Accommodation information for parents and guardians

Having your loved one go off to university is not only a big event in their life, but it can be for you too, especially if they are the first to ‘fly the nest'. One of the key decisions to make, when choosing a university, is where your loved one should live while they study.

Many Kingston University students choose accommodation in our halls of residence but we also have a large community of students who live at home, or rent privately, and commute to university. On this page you will find key information about accommodation options for Kingston University students.

Staying in halls of residence

The University experience is about much more than getting a degree! It's the perfect time for your child to meet new people from all parts of the globe, take up new interests and opportunities, and enjoy learning about themselves as a person.

Halls is a great place to settle into university life quickly and make lifelong friends. With over 2,000 rooms in our halls of residence, we're certain we've got the perfect room for any student!

Explore our halls to find out more

How to apply for a room in halls

Our halls application process is quick and simple:

First, explore our halls of residence to see all the rooms we have available to our students.
Once your child has two to four room options in mind, its time to head to our how to apply page for further instructions on the application process.

Before applying for halls, your child should have firmly accepted an offer to study with us. When the offer to study with us has been confirmed, students will receive an email with further instructions on how and when to apply for a room in halls.

What we ask from you

If your child is under the age of 18, we will ask you to co-sign their halls licence.

Cancellation policy

If you need to cancel a room in halls, we normally ask for the cancellation to be submitted at least 14 days prior to the move-in date. This means that your child can change their mind without any strings attached.

Please visit our apply for halls page for more information.

Paying for halls

Good news – we do not charge deposits for accommodation in halls of residence! Kingston University is one of the only London institutions that do not charge students hall deposits.

Our three payment instalment plan offers an easy and stress-free way to pay rent. As long as a Recurring Card Payment (RCP) is set up, we will be able to collect accommodation payments automatically on the instalment dates.

Please bear in mind that the first payment of rent will be due in October.

Moving into halls

Moving into halls is exciting! Here are a few tips to help make the day stress free:

What to bring

Find out what your child should bring when moving in – our halls are well equipped so there is no need to bring absolutely everything.

Pre-ordering Student Starter Kit Packs, from our friends at UniKitOut, to take the hassle out of buying and transporting bedding, kitchen and bathroom items to uni. The pack will be pre-delivered directly to halls so it will be there when you arrive. Enter promotion code KINGSTON10 to receive 10% off.

Parking on moving in day

Due to high demand, there will be limited parking at our halls of residence on moving-in day. Parking will be available on a first-come-first-served basis.

Limited parking – Chancellors Hall, Clayhill Hall, Middle Mill, Seething Wells Hall and Walkden Hall.
NO parking – 75 Penrhyn Road. (Please use one of the public pay-and-display car parks nearby. Visit the Kingston Council website for further information.)

Insurance

Kingston University has already arranged some contents insurance with Endsleigh, the No.1 student insurance provider. For more information please see what's provided in halls.

TV licences

Your home TV licence will not cover your child while they are away at uni. Find out about TV licences for students.

Living environment

We have a Residence Life Programme dedicated to fostering a good living environment in halls, and giving new residential students a sense of belonging and community at Kington University. This programme is run by Residence Life Ambassadors across our halls of residence, holding fun and inclusive events during the year.

Security and support

Secure accommodation is our top priority, so all our halls of residence have 24/7 security. Students can call our security teams around the clock if they have any concerns about safety and security in halls.

We also have a full range of services to support your child during their time at university. From studies and finances to healthcare and counselling, or just finding the right club or society to join, our Student Services have it covered.

Accessible rooms

Here at Kingston, we provide accessible and adapted bedrooms for students with disabilities, across our five of our halls of residence.

More about accessible accommodation.

Please get in touch, if your loved one requires adapted accommodation.

Living at home and commuting

A large number of students choose to live at home while they study at university.

When considering if living at home is the best option for your loved one, remember to take travel costs and commuting time into account. Some students with long commutes find it more difficult to get fully immersed in student life since they have less social and study time on campus.

At Kingston University, we provide a range of support for our commuting students – such as a free intersite bus service, flexi-stay room hire, laptop loans and microwave facilities.

Support for commuting students

Renting private accommodation

There are plenty of private accommodation options in and around Kingston. From shared student houses through local estate agents, to private halls of residence companies.

There is a strong private rented sector in Kingston and the surrounding areas, with a good range of properties available.

More about renting privately