Accommodation for Interns
Internships are becoming the normal route into employment in the UK and beyond. With too many qualified graduates competing for roles and not enough jobs to go round, students and graduates are choosing to gain work experience through paid and unpaid internships. There is an estimated 70,000 internships across the UK every year, and 85% of them are based in London. This means many people travel from across the nation and beyond to win an internship in the capital.
Internships are typically a short term experience, averaging at 3-6 months. So what short term lets and accommodation options are open to interns?
Private rented room
The first place individuals look to find a place in London is usually a letting agent or a room rental website to find a flatshare. However, London is an expensive city and affording even a single room in the far-out suburbs can be a struggle. If you’re not in London and need to find a place to live before your internship starts, you may have to contact a letting agent and pay extra fees too.
Hotel/hostels
Some hostels may allow you to book for weeks at a time, but you would have to cope with sharing a room with a handful of strangers. Hostels are a cost effective option but consider your wellbeing; they often have a party atmosphere and your roomates aren’t likely to care that you have to be up early for work every morning.
Homestay Accommodation
Homestay accommodation similar to renting a spare room, but you’ll have your own host family. The bedrooms are of a high standard, and living with a host family has a range of advantages. You can choose to have your meals with them every night, and you can live with a local for the true London living experience. Host family accommodation is affordable and as an intern you’ll have all the independence you want.
It can be very difficult finding short term accommodation in London, as many private landlords request a minimum 12 month lease. With some internships lasting weeks or a couple of months, it can be hard to find a suitable place to live if you don’t have friends or family in London to stay with. If you choose a homestay with HFS London, you can pay for your room per week so you won’t end up paying rent for any periods you won’t be staying there.
Like to find out more about our homestay accommodation for London interns? Get in touch with our friendly team today.
