London is a huge sprawling city. If you are studying at a college or university outside central London, you may be able to find accommodation that is just a short bus ride away from college, or even within walking distance. Universities in east and south east London, in particular, are situated in areas where there is a relatively good supply of inexpensive private sector housing.

If you are studying at a college or university in central London, i.e. in Bloomsbury, Kensington, Paddington or the West End, getting out of bed and strolling to your lectures is a very expensive ambition. Private sector accommodation in central and west London is not only expensive, but also usually fairly cramped and there is very little available for large groups of more than three persons.This means that most students live outside travel zone 1, even if they are studying in Central London.

To help you make sense of London we have prepared this brief guide. By following the links on the left, you can find out more about the top ten most popular student postcodes.There is also a chart showing average students rents in the top 50 postcodes and a postcode map showing where in London these postcodes are.

Other websites that can help are:

• London Student Housing website: This website carries general advice about whether to live North, East, South or West.
• Transport for London Travel Planner: If you have shortlisted a property, you can use this website to work out your travelling time to and from College. Bear in mind that how close you are to a tube is often more important than how far you are your destination.
• Upmystreet.com: If you know the full postcode of a property of a property, you can use this website to find out detailed information about who your neighbours would be, your local authority etc.

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