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Accommodation

Moving to a major city like London is very exciting, but it can also be daunting, especially if it is your first time away from home. New students from outside London are advised to apply for a place in a student residence, though we realise this might not be suitable for everyone. We have around 1000 bed spaces available each year and while we try to offer accommodation to as many new students as possible, we are unable to guarantee campus housing for all those who apply.

The School will do everything it can to help you to find accommodation. If we are unable to offer you a place in a student residence, we will be able to provide you with the help and advice you need to find accommodation elsewhere

SOAS Halls of Residence

SOAS students have exclusive access to two residences –

  • Dinwiddy House, located on Pentonville Road adjacent to Vernon Square and a 20-minute walk from Russell Square
  • Paul Robeson House, located on Pentonville Road adjacent to Vernon Square and a 20-minute walk from Russell Square

Sanctuary Management Services (www.sshl.org.uk) manage both Paul Robeson House, which has 259 rooms for postgraduate students, and Dinwiddy House, which is for both undergraduate and postgraduate students. 

Both residences offer purpose-built, self-catering accommodation which features individual study-bedrooms with en-suite facilities, telephone and internet cabling. Four to seven rooms are clustered around a shared kitchen/diner. Where possible, students will be offered a choice of single or mixed sex rooms in non-smoking clusters. Smoking is not allowed in any part of the buildings.

The residences have been built to accommodate wheelchair access and a number of the study bedrooms have been equipped for use by students with disabilities. You should discuss any specific needs you may have with the SOAS Student Disability Officer before applying.

A launderette and common room with TV and vending facilities are located on-site and each residence has a covered bike storage (but no car parking).

Dinwiddy House

Pentonville Road, N1

  • Mixed residence, self-catering
  • 510 single en-suite rooms with telephone and Internet points
  • Shared kitchen/dining area, TV/DVD room, pool table, vending machines, laundry, secure bike shed, wheelchair access
  • Bed linen not provided but available for purchase
  • Wheelchair access and rooms specially equipped for students with disabilities. Please discuss any specific needs you might have with the SOAS Disability Officer before applying.
  • Fee per week for a single en-suite room for academic year 2008–2009: £119.56
  • Contracts are available for 38 weeks (includes Christmas and Easter vacation) and extendable
  • To apply for a room and for more information please visit www.sshl.org.uk
Paul Robeson House

1 Penton Rise, WC1

  • Mixed residence, self-catering
  • 259 en-suite rooms for all with telephone and Internet points
  • Shared kitchen/dining area, TV/video room, vending machines, laundry, secure bike shed, wheelchair access
  • Bed linen not provided
  • Fee: single £115.08; double £136.57
  • Contracts are available for 38 weeks (includes Christmas and Easter vacations) and 51 weeks (also includes Summer vacation)
  • To apply for a room and for more information please visit www.sshl.org.uk
Intercollegiate Student Residences

SOAS students are also entitled to apply for a place in one of the seven intercollegiate residences owned and maintained by the University of London (approximately 160 places are allocated to SOAS students). This offers a valuable opportunity to mix with students from other colleges of the University. All provide catering, offering breakfast and evening meals on weekdays and all meals at weekends.

Buildings tend to be older than those of the SOAS residences and therefore do not have more modern conveniences such as en-suite facilities. However, many rooms now offer personal telephones and data points for internet connection. The costs vary but are for term-time only (i.e. 30 weeks); students will have to pay extra for Christmas and Easter vacations if they wish to either stay in their rooms or keep their belongings in them during the holidays.

The intercollegiate residences vary considerably in age and style of building. Students with special needs are advised to discuss them with the individual residence prior to application.

To apply for a place and for more information please visit the University of London website: www.london.ac.uk/accom

Private Accommodation

If you prefer to live in the private sector, the University of London Housing Services offers guidance to new students. It maintains a database of private sector and University-owned accommodation including rooms in private homes, flat-shares, rooms with meals, flats and houses for groups of two or more students and couples, with or without families, whole blocks of self-catering flats for up to 136 students, lists of hotels, hostels and accommodation agencies.

For details, contact the University of London Housing Services, University of London Union, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HY
Tel: +44 (0)20 7862 8880
Email: housing@lon.ac.uk
The office is open to personal callers Monday–Friday, 9.30am–5.30pm, and on Saturdays in September from 9.30am–2pm. Information is also available on www.housing.london.ac.uk

Independent Halls

London also has a range of independent halls for postgraduate students in London, many of which are close to SOAS, for example:

You may also find the following websites useful: