Accommodation and Living Costs

Although the College does not have any on-site accommodation, we do operate a well-established and very successful host family accommodation programme where students are placed with a family to live with them in their family home. The aim of host family accommodation is to provide you with a settled and supportive home that is beneficial to your study, while also gaining an insight into the English way of life. All our host family properties are located in the Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells area, close to public transport links to reach the College easily.

All students placed in host family accommodation are provided with their own private room, usually a single/study bedroom, equipped with a bed, wardrobe and bedside table. In addition, you will be given a desk and chair or a separate space in the house set aside for you to study. You can also expect to be given a key to the property for the length of your stay. Friends are welcome at the discretion of your host.

All our host family accommodation is inspected by one of our experienced Student Support Officers to help ensure that certain standards are met and maintained. However, we will still advise you to visit a proposed home before entering into a rental agreement. It is very important that both parties are happy with any agreement as this will be between you and your host family. You will be wholly responsible for the rental charge.

You may be asked for one month's rent in advance as a deposit against damages or breakages and you should ask for a rent book so that your regular payments can be recorded. Rent for host family accommodation will vary between £80 and £110 per week depending upon the facilities offered and whether heating, lighting, and meals are included. Do make sure that you know what is provided in your room, for example bed linen, towels and cooking utensils.

It has been the experience of some of our overseas students that sharing accommodation has helped them to settle more quickly into their new surroundings. Some landlords have more than one room or flat to let in a property and this might help you in your search. The cost of living in England may be higher compared with your home country. You could expect to spend between £600 and £800 per month during your stay on food, accommodation and travel to College.

If you wish to eat out you will find fast-food restaurants selling burgers, pizzas, salads etc. where you can eat for between £3 and £5. More varied menus range from £5 upwards and a variety of tastes are catered for by the many restaurants in the area. Local pubs provide good value for money although young people under the age of 18 are not permitted to purchase alcoholic drinks.

If you prefer to cook for yourself you will find plenty of food stores and supermarkets in and around Tonbridge. Many supermarkets now stock a wide range of food from around the world but some of the more exotic fruit and vegetables will be expensive.

Briefly outlined below are some approximate weekly living costs:

• Private rented room (single room, kitchen and bathroom shared): £65 to £85
• Food (depending on how much you eat and how expensive your tastes are!): £15-£50
• Laundry (depending on how much you wash): £5 - £20
• Private rented room with breakfast and evening meal provided: £80 to £110
• Fares to College (if you are living in Tunbridge Wells or Sevenoaks): £15 to £25
• Personal expenses (toiletries, stationary, stamps, telephone etc.): £10 plus

If you are looking for a place to stay the following links might be useful:

www.spareroom.co.uk
www.gumtree.co.uk
www.rightmove.co.uk
www.flatmateclick.co.uk
www.flatmaterooms.co.uk

For further information and/or advice regarding accommodation please do not hesitate to contact our Accommodation and Support Officer Haide Partridge by any of the following methods:

E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Telephone: +44 (0)1732 358 101
Fax:+44 (0)1732 771 415