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Students and parents · updated October 2026

LSBU and UAL accommodation: student flats near the Elephant

LSBU and UAL accommodation is concentrated around Elephant & Castle, where London South Bank University and London College of Communication are both based.

This guide is for students and for parents in Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia helping from abroad: halls, private flats, guarantors, and the rules that changed in 2026.

Book a call →A parent’s checklist

01 · Halls

Halls and student blocks near the Elephant

These are the main halls and purpose-built student blocks in and around Elephant & Castle (UAL, LSBU).

First-year students usually apply through their university; ask early, because places go quickly.

Run by

Where

Highline Building
UAL
Elephant & Castle
YourTRIBE Elephant & Castle
UAL partner
Elephant & Castle
McLaren House
LSBU
1 St George’s Circus, SE1 0AP
David Bomberg House
LSBU
282–302 Borough High Street, SE1 1JJ
Portchester House (278 studios)
Get Living
50 New Kent Road, SE1 6SH
6–12 Kennington Lane (511 beds, not yet open)
Unite Students
SE11; approved August 2025
Swipe to compare

02 · Private flats

Renting privately: the 2026 rules

From the second year, many students move into private flats with friends.

The Renters’ Rights Act changed how that works for tenancies agreed since 1 May 2026 (GOV.UK).

The rule parents ask about most: a landlord can ask for at most one month’s rent between signing and moving in (NRLA).

1 month

01 / Rent in advance

The most a landlord can ask upfront

Then only the current month’s rent once the tenancy starts.

No

02 / Student exemption

International students are covered too

And tenants without a UK guarantor.

No

03 / Instead of a guarantor

Extra rent cannot replace a guarantor

A landlord cannot require more rent upfront instead.

5 weeks

04 / Deposit cap

Protected within 30 days

Plus a holding deposit of at most one week’s rent.

03 · Halls or private

Why halls can work differently

Purpose-built student halls run under a government-approved code, such as Unipol/ANUK or Universities UK, are outside these tenancy rules (Unipol).

So their payment terms can differ from a private flat.

Ask any hall which code it belongs to before you pay.

Assured periodic tenancy

Private flat

Outside the new rules

Hall under an approved code

Rent in advance capped at one month
✓
–
Tenancy type
Periodic, no fixed end date
Set by the hall’s contract
Student gives notice
Two months
Per the hall’s contract
Right to Rent check
✓
✓
Swipe to compare

04 · Shared houses

Student houses and Ground 4A

Landlords of shared student houses (HMOs) can use a special possession ground, Ground 4A, to get the property back for the next academic year (Forsters).

It only applies when every tenant is a full-time student, and it does not apply to one- or two-bedroom flats.

01

Before signing

Written notice

The landlord says in writing that Ground 4A may be used.

02

Timing

Agreed close to the start

The tenancy cannot be agreed more than six months before it starts.

03

To end it

Four months’ notice

With possession between 1 June and 30 September.

04

Next year

Re-let to students

The landlord must intend to let to students again.

05 · Guarantors

Guarantors for international students

Most private landlords ask for a UK-based guarantor, which international students rarely have.

UAL students can use a guarantor service through Housing Hand at a discounted rate of about 5.5% of a year’s rent (UAL).

Students leaving care or estranged from their families can use it without a co-signer, at about 6.5%.

LSBU students should ask the university’s accommodation team what support is available.

Of a year’s rent0.0%UAL’s discounted guarantor service through Housing Hand (July 2026)

06 · Right to Rent

The eVisa share code

Every adult tenant in England must pass a Right to Rent check before the tenancy starts (Home Office).

Students on a visa prove their status online with an eVisa share code; biometric residence permits are no longer accepted (GOV.UK).

  1. 01eVisaYour UKVI account
  2. 02Share codeGenerated for the landlord
  3. 03Online checkLandlord or agent verifies
  4. 04TenancyCan start

How a student on a visa proves the right to rent.

07 · For parents

A parent’s checklist, offer to move-in

Helping from Hong Kong, Singapore or Malaysia is easier with a timetable.

Here is ours, from the offer letter to the first week in London.

When the offer arrives

→Apply for halls early if your son or daughter wants them for first year

→Check the hall’s code and payment terms

→Start the visa; the eVisa share code is needed later

08 · Buying instead

Buying a flat for your son or daughter

Some parents buy a flat for their child to live in during their degree and let it afterwards.

If you live abroad, you will usually pay the 2% non-resident stamp duty surcharge, plus the higher rates if you already own a home anywhere in the world.

Read can foreigners buy property in the UK? and mortgages for non-UK residents before you start.

Book a call →

While they study

Your child lives in the flat.

Stamp duty includes the 2% surcharge if you are non-resident.

FAQ · LSBU and UAL accommodation

Questions, answered

What owners, buyers and parents abroad ask us first.

UAL runs the Highline Building and partners with YourTRIBE Elephant & Castle; LSBU runs McLaren House and David Bomberg House; Get Living runs Portchester House at Elephant Central.

Not for a private tenancy agreed since 1 May 2026. The limit is one month before the tenancy starts; halls under an approved code can have different terms.

Many private landlords ask for one. UAL students can use a discounted guarantor service through Housing Hand; LSBU students should ask the university what support is available.

It is staying at Elephant & Castle. UAL’s new LCC building there is due to open in September 2027.

London South Bank University’s main campus is at 103 Borough Road, SE1 0AA, next to Elephant & Castle tube.

Private tenancies are now periodic, so your child gives two months’ written notice to leave.

Sources · every fact on this page

Where the facts come from

General information, not tax or legal advice. Rules change, so check the official source or a qualified adviser before you act.

[1]Halls of residenceUniversity of the Arts London
[2]Money and contracts: private accommodation adviceUniversity of the Arts London
[3]UAL now offers a guarantor service to help studentsUAL Halls Life · 7 Jul 2026
[4]Our residencesLondon South Bank University
[5]Maps and travelLondon South Bank University
[6]Elephant CentralGet Living
[7]Approval granted for 511-bed Elephant & Castle student accommodationGSL Global · 4 Aug 2025
[8]UAL logo installed on new building for London College of CommunicationUniversity of the Arts London
[9]Guide to the Renters’ Rights ActGOV.UK
[10]Rent payments and renters’ rightsNRLA
[11]Renters’ Rights Act FAQs for studentsUnipol · 24 Aug 2026
[12]Renters’ Rights Act hub: studentsForsters · 15 Sep 2026
[13]Tenant Fees Act 2019 (as amended): statutory guidanceGOV.UK · updated 1 May 2026
[14]Tenancy deposit protectionGOV.UK
[15]Landlord’s guide to right to rent checksHome Office · 1 Oct 2026
[16]Get access to your eVisaGOV.UK · updated 18 Sep 2026
[17]Rates of Stamp Duty Land Tax for non-UK residentsHMRC · updated 1 Apr 2025

Cantonese or Malay on request

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