Semester at University of Westminster Housing

Marylebone Hall

Centrally located in London’s Zone One by the Baker Street tube stop, students living in Marylebone Hall will have private bedrooms and ensuite bathrooms.  They will enjoy card-operated laundry onsite, 24-hour CCTV and onsite staff, a restaurant on the premises, Wifi, access to a large TV room and pool table. They will share a kitchen with up to six other students.  Kitchens will contain a stove, fridge/freezer, microwave, kettle and toaster, but will not come with basic utensils. CISabroad will purchase sheets and bedding packs for students. A shower towel will not be provided.  

 

https://www.westminster.ac.uk/international/study-abroad/marylebone-hall-for-study-abroad-students

Alexander Fleming Hall

Located in London’s Zone One closer to the start of Zone Two, Alexander Fleming is situated near the Old Street tube stop.  Students will have their own bedrooms, but will share bathrooms and a communal kitchen with four, six, or eight other students.  Coin-operated laundry is located nearby, and the premises are monitored by security and CCTV 24 hours per day. Kitchens will contain a stove, fridge/freezer, microwave, kettle and toaster, but will not be stocked with basic utensils. CISabroad will purchase sheets and bedding packs for students.  A shower towel will not be provided.

 

https://www.westminster.ac.uk/international/study-abroad/alexander-fleming-hall-for-study-abroad-students

Harrow Hall

Harrow Hall is located in Harrow-on-the-hill, which has the feel of a Victorian village.  It is in London’s Zone Four. Students taking two or more courses at the Harrow Media/ Art/ Design School will likely be placed here automatically.   There are six students in every unit who will share a kitchen, but have private bedrooms and ensuite bathrooms, and Wifi access.  Card-operated laundry and a restaurant can be found onsite. There is a 24-hour onsite staff. Kitchen supplies will not be included.  CISabroad will purchase sheets and bedding packs for students. A shower towel will not be provided.

https://www.westminster.ac.uk/international/study-abroad/harrow-hall-for-study-abroad-students

Here is what will be included in your Westminster bedding pack:

– One single duvet
– One single duvet cover
– One standard size pillow
– One standard size pillowcase
– One single fitted sheet

Here are some general rules, tips, and expectations to help you become accustomed to your new home!

Students participating in the Semester at University of Westminster program are normally housed in one of three options: Alexander Fleming, Marylebone Hall, or Harrow Halls. All housing options have single bedrooms and are self-catered. Students will receive their housing assignment around 2-3 weeks before their arrival.

Housing is scarce and expensive in London, and while Westminster does its best to ensure that students are housed as close to their classes as possible, students should expect some London commute time between their apartment and their classrooms. However, students are typically placed in the residence hall that is closest to the majority of their classes, so they shouldn’t ever have to travel too far. Below you’ll find information about the hall students could be living in. Want to see what it lookslike? Take a 360° virtual tour here

Please note that although CISabroad makes every effort to provide your preferred form of housing, we cannot guarantee that all personal preferences are met. We have carefully selected safe and adequate housing for each student and each living arrangement is distinct and special in its own way.

Every housing placement is different with different pros and cons. Your accommodations will be different than what you’ve come to expect in your home country. In general, be prepared for a relatively small living space in an older building with very basic amenities. Now is the time to open your mind and get ready to experience something different; this attitude is in the spirit of your decision to study abroad. Please also remember, that when you are abroad, you will be representing your home institution and your home country; behave appropriately.

There are no housing changes allowed during the first 2 weeks of the program. There is a natural adjustment period to life abroad and making any housing change decisions during this time is usually premature.

Cleanliness:

Keep your room and the common areas clean; this is especially important when you are sharing a bedroom, apartment, residence, or dormitory.

Bedrooms

Bedrooms are centrally heated and generally contain:

  • a single bed
  • wardrobe
  • desk and chair
  • storage drawer
  • bookshelf
  • bedside cabinet
  • mirror
  • washbasin

Bathrooms
Each shared bathroom contains a bath, shower, wash basin and a toilet.

The en-suite bathrooms in Harrow and Marylebone Halls have a shower, wash basin and toilet. You will need to provide your own toiletries.

Laundry facilities
We have on-site launderettes at each hall, with coin-operated washers and dryers, where you can wash your laundry.

Irons and ironing boards are available on request.

Storage
There are limited storage facilities in each bedroom, so you are advised not to bring more belongings than necessary.

Cleaning
Some cleaning of communal areas is provided, but you are expected to keep your room and communal areas clean and tidy.

Noise:
In order to avoid disturbing the neighbors or housemates, please use headphones when listening to music, or keep the volume low, and please keep your voices down.

Utilities and use:

  • The cost of utilities and Internet access are included.
  • Heating and air conditioning should be used sparingly. NEVER leave heating or air conditioning units while you are not home. If you must have them on when you are sleeping, keep them low.
  • Always turn off the lights when you leave the apartment and when you are not in the room.

Do the Halls Have Wifi

All our halls of residence have wireless internet access, except Marylebone Hall and Harrow Halls, where ethernet cables are provided instead.

The high-speed network is accessible from all bedrooms and some communal areas. Like any service, there are rules and regulations in place to ensure that students use the Internet legally and responsibly.

Catering: 

All halls are self-catered and the majority share a kitchen between six students. Marylebone and Harrow students will have use of the campus canteens.

Depending on the hall of residence, kitchens are shared between a minimum of four and a maximum of eight students.

Each flat has a large kitchen/diner equipped with a stove, microwave, fridge-freezer, kettle, toaster, table and chairs, and television aerial socket. Note that heaters and cooking equipment are not permitted in bedrooms.

You will need to buy or bring your own cutlery, crockery, saucepans and cooking utensils.

If you’d like to bring a television, you’ll need to arrange your own television license.

Safety:

  • CCTV is installed at hall entrances and each hall is also normally staffed by a receptionist during the day and a security guard at night.
  • You should lock the apartment door at all times. Also, when leaving the apartment, make sure the windows are closed and locked. Neither the study abroad company nor the housing company will not be responsible for any stolen items.
  • If the keys to the apartment are stolen, lost or misplaced, all locks to the apartment will have to be replaced at the student’s expense, including key copies for all apartment members.
  • If the keys are left inside the apartment/bedroom and the locksmith has to open the door for the you, you will have to pay for this service.
  • It is strictly forbidden to throw any object or substance from windows, balconies, terraces or roofs. This includes keys, cigarette butts or anything else big or small.

Guests and Alcohol Policies:

  • Disrespectful behavior related to alcohol consumption will end up in dismissal from the housing and you will have to find your own housing at your own expense.
  • Smoking is not allowed anywhere inside the apartment.
  • The consumption of drugs, as well as keeping or dealing with them, is absolutely prohibited

Financial Liability:

  • You will have to pay for any damage done to the apartment (doors, walls, floors, furniture, kitchen supplies, washing machine, etc.).
  • FOR PROGRAMS WITH HOUSING DEPOSITS. If extra time is needed to clean the apartment, or if items are damaged or missing, you will be charged and those charges will be deducted from your housing deposit. Housing deposits will be returned 8-12 weeks after the program has ended

Helpful tips for living with other people:

  • Respect your hosts and the other people that live in the building.
  • Remember that you are not on a college campus and not in your own home. Respect the property and get out of the “college campus” mentality.
  • Talk to your roommates if they do something that bothers you. Talking it through is the easiest way to solve a small problem before it gets bigger.
  • Talk to the staff if a problem arises and you cannot work it out with your roommates.

Warning process:

  • If any of the above rules are broken, you will receive a first verbal warning. This warning will also be written and sent to your sending study abroad program and your home school.
  • The second infraction of any of the above rules will result in you being evicted from your apartment. You will need to find a new place to live at your own expense.
  • Please read through all of our behavior policies noted in the CISabroad Policy Handbook, linked inside of the attachment to your acceptance email