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Presessional accommodation

UAL students in the park in the summer

Information for Presessional students studying at University of the Arts London.

At UAL we want you to feel at home while you study with us.

If you are new to the UK, we recommend staying in our halls of residence to get yourself familiar with London before you explore further options. If you are familiar with the UK, our halls are still the best environment to start your student social life at UAL.

Accommodation is available in our halls of residence for UAL summer course students including:

  • Pre-sessional English programme and EPIC courses at various lengths
  • Orientation to Art and Design and Foundation Plus programmes at Central Saint Martins
  • Preparation for Foundation, Preparation for BA/MA ,and Foundation Plus programmes at Chelsea College of Arts, Camberwell College of Arts and Wimbledon College of Arts

Which halls are available to Presessional students?

We recommend The Costume Store and Glassyard Building.  All rooms in this hall come with a private bathroom.

It takes 25-30 minutes to travel to the High Holborn campus via the London Underground. You can travel directly on the central line, which is very convenient compared to the typical journey time in London. You can also apply to stay in other halls where rooms become available.

(Subject to operational needs, you may be required to move to an alternative room during your stay.)

How to apply

Follow the steps below to submit an application for Presessional accommodation.

  • Step 1: Register for an account at our Student Accommodation Portal.
  • Step 2: Log in to your account to submit your application. Make sure you submit your application under the academic year of 2020-21 and select the appropriate arrival date.
  • Step 3: When you receive your offer of accommodation, follow the instructions in the email to accept your offer and make a payment.

Tips:

  • Apply as soon as you can.
  • If you have friends who you want to live with, you can make a request on your application.
  • Monitor on your emails regularly (including the junk or spam mail folder).

To stay in our halls:

  • You must follow our instructions to apply and sign a Tenancy Agreement.
  • Do not arrange hall accommodation with another UAL student/resident in private. This is known as sub-letting and is illegal in the UK.
  • Do not pay your rent to another student as you may run a risk of losing money and not getting it back.

Courses starting after June 2022

If your Presessional course will start at or after the end of June, you are welcome to book our Summer Stays accommodation at Gardens House or Sketch House.

As a UAL student, you can benefit from a discounted price by entering the promotional code ‘Presessional’ when you book online.

Summer Stays can be booked via a separate booking system which is also open to the general public and is different from the student application system mentioned before.

Find out more about our Summer Stays and book your place.

The end of your summer stay

Your tenancy has a fixed end date. Our team will contact you in July to provide information regarding any additional nights you may require (also known as ‘the Tenancy Gap’).

If you will also stay with us for your main academic course, we aim to let you continue to stay in our halls during the tenancy gap. You will move to your next room when it is ready.

When it is not possible to stay with us in between tenancies, we will offer advice and assist you to book temporary private accommodation until your full-time accommodation starts.

Alternatively, if you choose not to stay with us for your full-time course, we can offer advice on private accommodation.

Stay with us in 2022-23

If you want to continue to stay with us for your main academic course, remember to submit a separate application (beginning in April) via the accommodation portal. Note that room pricing may be different for the new academic year.

Private accommodation

If you decide not to live in halls, our Private Accommodation Adviser can give advice and even read over your housing contract. See our guidance on private accommodation for more on renting privately.

Please do not try to book private accommodation before you come to London. You must be in London first as you will need to view the property before you pay any money for it. You need to check it is good for you to live in, and landlords are also required by law to meet you in person before they allow you to move in. If you are considering private accommodation, please contact our Advisor at private.accom@arts.ac.uk for advice.

Learn more

Presessional Academic English Programme