Frequently Asked Questions

When should I book student accommodation?

As soon as possible! You can never be too prepared when looking at student accommodation options. urbanest wants to help you find the room that is just right to start you on your university journey.

Is it too late to apply for student accommodation?

It is never too late, provided there is still rooms available. However, as you can imagine the rooms are available on a first come first serve basis, so once the rooms are full, they’re full! So, book yours today.

What should I think about when looking at uni accommodation?

There are lots of things to consider when looking at potential student accommodation. You want to make sure that the rooms available are comfortable, safe, offer a good environment to study and come with all the features and amenities you will need.

Distance to your university building, transport links, local bars, entertainment venues and so on are also essential.

Each urbanest location page lists all of this information for you.

Is it possible to choose my room?

Yes, you can select the type of room you want in the property of your choice whilst in our booking system. If there are any specific requirements you have or would like to discuss, please get in touch with our team.

When is the best time to book student accommodation?

We suggest that once you have decided to stay with us, to book as early as possible so you are able to get first pick. We highly recommend that if you’re planning to share with friends, to book in advance as spaces will fill up and it will be hard to group you together.

How do I book student accommodation?

Bookings can be made easily on our website for any of our nine properties. (Hoxton, Tower Bridge, King’s Cross, St Pancras, Westminster, Vauxhall, Victoria, City and Battersea).

Alternatively, please feel free to call us on +44 (0)207 042 7890 and our booking team will be more than happy to assist you.

How to apply for university accommodation

Simply visit the urbanest booking engine now to search the room availability for all of our properties.

How much do I need to pay to book?

To confirm a booking, we require a payment of 1 weeks upfront rent and then you can pay the rest in instalments.

Will I get this back?

No, your upfront rental payment will be applied to your first rent instalment, so there will be no need for you to wait for a deposit refund.

What form of payment do you take?

urbanest accepts payments made by credit/debit card or bank transfer. There is no charge when paying with a credit or debit card. Additional fees on bank/wire transfers will depend on your bank so check with them beforehand. We take either forms of payment, as long as it’s not cash/cheque.

Do you get a student loan for accommodation?

That completely depends on your circumstances. Whatever form of payment is easiest for you will be fine with us. Please speak to our accounts team for more information.

What if I change my mind about my booking?

Please check out our cancellation policy at: https://uk.urbanest.com/cancellation-policy/

When will I receive the tenancy agreement?

Our tenancy agreements are all online – meaning no paperwork! The online tenancy acceptance has the same legal weight as a paper tenancy, so you don’t need to be concerned. You can access your tenancy at any time by logging into your account portal once you have a confirmed booking with us.

When can I move into the student accommodation?

All tenancy dates are available to see at the time of booking. However, feel free to get in touch with us if you require an earlier arrival, and we will see what we have available, but please note this is not guaranteed.

What is included in my rent?

The rent covers your room, use of the communal facilities, all utility bills such as electricity, hot water and heating, and contents insurance cover. It also includes your 200mbps broadband and WiFi connection.

Are my possessions insured in my room?

Yes – we work with Howden for Students to provide a full contents insurance package for you. Please feel free to read the cover to see what is covered. You can also increase your cover (for bicycles, musical instruments or belongings you’re using at university).

Do you need a TV Licence at university?

Every household or flat in the UK must have a TV licence if they intend to watch live TV.

Does student accommodation have WiFi?

We provide up to 200Mbps connection to each room with unlimited downloads. A fair and acceptable usage policy applies.

Do students have to pay council tax?

No, students are exempt from council tax, so you do not have to pay it. You will however have to provide us with a Council Tax Exception letter, which you can get from your university’s admin department in the first few weeks of the Autumn term.

Who can be my guarantor?

Your guarantor needs to be someone over the age of 21 who is in full-time employment, and can be based anywhere in the world. Your guarantor could be your parent or guardian; however, they cannot be yourself or another current urbanest resident.

I don’t live in the UK and don’t have a UK bank account – what should I do?

You can pay your rent by credit card or transfer the amount of rent to our client account; please contact the accommodation team for details. When you arrive in the UK however, we advise you to open a UK bank account.

How many instalments do you pay for student accommodation?

We offer 3 different payment instalment types: Fully Upfront, Three Instalments and Ten Instalments. The first instalment always needs to be paid 14 days before the tenancy begins.

Is student accommodation paid monthly?

Dates will depend on the type of contract you are on. When you are completing the booking process, all the dates and amounts will be generated via the booking link.

Do you offer a cleaning service?

Yes, we offer a cleaning service should you wish to have you room or flat cleaned. This is provided through our cleaning partner Cabenco. We would recommend enquiring about this service once you receive your online booking information, or have moved in. This is because prices vary depending on the cleaning frequency, the type of cleaning service as well as the type of flat.

Is there a curfew?

No, there is no curfew at urbanest, your secure access fob allows you to enter and leave whenever you wish.

Can I have a party in the student accommodation?

If you want to have a party with your flat mates, please feel free to! We would ask that you please remember to keep noise to a level where it doesn’t disturb others, and to respect your neighbours.

What is the guest policy?

We do permit residents to have guests, however we do reserve the right to limit numbers for the wellbeing and safety of all residents.

We thank all our residents for their support in keeping everyone safe.

Can I move rooms once I have moved in?

If you are unhappy with your room, we will try to accommodate your needs, however this is subject to availability and price. This is subject to availability and price. If you wish to swap rooms with another student, you must inform the accommodation team immediately.

Can I cancel my booking?

Please check out our cancellation policy page here

Can you live in our student accommodation without being a student?

urbanest buildings have been specifically designed to function as a student accommodation, therefore we only house full-time students.

Is there a car park?

It’s very hard to park in London as there are congestion zones and parking fees, however we are very close to accessible public transport links.

Can I bring my bicycle?

Of course! We have a storeroom where you can store your bike. You will however need to bring your own helmet and bike lock to keep your bike secure when not in use. Please note, urbanest Victoria does not have a bike store. 

Can I smoke in my room or in the building?

urbanest properties are non-smoking buildings. If you are caught smoking or tampering with smoke/fire detectors you will be liable for a charge as it’s against the law.

If I vacate the property over the university holiday period , do I need to move my belongings out?

No. During the term of the tenancy, the room is for your use only and you will only need to move out your belongings on the tenancy end date.

What is needed for student accommodation?

All the rooms are fully furnished but you will need to bring your personal belongings including bedding (sheets, duvets, pillows), towels, tableware, cutlery, cleaning products (e.g mop & broom), toaster, kettle, and cooking utensils.

It’s worth mentioning that it isn’t always necessary to buy all the kitchen items yourself if you’re staying within a shared flat.

That way you don’t end up with 5 kettles and no space for everyone’s pots and pans. You can chat amongst yourself when you all arrive or join our urbanest Whatsapp group for yourself and speak with your future flatmates and plan who’s bringing what.

How secure is my room?

Very safe. Each room has an electronic swipe fob entry/locking system to ensure that your belongings are safe, so not to worry!

How secure is the building?

urbanest buildings are ‘Secured by Design’ certified, which means they have reached not only a minimum standard of physical security – the doors, locks, windows, lighting, alarms etc. – but also when the layout of the development hugely reduces the opportunity for crime.

Can I give my key to someone else to use while I’m away?

No, your tenancy agreement states that you should not share your key with anyone else, nor can we provide your guest with their own key. This is to ensure all our residents safety. Guests must always be accompanied by you in your room. If you’re away for a period of a time, please let a team member at reception know, in case you receive any parcels that need storing.

Who do I contact if I have an emergency or problem?

You can speak to the on-site accommodation team or the emergency services, depending on the problem. Alternatively, you can call our support line at (+44) 207-042-7890.

Details of all contacts will be supplied to you in your tenant handbook when you first check-in.

What is the cost of the laundry?

The washing machine costs £2.90 and the dryers £2.00 (These prices are subject to change).

How do I make a suggestion or pass on feedback?

We are committed to providing high-quality service across all functions of urbanest; from front-of-house staff to the maintenance team on-site.

Should you have any suggestions on how we can make things even better, you can simply let us know at urbanest.com/feedback – a member of the team will review your suggestion/feedback and get back to you with our course of action.

What if I need to make a complaint?

Unfortunately, sometimes things go wrong, and whilst we hope you never have cause to complain, if it does we need for you to tell us about it promptly. This will help us to improve our standards.

How do I do this?

Please contact us in writing in the first instance by e-mailing support@urbanest.com with the following information: – Your name – Contact details such as telephone number and email address – Details of your complaint – Details of actions you have already taken, or anyone you have already spoken to

What will happen next?

A member of the urbanest team will reply within 24-hours to acknowledge your complaint, with information on when someone will respond to your complaint. We have up to 7-days to respond to your complaint.

What if I’m not happy with the outcome of my complaint?

If you feel our onsite team have not dealt with your complaint correctly then you can contact the Director of Operational Strategy in writing at; urbanest, 101 St Martin’s Lane, WC2N 4AZ.

urbanest is also a member of the National Code. If urbanest’s internal complaints process has been followed without a satisfactory outcome, you can contact the National Code to lodge a formal complaint; further details are available at: https://www.nationalcode.org/

What is the tenancy agreement?

The tenancy agreement is a legally binding document between the Landlord (owner) and the Tenant (you). It sets out clearly defined rules of the building and the obligations of the Landlord and Tenant. This is useful because if there are any disputes, both the Landlord and Tenant will refer to the Tenancy Agreement.

How long is a university accommodation tenancy agreement?

Our tenancy agreements are for 51-weeks.

However, some shorter tenancies can be offered at times, where availability allows. Please call or enquire for further details.

When do I move into student accommodation?

You will need to book a check in time in advance of arriving, you can do this through your online check in portal. You will be prompted to book your check in time as you get closer to your tenancy start date.

Can I extend my tenancy?

Whilst we cannot extend tenancies for a short let, if you would like to extend your tenancy and rebook the next academic year, you must notify urbanest as early as possible to ensure your room has not been let to someone else. Bookings happen early every year, so we recommend you rebook early to avoid disappointment.

Can I vary the tenancy period?

Once you have signed your tenancy agreement you cannot shorten the tenancy period.

Can I sublet my room (e.g. let through Airbnb)?

No – the tenancy you have signed prevents you from subletting your room. If you are considering leaving your room early, please notify the property management team in the first instance. Click here to read more.

Can I change the tenancy move in date?

No, but you can move in any time after your Tenancy Agreement starts, just drop us an e-mail to support@urbanest.com and we can notify the team of your arrival.

Is my partner allowed to live with me whilst at university?

If you have a studio apartment and would like to discuss a shared tenancy please contact our team, as we do allow for this at certain urbanest properties. Please note, that both residents must be full-time students.

For the safety and comfort of all our residents, we do not permit shared occupancy within rooms in shared flats.

Can I cancel my tenancy agreement?

Please see the relevant cancellation policy below.

Cancellation Policy

Our cancellation policy can be found here.

What should I do if I lose my key ?

If you lose your key fob, please let the team at reception know immediately or, if you’re currently away, please e-mail support@urbanest.com. We can then cancel your key fob and issue you a new one, there will not be a charge.

As soon as you use your new key fob the old key fob will stop working, so it’s very important you notify us as quickly as possible.

If you have left your key elsewhere but require access, the team at reception can provide you access to your room, after you have correctly answered necessary security questions.

When are the urbanest team on-site?

We have team members onsite 24/7 to help keep you safe and answer any questions you may have.

Please feel free to speak with us at reception anytime, alternatively you can speak to our Customer Support, Bookings teams and Customer Accounts teams via email, live chat or by calling +44 (0) 207 042 7890 Monday – Friday 9am – 5:30pm.

Can I get a guest key for my friend/ family member?

No, except in exceptional circumstances we are unable to provide keys for friends or family members.

If it is an emergency, please contact the team at reception who will be happy to help.

How safe is the electronic key system used on my door?

Each key is specifically programmed to each of our residents. This will only allow access to your room and the communal areas (Meaning you cannot access the corridors of other residents’ room or shared flat).

For times when you do not want to be interrupted, there is a deadbolt on every room door that can be locked from the inside.

Whilst urbanest have their own key to provide access in an emergency, every use of this is automatically logged to give you peace of mind.