Vac Scheme Accommodation

[law1234]

Hi guys!

I'm sure this comes up every year but...

Does anyone have any advice regarding London accommodation for summer vac schemes? I live miles away so will need to move to the city and I am keen to find somewhere around the 300/350 p/w mark if possible! I've been looking at London uni rooms, but there don't seem to be many going atm and they're all slightly out of my price range.

I'd really appreciate any tips!!

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Hi guys!

I'm sure this comes up every year but...

Does anyone have any advice regarding London accommodation for summer vac schemes? I live miles away so will need to move to the city and I am keen to find somewhere around the 300/350 p/w mark if possible! I've been looking at London uni rooms, but there don't seem to be many going atm and they're all slightly out of my price range.

I'd really appreciate any tips!!

Try universities just outside of the City - Eg University of West London or the campuses at Stratford, Kingston or Roehampton, or London South Bank campus in Croydon.

This website might also be useful: https://www.londonnest.com/short-term-student-accommodation/

 

[Arran]

Hey,

I struggled with this last year too. In case it's useful I eventually settled on this place: https://aa4s.co.uk/summer-accommodation/. It's £210 per week, it's not particularly glamorous but everyone I met there was nice and I couldn't find a more affordable option in London. The bed, kitchen etc was really basic but I was happy with it for the price, and I didn't really mind too much because I spent most of my time out. It's actually kind of funny because it turned out that I booked a room a few doors down from someone else on the same vacation scheme (so they must have had the same mindset as me). One downside is there is no tube station nearby; I mostly relied on buses. There are probably better options though if you were willing to pay a bit more for a better location, or more comfortable accommodation, but if keeping costs low is a priority this might suit.

 

[law1234]

That's amazing, thank you both for your suggestions!! Will have a look.

 

[ShadeCrest]

I see it's been a while since you've posted, but I just wanted to ask if anyone has stayed in accommodation booked by the firm rather than choosing their own? I’m curious how flexible firms are with that, especially if you have specific needs or already have a place to stay. Would love to hear how others handled it or if anyone had issues changing arrangements.

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

I see it's been a while since you've posted, but I just wanted to ask if anyone has stayed in accommodation booked by the firm rather than choosing their own? I’m curious how flexible firms are with that, especially if you have specific needs or already have a place to stay. Would love to hear how others handled it or if anyone had issues changing arrangements.

Hi @ShadeCrest

Great question! I completed a vacation scheme last cycle where the firm offered to arrange and book accommodation for students that were travelling from outside of London. In my case, they first checked whether I required accommodation and then made the arrangements directly.

At another firm, I emailed graduate recruitment and asked for local accommodation recommendations. They provided a list and offered to cover part of the costs, but I was responsible for booking it myself. From my experience, policies vary quite a lot between firms.

If you have specific needs or already have a place to stay, I'd suggest contacting graduate recruitment after receiving your VS offer to clarify their approach to accommodation. I don't have experience with changing arrangements, but if that came up, I would raise it directly with graduate recruitment - they've almost certainly dealt with similar situations before.

 

[Altaenjo]

I had a similar situation and just messaged the graduate recruitment team directly. They were super helpful and sorted out my accommodation really quickly. Just be honest about your needs or preferences. I also asked if I could arrive a day earlier because of train timings, and they were fine with it. Definitely worth reaching out to avoid stress later.

 

[TDayne]

Hi guys!

I'm sure this comes up every year but...

Does anyone have any advice regarding London accommodation for summer vac schemes? I live miles away so will need to move to the city and I am keen to find somewhere around the 300/350 p/w mark if possible! I've been looking at London uni rooms, but there don't seem to be many going atm and they're all slightly out of my price range.

I'd really appreciate any tips!!

Hi!

Firstly, HUGE congratulations on your vacation scheme!

Please do not stress about this, as there are options out there; they can just sometimes be difficult to find!

That is a great start, looking at uni accommodation. I personally have used Londonist for an internship, as this was a very affordable and flexible option for me at the time. Please take a look at this: https://londonist.co.uk/

Another great option is to share accommodation with other interns/vac schemers if you have contacts with them. This can help with the financial aspects.

I would also suggest reaching out to the firm to see if they have any financial assistance available for you. Some firms may be able to give a grant/bursary towards accommodation, or even give you your payment upfront to cover living costs.

I hope you find somewhere! Please reach out if you have any further questions, as I have been in this position before, too

 

[Lawyergyal123!]

Hi guys!! this thread is really helpful, was just wondering if anyone has any tips for spring time accom and for someone who is a grad!

everything is so expensive or just weirdly located, even had one place that looked good but turned out it was a daughter and mum living there (nothing wrong w that but i wouldnt love to spend 5 weeks with someone elses mum LOL).

I have two internships and one is paying exactly minimum wage which is just not enough to rent somewhere, and a lot of the cheaper student accoms wont take me because im a grad so any advice on what to do would be really appreciated!!