You are here: University home > Study >
Darlington Okafor

Booking accommodation

We will always try to place you in your first choice of accommodation, if available. Our accommodation is extremely popular and places are allocated on a first come, first served basis so we recommend you book as early as possible to have the best chance of getting the accommodation you require!

Accommodation booking procedures

Step 1

Complete the Accommodation Booking Form (157KB)pdf_icon, selecting an accommodation option with the correct contract length for the course you have been offered.

  • Students on pre-sessional English courses should select a contract option suitable for a 3 term student.
  • You will be asked on your booking form to provide the name and contact information of a Guarantor for payment. A guarantor is someone who will become legally responsible for any outstanding payments related to your accommodation.

Please note: It will not be possible to change your contract length once you have booked and signed your tenancy agreement. It is therefore very important that you inform us if you have gained an improved English score between receiving your acceptance and arriving.

Step 2

Once you have completed and returned your accommodation booking form, you will receive information on the room you have been allocated by email, along with a tenancy agreement and information on payment. You and your guarantor must return the signed tenancy agreement to the College and pay the required first rent instalment within one week (or three days if after 1st September 2010) in order to secure your room.

Please note: You will not be able to gain access to your room until we have a copy of your signed tenancy agreement and have received your first payment.

Paying for accommodation

Payment for accommodation is structured as below:

Course LengthPayment on bookingPayment on arrival at CollegePayment before the start of term 2
2 Terms50% of contract price + £250 deposit50% of contract priceN/A
Pre-sessional English or 3 Terms33% of contract price + £250 deposit33% of contract price33% of contract price

 

  1. A deposit of £250 GBP will be added to the payment required to secure the accommodation. This will be returned to you at the end of your tenancy unless your room is left in an unsatisfactory condition, there are damages to the room, or there are outstanding payments on your account.
  2. Payments on booking to secure the room can be made by bank transfer, with evidence of payment included with the signed tenancy agreement returned to the College. You can also pay this by credit card by completing the Credit Card Authorisation Form pdf_icon (127KB) and sending it to the College. It is essential that payment is received by the College before arrival as you will not be able to gain access to their room if payment has not been received.
  3. Further payments can be made by bankers draft (payable to the College), by credit card at the College (subject to a £30 handling fee), debit card or by bank transfer. Click here for payment information
  4. In the event that you do not obtain a student visa, all accommodation fees paid will be refunded in full on production of documentary evidence of the refusal.
  5. Students that are under the age of 18 years of age when they arrive in the UK may be requested to pay their full accommodation fees in advance.

Confirming your arrival

You can confirm your arrival using the Arrivals Form. Airport transfer services are available from a number of UK airports – please see the Arrivals Form for further information.

We always recommend that students time their arrival at their hall of residence  during office hours where possible (generally 09:00am to 17:00pm), to ensure a smooth check in and speedy access to your room.

The accommodation confirmation date

In order to ensure we have accommodation available for all students who require it on arrival, we have an accommodation confirmation date for each intake. This will usually be the day before accommodation tenancies are due to start.

For the September 2011 intake, this date will be 9 September 2011 (12:00 GMT).

This is when all students who have booked rooms to date should have confirmed their arrival. If you have not confirmed your arrival by this date, your tenancy may be cancelled and your room may be made available for other students to book. The College will only do this if there is a limited number of rooms available to book.

If this does happen and your tenancy is cancelled, you will be offered the next available room once you have confirmed your arrival date. If you decide to reject this room, your first instalment will be refunded, minus your deposit which will be retained as an administration fee.

Late bookings

If you delay booking your accommodation until your visa has been issued, you should give us a minimum of five days notice of your arrival date and accommodation requirements before actually arriving in the UK. This is to allow us enough time to  process your booking, sign and return tenancies and make the necessary payments so that you can enter your accommodation.

Arrivals without accommodation bookings

It is not recommended that you arrive without completing the booking process if you require accommodation. We cannot guarantee to find students accommodation in this situation.

If you arrive in the UK without having booked any accommodation, you should attend the College no later than 12:00 GMT on your day of arrival (we are open Monday to Friday from 09:00) to complete the necessary administration and payments. Students who cannot meet this requirement will be directed to local hotels, information on which can be obtained here.

LIC Community