assist students in obtaining the accommodation of their choice. As students of King’s College London, you have access to all the Halls of Residence and Apartments owned by King’s and additionally all the Halls of Residence of the University of London. If you want to stay in University accommodation, then early application is vital. It is necessary to fill out an application form, copies of which are obtainable from the Institute of Psychiatry Student Support Officer, together with Accommodation brochures, which offer a wealth of useful information. However, once completed, the forms should be returned to:Accommodation Office, King’s College London, Strand, London WC2R 2LS.

Download a copy of My Digs, the College's brochure on student accommodation.

Institute of Psychiatry Accommodation Services

Students should contact the Student Support Officer at the earliest opportunity and certainly once they have accepted an unconditional offer. Please note that part time students do not have access to the Halls at the start of the academic year, when admission is reserved for full time students.

There is a wide range of furnished private sector accommodation in the areas surrounding the Institute, including self contained flats and houses suitable for families. Alternatively, groups of students sometimes rent this type of accommodation to live together independently. Some houses offer bed sitter units, which is one large room containing both living room and bedroom, with a shared kitchen and bathroom/toilet. The King’s List, a weekly publication, is a good source of local accommodation. However, this is only available in hard copy and should be collected from the Student Support Officer. Currently the rates for rooms are £80.00 to £100.00 per week, which could either include or exclude bills for gas, electricity, water etc. There is a wide variation in sizes and standards of property for the rates but with a keen search, there is an abundance of reasonably priced, good local accommodation.

Married students, particularly those with families, have the hardest task in finding suitable accommodation. Though furnished flats and houses are in plentiful supply, they often prove too expensive or in some cases landlords refuse to accept families with children. It is therefore strongly recommended that students come first, without their family, to seek accommodation. Please do not bring your family to London until you have first secured suitable permanent accommodation.

UK students and sometimes even students from abroad, like to come to London ahead of their course to research the private sector options. The Student Support Officer is able to arrange short term accommodation for their visits, if needed. Temporary short term accommodation is also available at the start of the academic year, if suitable long term accommodation has not been secured. This enables students to start their course on time while they get their bearings and find accommodation of their choice.

Throughout the year, students move house for one reason or another. The Student Support Officer is there to assist them in relocating to suit their needs. Elective students are also catered for during their attachments at the IoP.

Private Accommodation (University of London Accommodation services)

Some students prefer to stay in the private sector. Help is available in the form of a weekly list and a website dedicated to their needs. All students registered at the IoP are members of the University of London and have access to their website. The University of London Accommodation website has recently been updated and is a source of invaluable information for students new to London. There is a large database of private sector accommodation divided into rooms and flats and printable in lists according to London areas. There is also the Student Contact List (Find a Flatmate). This section is broken into 3 parts:

• OFFERED: covering rooms offered in houses already set up.
• WANTED: students advertising for the type of accommodation they prefer.
• VACATION: accommodation only available for the vacation period. Passwords are needed to access these areas, but registration is quick and easy.