University of London Housing Services

This page has links to the websites of other organisations.The University of London and the ULAO is not liable for any loss, damage, injury or death (however caused) suffered by you as a result of using these organisations.

• Guides to London
• Transport Links
• Databases of Accommodation
• Safety
• Legal
• Housing organisations
• Overseas students
• Local authorities

If you have found a good housing link, why not submit it to roland.shanks@lon.ac.uk. Similarly, if any of these links don't work, please let me know

Up my street: This website gives a guide to local school performance tables and crime rates by postcode. If you are a parent, bringing your children with you to London, you may find this site especially useful. If you know the precise postcode, this site will also give you a fairly accurate sociological profile of who lives in this area.

Evening Standard: There is a guide to London areas on this site. This is mainly aimed at homebuyers but it is also useful for those looking to rent.

UK Street Map: This site should enable you find the precise location of any street in London. They have recently added the facility for viewing aerial photographs of different areas.This gives you the opportunity to gauge something of the character of an area.

Transport for London: Transport for London has some excellent guides to London. In addition to their very good area guides, they have a number of more general guides. These are split into the following categories: Entertainment, Arts, Outdoors and Markets.

Transport for London: An excellent site with a very good travel planner.

We have listings here for a variety of websites. However, please read the warning below before beginning your search.

Loot: This is probably the most popular resource for people looking for private rented accommodation in London. Most people buy the paper from newsagents. However, there is also a searchable online database on this site. The advantage of using this resource is that you will have access to adverts that have not yet appeared in the printed paper. Please note, however, that there is no quality control on the offers of accommodation advertised through Loot.

www.FlatmateClick.co.uk: This website operates a bit like a dating website. At the point when you want to contact a potential flatmate, you will need to pay a registration fee. However, there appear to be a lot of users and the fact that you have to pay tends to dissuade some of the weirder people you can meet through free websites such as Gumtree.

Gumtree: This is one of the most popular London flatsharing lists. The Offers are from both students and young professionals. Recently landlords have also begun using this site. You do need to be careful, as there is no quality control over the offers listed here (please see Warning above).

Moveflat: This easy to use site for either looking for or advertising rooms to rent. Generally tends to be used by young professionals.  

Homes and Property: This is the property section of the Evening Standard newpaper.There is no fee to search the database.

Fish4Lettings: Again this is a website where Accommodation Agencies will register their properties.

Findaproperty: Another website with a searchable database of properties mainly advertised through letting agents.

Zoopla - This property portal provides search facilities. Locate houses to rent by location and price range. The website offers an extensive list of resources and the latest property market news.

ARLA: This is the website for ARLA which is probably the best known professional body for letting agents. The properties advertised on this website are less likely to be budget accommodation than those advertised on both our own database and the one available from Loot.

Yellow Pages: If you wish to find the Letting Agents for a particular area this website is very useful.

Health and Safety Executive- Gas Safety Advice: This website covers the dangers of carbon monixide poisoning from faulty gas appliances. If you are living in private rented accommodation, it is your legal right to be provided with a valid Gas Safety certificate.

Fire kills, you can prevent it: If you live in rented accommodation or share with other people, there's a higher chance you could have a fire.This website is all about what you can do to reduce fire risks.

Suzy Lamplugh Trust: Personal safety advice sheets. Link is to ther personal safety advice sheet on London Minicabs.

The Court Service: From this website you can print out leaflets about submitting a Claim through the Small Claims Court. Please note, however, that the ULHS or your Student Union can help you with this. If you feel confident enough, you can also complete the forms and submit them online through money claim online.

Land Registry: If you want to check that your landlord actually owns the property that he is renting, you can do a Land Registry search. This will cost £4:00 per search.

Shelter: Shelter has an excellent website detailing tenants rights: "Broken boiler that won't be fixed 'til June... Nightmare flatmates who make your life hell… Landlord on the war path because you can't afford the rent… Whatever your housing problem, you can sort it out at www.shelter.org.uk/knowyourrights. Whether you're looking for a new place to stay, worried about how you're going to pay for it or simply want to stay one step ahead of a dodgy landlord, it always pays to Know Your Rights."

TV Licensing: Find out whether you are liable, what it costs and how to pay.

Empty Homes Agency: This is a campaigning body tackling the problem of Empty Homes "We exist to highlight the disgrace of empty, wasted and under used homes and property throughout England. We exist to devise solutions and disseminate good practice on how to tackle the empties." They do not provide their own housing.

Shelter: This is a campaigning body, tackling the problems of homelessness.

British Council: If you are an overseas student, the British Council has some useful information about studying and living in Britain.

Department for Employment: Information about work permits for Great Britain.

Currency Converter: Work out how much things cost in your own currency.

Below is a clikable map for you to access your local authority website