Living off-campus - Richmond, The American International University in London

Living off Campus

If you’d like to stay close to the university in Richmond, but would prefer not to live on-campus there are plenty of options. There are also a number of benefits to living off-campus, including:

More privacy, giving you more quiet time to study and think
Being able to reduce your overall costs – London’s excellent transport network means you could live as far as 30 minutes away
More space and freedom to use all of your apartment’s facilities without waiting for others
Fewer rules and regulations regarding your tenancy
Enjoy regular breaks from the campus
Having more independence – experience what life will be like when you graduate and find employment; making this transition easier overall
Being independent and paying bills will allow you to build a healthier credit history
Establish and build friendships outside of the university

Experience the best of both worlds – you can still enjoy campus life to the full and be a part of life at the university as much as students living on-campus.

Students who are staying off campus in the local area around Richmond can take advantage of our meal plans which include breakfast, lunch and dinner from Monday to Friday, brunch on Saturday and brunch and dinner on Sunday.

For information on familiarising yourself with the practicalities of finding your own place and tips for making sure it’s the best possible fit for you, check out our guide to living off-campus (PDF download). If you need somewhere to stay while you look for accommodation, please visit our short stay options page, which may also be a handy reference for visiting friends and family in the future!

Finding accommodation

There are a number of ways to find accommodation in and around the areas of Richmond and Kensington, such as:

By word of mouth and through recommendations from other students who are moving back home, or to the Kensington campus
Campus advertisements: Students wanting others to share with them will often put up notices; feel free to display an advert yourself!
Local newspapers and newsagents – The Richmond & Twickenham Times and The Evening Standard provides details of agents and private landlords looking for tenants, and newsagents may have cards in their window offering accommodation or looking for people to share

Student accommodation providers

There are many student accommodation companies in London. Facilities are varied, but they offer an opportunity to live in accommodation with other international students around the city centre:

- Amro Vantage – Kingston provider
- Downing Students – The Lyra, and now the new Holbrook property in North Acton, offer contemporary student accommodation where you’ll enjoy plenty of space to both relax and study within modern, well-maintained and secure surroundings
- GradPad is a top 10 postgraduate student accommodation provider in London
- IQ Student Accommodation – Kingston provider
- International Students House (ISH) – The main facility is near Regents Park, but they offer accommodation throughout London. Richmond is a member of ISH, so please mention us when booking accommodation!
- Lee Abbey – a facility very close to our High Street Kensington base, it is also very affordable for the area
- My Student Halls – hall search engine
- The Nido Collection – luxury accommodation in the heart of West Hampstead. Providing trendy facilities & a unique events programme all just 10 minutes from Bond Street.
- The Student Housing Company – has two central London properties
- Unite Student Housing – Mostly clustered in Bloomsbury with easy access to libraries and academic facilities. Wellington Lodge on the South Bank provides easy access to Richmond from Waterloo Station.
- Yara Students – high quality student accommodation in Holland Park
RAIUL’s semesters start earlier than most UK Universities, and finish in early May– so be sure to check they can house you from your start date, and that your contract does not run too late into the summer (unless you plan to stay in London).

Searching for accommodation online

Online searches enable you to filter accommodation various criteria, including price, postcode, number of bedrooms, etc. Some of the most popular sites where Londoners look for flats or rooms to rent are:

Please be aware that scam landlords can operate online, using legitimate sites to post fake ads to lure unsuspecting flat seekers into parting with their money to secure a flat. Our Guide to living off-campus provides more information on scams.