ACCOMMODATION GUIDE 2013–2014 www.arts.ac.uk/housing Contents The Costume 15 Store Furzedown Student Halls 17 Village Welcome from the Vice Chancellor and 3 Accommodation team Glassyard 19 Building Woodland 23 Court What you need to know 5 Brooke Hall Manna 25 Ash 27 House Bernard Coming to live in Myers 7 the UK from overseas 29 House Camberwell 31Campus Will Wyatt 33 Court Don Gratton Cordwainers The Social Programme 35 House 37 Court How to Apply, 9 11Step by Step Private rental Designer 39 advice and 41 Credits 13 Tenancy rates and Map UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS LONDON www.arts.ac.uk/housing . T: +44 (0)20 7514 6240 3 4 If you’ve accepted your place at University of the Arts London, you need to begin thinking about where you are going to live when you arrive. If you are already studying with us, don’t forget that all students in every year of study are welcome in our halls of residence. On behalf of University of the Arts At the Accommodation Services office we are here to London, I would like to welcome provide you with a clean, safe home in London. you to our halls of residence. Halls of residence are places to relax, study, create and make friends. They are a place of your own where you Nigel Carrington never need to feel alone because you are always part of Vice-Chancellor our community. For 2013/14 we have 12 halls of residence across London which provide a home for around 3,000 students. All our halls are self-catered, which means that all residents cook for themselves in their own kitchens. If you need advice on renting private accommodation in a house or flat, we have plenty of information on Accommodation Services: our website and a private sector advisor who you can 5 Richbell Place come and talk to. We can even read through your rental contract with you to make sure you are clear on your Holborn rights. Our team is here throughout your time as a London WC1N 3LA student to advise you on your accommodation options. +44 (0)207 514 6240 (GMT) We are based near Holborn tube station at 5 Richbell 8AM - 6PM Place, WC1N 3LA, and you are welcome to call or visit us. Our offices are open from 8AM until 6PM, Monday to Friday. We can help you with anything related to finding Hong Kong office: a suitable place to live. +852 3796 3769 (GMT +8 hours) We also have an Accommodation Advisor available at the Student Services desk at 272 High Holborn, just opposite the Students’ Union office. If you would like to speak to our International Accommodation Advisor (Cantonese, Mandarin and We are dedicated to the needs of all our English spoken) or simply need to call us after 6pm, you students and you are always welcome to can call our Hong Kong office on the number below. call or email us if you need advice or help. UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS LONDON www.arts.ac.uk/housing . T: +44 (0)20 7514 6240 5 6 Further Education (including FdA) students We have reserved rooms specially for Further Education students with early start dates What you need at the following halls: Furzedown, Brooke Hall, Cordwainers Court, Bernard Myers House, Woodland Court, Don Gratton House and Will Wyatt Court. Contact us before arriving to know early as we will need to make sure that we have a room ready for you. Wimbledon College of Arts This year we have rooms available for Wimbledon College students at Furzedown Your student ID number Student Village (page 18), a short distance from the college. There are no dedicated halls When you are accepted to any UAL college you are issued with a unique student ID of residence in Wimbledon itself but our Private Sector Advisor can help you with house- number. You must have this number in order to book a place in halls. If you cannot find hunting in the area. your ID number you must contact your College office to recover it. Get to know London Tenancy contracts We encourage you to find out as much as possible about London before you arrive, and Whether you live in halls or a privately rented place of your own, you will be required to UAL blog http://commonplace.arts.ac.uk has lots of practical advice for finding an area to sign a contract. You must read these carefully to be sure that you know all the details of suit you and getting the most out of the city. You can get excellent travel information from what you are agreeing to, as this is a legal agreement which you can’t change later. Make www.TFL.gov.uk, the website of Transport for London. sure that you understand when your agreement begins and ends, how much your rent will be and when you need to pay it, what deposit and administration fee (if required) you will be Security expected to pay in advance and what your options are for beginning or ending your tenancy CCTV covers the outside of every hall of residence, as well as internal communal areas, outside of the agreed period. We will be happy to advise you on any aspect of your tenancy 24 hours a day. You will be given an electronic fob key or card for entry to your building, which you need help with. which can be cancelled if reported lost. Staff are available 24 hours a day, usually on-site, and a senior Accommodation Services manager can be contacted by the halls teams at Travel in London any time. We make every effort to keep residents safe and secure, and work closely with Student Services to provide pastoral care when necessary. London is a very big city. Many people are surprised by how much time Londoners spend travelling between home and work or University. The transport network is excellent but it is perfectly normal to have a commute of 45 - 60 minutes. When looking at halls Utility costs or private rentals, consider the time rather than the distance between places. Google When you live in these halls of residence, electricity, water, gas and internet access costs Maps and www.TFL.gov.uk are both excellent tools for calculating your journey. We have are included in your rent. Washing and drying clothes usually cost an extra £5 per week. provided some estimated journey times for the halls in this brochure. TV Licence Rent If you wish to watch live broadcasts on any device including a computer or tablet, you Living in London might be quite different from what you are used to. For some UAL will need to buy a TV licence. Details are online at www.tvlicensing.co.uk. properties and most private lets, you will need either a UK guarantor (somebody who agrees to pay your rent if you cannot) or to agree to pay your full rent in advance. Studios and cluster-flats Throughout our materials we refer to our rooms as ‘studios’ and ‘flats’ or ‘cluster- Students with disabilities flats’. Studios are rooms which contain their own kitchen within the same room as the The University welcomes applications from students with disabilities and has a wide bed and wardrobe, and all have their own private bathroom with a toilet and shower. range of accessible accommodation. If you have a disability which requires specific housing Single rooms in cluster flats contain a bed and may have a private bathroom with toilet arrangements (e.g. step-free access; vibrating alarm systems or en-suite facilities) please and shower (often referred to as an ‘en-suite’ bathroom), but always share a kitchen and contact our office or the Disability Team (+44 (0)20 7514 6156 or [email protected]), lounge between 3-8 other residents. and specific information about the facilities at each hall are on our website. Pastoral care If you have any questions about money matters, health (physical or mental), working Students under 18 while studying or other concerns the Student Services team are on hand to help you. Any student under the age of 18 at the start of their contract is required to sign a duty of Their website is at www.arts.ac.uk/student/studentservices, you can phone them on care agreement. Details of this agreement can be found on our website. +44 (0)20 7514 6219 to make an appointment or visit their helpdesk at 272 High Holborn (1st floor). UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS LONDON www.arts.ac.uk/housing . T: +44 (0)20 7514 6240 7 8 International Students House Electrical items ISH is an organisation which arranges social and UK sockets will not be compatible with plugs designed Coming to live in the cultural events throughout the year, including a free for any other country, however you can easily obtain cinema screening every Sunday night, discount tourist adaptors for your electricals in many shops throughout trips around the UK and Europe, sports clubs, musical London or at airports. Please remember to check that UK from overseas events and lots more. UAL is a member, so all our your items are compatible with the UK’s 220–240V / 50 international students can join for free. Hz power supply (not standard in North America) and Visit www.ishevents.org for more information. note that ‘cube’ style adaptors are not permitted. UK based guarantors Staying safe in a new country Some of our halls require tenants to have somebody London is not a dangerous place, despite stories you in the UK who signs a document agreeing to pay a might have heard.