Students with Additional Requirements

UCL Accommodation ensures that students with additional requirements are allocated rooms suitable for their needs.

This page was updated on 7 August 2024

UCL Accommodation welcomes and supports applications from students with additional requirements, and will support them to ensure they are allocated rooms that meet their needs. As a part of the application process, you will need to provide recent and relevant evidence that supports the need for a specific room type.

Health issues can include:

• Any health related conditions (e.g. allergies or diabetes)
• Physical and invisible disabilities (e.g. mobility differences, visual differences, hearing differences)
• An injury
• Long or short term illness
• Neurodiversity (e.g.specific learning differences, autistic spectrum disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder)
• Mental health condition
• Gender dysphoria

Additional needs can include:

• Care-experienced students
• Estranged students
• At risk of being homeless

If your health condition is not mentioned above, we would encourage you to apply for accommodation on health-related reasons and upload evidence to support your request.

Your requirements could include a hall that enables an accessible route to campus, an en-suite room, or an individual kitchen. Where necessary and possible, adaptations can be made to rooms to make them more suitable for individual needs, for example desk or bed facilities, equipment adjustments.

Wherever you may be allocated a place in the halls, you will join an international community of residents that you share a home with in London. It is this community that can enhance your time at UCL, provide you with support and introduce you to new friends from other courses.

We want to provide you with a home away from home, where you will feel comfortable and supported. To help with this, we have Student Residence Advisers (SRAs), postgraduate students who live with you in your hall. SRAs help students to settle into their new life in halls and build a positive and inclusive community. They offer peer-to-peer support and guidance and lead activities as part of our ResLife programme, Flourish.

Whatever your needs, our team will work with you to consider your requirements and will aim to place you in a room that is suitable for you. If you would like to speak with the Accommodation Team, you can contact them by email accommodation@ucl.ac.uk or call +44 (0)20 7679 6322. Current residents can log an enquiry via askUCL.

UCL Accommodation can offer information in alternative formats if necessary. Simply contact our team and let us know how we can best support your needs.

Health Issues 

Health issues can include physical and mental health and our team are here to support you with your needs. 

Physical health

UCL Accommodation welcomes and supports applications from students with disabilities or those with medical and support needs. We are able to consider your access requirements to place you in a room that is suitable for you. 

Your requirements could include accommodation that enables an accessible route to campus, en-suite room, level access bedroom, individual kitchen, etc. 

Where necessary and possible, adaptations can be made to rooms to make a room more suitable for individual needs. 

The following halls are suitable for students who require wheelchair accessible places:

•    Astor College
•    John Dodgson House
•    One Pool Street
•    Schafer House
•    St Pancras Way
•    Stapleton House
•    Urbanest Kings Cross

We would recommend that if you are likely to need adaptations to your room that you speak with a member of the Accommodation Team as soon as possible by email accommodation@ucl.ac.uk or call +44 (0)20 7679 6322. 

Mental Health

UCL Accommodation welcomes and supports applications from students with mental health condition. We are able to consider your access requirements to place you in a room that is suitable for you. 

We would recommend that if you are likely to need adaptations to your room that you speak with a member of the Accommodation Team as soon as possible by email accommodation@ucl.ac.uk or call +44 (0)20 7679 6322.  

Allergies/Dietary Requirements

Students with allergies are advised to apply for a self-catered hall, as whilst meals prepared will include an allergen note, we cannot guarantee that their food requirements can be met in catered halls. 

For students with dietary requirements, UCL catered halls offer a variety of food, including vegan, vegetarian, fish, and meat options. Twelve meals are provided a week. This includes breakfast and dinner, from Monday to Friday, and brunch on Saturday and Sunday. More information about food in UCL halls can be found on the Food in UCL Halls webpage. For UofL halls, more information can be found on the Catering in the Intercollegiate Halls webpage.    

Have your needs changed?

Applicants receiving a diagnosis that changes their requirements after the application deadline or during their stay may still apply for UCL Accommodation. 

You must notify UCL Accommodation of your new requirements if you have recently been diagnosed with a disability or health condition. This is to ensure that you are allocated a suitable place and receive support during your stay, if required.

If you did not notify UCL Accommodation of a disability or health condition when applying for a place, you can still do so. It is important that you notify us to ensure that you are allocated to a suitable place and receive support during your stay, if required.

Before the accommodation application deadline

• You should cancel your application
• Re-apply and provide the information required in the ‘Additional Requirement’ section of the application, including supporting documentation

After the accommodation application deadline

• You should contact the Accommodation Office team by email and provide the details of your disability or health condition, including supporting evidence
• Do not cancel your application - the team will update your existing application

Please note that as room allocations will have been made for the coming session, no guarantees of an offer of accommodation can be made. Your application will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Additional needs

If you are care-experienced, an estranged student or at risk of being homeless, UCL Accommodation can help you find accommodation that meet your needs.

Care experienced

A care experienced student has been in the care of, or been given accommodation by, their local authority (LA) for a period of at least 13 weeks before the age of 16 and hasn’t reconciled with their parents between leaving care and starting their course. By this, we mean foster care, residential care home, living under the supervision of the local authority/state.

UCL will provide 365-day accommodation for care experienced students in their first year, and, if needed, for subsequent years of study.

If you need 365-day accommodation, and/or accommodation beyond your first year at UCL, you will need to apply for a place in the usual way via the UCL Accommodation Portal when applications are open. In the ‘Additional Requirement’ step of the application, you will be able to indicate that you are care experienced.

Estranged students

An estranged student is aged 25 or under and has been classified as an independent student. Estranged means that you no longer have contact with your parents or legal guardians due to a permanent breakdown in your relationship. This might mean that your biological, step or adoptive parents, or wider family members are no longer responsible for supporting you. This does not include choosing to live away from your family during your studies or studying abroad.

UCL will provide 365-day accommodation for estranged students in their first year, and, if needed, for subsequent years of study.

If you need 365-day accommodation, and/or accommodation beyond your first year at UCL, you will need to apply for a place in the usual way via the UCL Accommodation Portal when applications are open. In the ‘Additional Requirement’ step of the application, you will be able to indicate that you are an estranged student.

At risk of being homeless

If you are an enrolled student and you are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless (having no access to, or ability to fund, long or short term accommodation), you may find some useful information on Students’ Union UCL’s Finding Emergency Accommodation webpage.

The Students’ Union’s Advice Service cannot find or provide accommodation for students, but can discuss your situation and help explore your housing options. They can also signpost you to further accommodation opportunities and relevant sources of financial support (if needed). If you need support or would like to discuss your housing needs, please contact Students’ Union UCL via their Advice Service contact form.

Further information

Submitting evidence when applying for Accommodation

Students that have additional requirements for their accommodation will need to provide recent and relevant evidence that supports the need for a specific room type. This information can be uploaded under the ‘Additional Requirement’ section of the application process on the UCL Accommodation Portal.

Evidence must meet the following criteria: 

• Be written in English
• Be presented on official headed or stamped paper from a professional body
• Health related requests must be provided by a medical professional (GP, consultant, specialist nurse) and:
  • Clearly state your diagnosis 
  • Detail the impact of your health issues on a day to day basis
  • State that the requirement for a specific room type 

We recommend that you contact the Student Support and Wellbeing team to find out if you can use their service to obtain your supporting evidence at a reduced cost or for free from your GP.

Please note that additional information on suitable medical evidence can be found on the Student Support and Wellbeing web pages.

UCL Halls with accessible rooms

The following halls offer accessible accommodation for students with restricted mobility:

• Astor College
• John Dodgson House
• One Pool Street
• Schafer House
• Stapleton House
• St Pancras Way
• Urbanest Kings Cross

Additionally, a limited number of accessible rooms will be available at the University of London's College Hall and The Garden Halls.

View individual hall pages for more information about building accessibility, including step free access and lifts.

Rent adjustment

UCL offers students who require a higher specification room due to their access requirements a rent adjustment. This means that they will only be charged the standard room rate for the hall that they have been allocated. 

For students applying to UCL and UCL nominated Unite locations, the adjustment will be applied as a credit to your accommodation account. For students allocated to an Intercollegiate Hall by UCL, UCL will make a payment directly to the University of London, after it has been confirmed with the University of London, that you have checked in. 

Further information will be included in the rent adjustment confirmation email that you will receive.

The rent adjustment will apply for the academic year for which you have been allocated for. Should you be granted a rent adjustment after the start of your accommodation contract, we will backdate the adjustment to the start of your accommodation contract for that academic year and not just from the point of approval. 

We will not apply the adjustment to accommodation contracts for previous academic years, held with UCL.

If you are provided with continued accommodation, the rent adjustment will be reconsidered for the new academic year. You may be required to provide recent and relevant medical evidence each year. If there is no change to your health condition, you can submit your previous supporting evidence, if new evidence is not available.

Support animals 

Pets or therapeutic support animals are not permitted in UCL Accommodation. However, we will make reasonable adjustments for assistance dogs who have been formally trained such as:

• guide dogs
• hearing dogs
• support dogs

Assistance dogs are welcome on UCL premises at all times provided the Assistance Dogs on Campus - Guidance is followed. 

Refrigerator use for medical reasons

If you require a refrigerator (fridge) in your room for health-related reasons, which you have previously notified the Accommodation Office about, you will need to contact the Hall Team for the hall you have been allocated to. The Hall Team will arrange for a fridge to be put into your room.

If you have not previously notified us about your requirement for a fridge for health-related reasons, you will need to contact the Accommodation Office team and outline the details of your health condition and requirement for a fridge. You will need to include supporting evidence with your request.    

Arrival in Halls and Risk Assessment process

Within the first week of arrival the Accommodation or Deputy Accommodation Manager will contact each resident who requires a risk assessment due to their Additional Requirements, in order to meet with them and complete the form. Where necessary, a corresponding Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP), will also be completed.

The risk assessment process will ensure that the Hall Team are aware of residents’ specific requirements and support needs, for example, access/exits to the buildings, medication storage, equipment requirements, nominated contacts and emergency evacuation.  

Accommodation after first-year

Current students with additional requirements that impact on their need for accommodation can apply for a place in UCL halls beyond their first year. 

At the end of March, we will send you an email to invite you to apply for the next academic year, if required. You will need to apply for a place in the usual way via the UCL Accommodation Portal when applications are open, and upload evidence to support your request. If there is no change to your additional requirements, you can submit your previous supporting evidence, if new evidence is not available.

Applications will be considered by the Medical Cases Panel, who meet to review applications from current students requesting halls for a further year, due to their disability or health condition. 

Changing your accommodation offer

Changes to an accommodation offer will be considered on a case-by-case basis if you have additional requirements for the change request.   

The reasons of a change request can include but not limited to the following:
 
•    Proximity to UCL main or East campus
•    Room type (e.g., en-suite, studio)
•    Room size (e.g., large room)
•    Financial reasons
•    Different UCL Hall
•    Different type of accommodation (i.e., catered/self-catered UCL Hall)

 Please note that change requests will depend on our availability. 

If the health-related reasons have not previously been notified to the Accommodation Office, or have changed since you applied for a place, you will need to contact the Accommodation Office team and provide supporting evidence with your change request. Supporting evidence must meet the following criteria:   

1.    Be written in English,  
2.    Be provided by a medical professional (GP, consultant, specialist nurse) and presented on official headed or stamped paper,   
3.    Clearly state your diagnosis,  
4.    Detail the impact of your health condition/additional requirements on a day-to-day basis,  
5.    State the requirement for a specific room type.  

If you are not satisfied with your accommodation offer, you can decline the accommodation offer via the Accommodation Portal and arrange alternative accommodation. Details of alternative options can be found on the Alternative Accommodation webpage.   

Missed the accommodation deadline?

If you have missed the accommodation application deadline and you have additional requirements you will still be able to apply for a place in UCL halls, via the UCL Accommodation Portal. You will need to upload evidence to support your request.   

Additional requirements include but are not limited to:

• Physical or invisible disabilities (e.g. mobility difficulty, visual impairment, hearing impairment)
• Health related conditions (e.g. allergies or diabetes)
• Injury
• Long or short term illness
• Neurodiversity (e.g.specific learning difficulties, autistic spectrum disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder)
• Mental health condition