Great place for first years particularly. Maintenance is excellent. Would say it is slightly pricy but honestly it’s pretty reasonable for the location and for your own en-suite which is a privilege in central. Would recommend!
Central London Hall Rankings
| Canvas Wembley | #27 |
| Pavilion Court | #28 |
| Drapery Place | #29 |
| Archwood House | #30 |
| Dinwiddy House | #31 |
| Lilian Knowles House | #32 |
| Highline Building | #33 |
| Goldsmiths House | #34 |
| AXO Camden | #35 |
| Rosebery Hall | #36 |
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StudentCrowd University Rankings
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Great place for first years particularly. Maintenance is excellent. Would say it is slightly pricy but honestly it’s pretty reasonable for the location and for your own en-suite which is a privilege in central. Would recommend!
Dinwiddy House Information
| Telephone | 0300 123 5050 |
| Postcode | N1 9NF |
| Price from | £229.87 per week for 24/25 (subject to availability) |
| Features | 0.8 miles from SOAS. All-inclusive bills, Wi-Fi, on-site laundry, bike storage, free contents insurance, electronic entry, on-site security, CCTV, 24-hour staff cover, garden area & common room equipped with large screen TV & games machines. |
| Top tip | Dinwiddy House has a great zone 1 location just a few minutes' walk from King's Cross-St. Pancras International. Visit website for more details |
Dinwiddy House Biography
At Dinwiddy House you’ll be within walking distance to both SOAS campuses and nearby transport links to numerous other London universities The local area has supermarkets, a shopping mall, plenty of restaurants and bars with easy access to the rest of London.
You can socialise with friends in the garden area or common room which has a large TV and games machines. The building is safe and secure with electronic entry, CCTV, on-site security and 24-hour staff cover. There's an on-site laundry facility and secure bike storage. You'll also enjoy free contents insurance and broadband with all-inclusive bills.
You have a choice of staying in a standard ensuite, double ensuite and studio room. The ensuite rooms provide a sense of community as they have shared kitchen and dining facilities whilst the studios are the perfect choice if you are looking for independent living.
To find out more, visit Sanctuary Student website!
Q&A
Thank you for your question. Dinwiddy House is in a nominations agreement with SOAS university and so SOAS students book through SOAS accommodation office are prioritised. You could look on the sanctuary web site, at our direct let buildings such as Don Gratton House, Craft building, Coopers court and Manna Ash House, they will be happy to help you.
I hope this is helpful, Kind regards, Joanne, Accommodation Manager
Hi,
I am sorry but Paul Robeson House is linked with post-graduates from SOAS and so we are unable to accept residents from different universities, Have you looked on our web site, sanctuary has some direct let buildings in London too.
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Read Dinwiddy House Reviews
The place is good for its placement, but do not expect greatness. It is very bog-standard but worth it as it is close to everything in London.
Thank you for your comments, Joanne
Great location and price. Friendly staff. Fixed maintenance issues in a timely manner. Great kitchen.
Thank you for your comments, Joanne
It's decent overall keeping in consideration the location and price of the rooms.
Thank you for your comments. Joanne
Overall good value for money and excellent location but issues are hard to resolve sometimes
Thank you for your comment, we are trying to improve all aspects of our service. Joanne Accommodation Manager
The location is amazing (Dinwiddy is very close to Kings Cross station, and there are many sightseeing places within walking distance), and the accommodation fees are relatively cheap considering inflation and the fact that I live in London. However, people are very loud almost every night and some are smoking weed in the yard so it smells bad (even lifts smells like a weed). Also, there are unremovable stains on the carpet and curtain and the shower is like a prison one. Showers need to be replaced ASAP.
We are happy you are enjoying the location. If other residents are being loud in quiet time, please notifiy security, everyone has the right to sleep. Please come and see me at reception and we can see what can be done about those stains. Joanne
Great place to live! I personally love how centrally I’m located. I also feel super safe.
Thank you for your commets.
The room was dirty when I received it :( but I think the value is actually good taking into consideration it is in kings cross.
I am sorry, that your room was not up to expected standards, I hope we resolved it quickly for you.
Amazing location and value . Absolutely love the staff at the reception . They couldn’t be more friendly and helpful . Absolutely love Joanne , the accommodation manager. Super prompt , super responsive, super helpful , super friendly , even if it means staying for hours longer than her work hours . Haider and tbe night manager afe amazing and super helpful too . I feel very safe and at ease .
Thank you for your lovely comments, all staff are happy to help you with any issue
I have not had a terrible experience at Dinwiddy. I have a working shower, kitchen, and a comfortable enough place to sleep. The location is conveniently close to a train and tube station, and the walk to my university is not horrible. There are limited areas to hangout with students outside of your room. There is a quad, but other students often cover it with rubbish and make it very unclean with alcohol bottles and cigarettes. There is a common area, but it’s very small and not very comfortable so you’d rather stay in your room.
Thank you for your honest opinion, the courtyard is cleaned everyday and I agree, it is a shame other residents don't use the bins provided to put their waste in. I would be interested to talk to you, to see how we can make the common room more comfortable for you. Joanne.
. pretty good for the price, considering its central london
Thank you for your comments.
Great place for first years particularly. Maintenance is excellent. Would say it is slightly pricy but honestly it’s pretty reasonable for the location and for your own en-suite which is a privilege in central. Would recommend!
Thank you for your comments
I really enjoy staying at Dinwiddy House. It is generally clean, and all the staff are really friendly and helpful. I always feel safe here and of course the location is great. There are a range of activities I am able to do in the common area, and there are various wending machines I can get snacks and meals from too.
Thank you for your nice comments
A great place to live as a student. Own bathroom and good attention. I enjoy living here while I study.
We are glad you are enjoying living with us.
Very good location with good transportation, rooms and kitchen are nice but en-suite bathrooms could be refurbished as there are leaks and the shower is unsatisfactory.
Thank you for your comments, the showers where chosen as an environmental benefit, but I think we are all aware that they are not the best and we are working on changing them, when we can. Joanne
I’ve made some really nice friends and love my flat. Got a nice space to hang out and a comfortable size room for London
We are happy you are enjoying your time living with us.
I love the people at Dinwiddy, they are very respectful and the staff is amazing. The front desk people and the cleaners are so nice and helpful all the time. I think the problems with Dinwiddy House are out of their hands. The bathroom/shower situation is quite rough, and when I moved in my shower broke and my carpet was very dirty. Also, the sink and stovetop in my kitchen were broken too, It took awhile to get these things fixed.
I am sorry for the delay and hope everything is good now.
Staff are nice and accommodating but I'm not sure if every issue is resolved in a timely fashion. Personally, I've had no problems but I hear some people have. There are a few social events which is nice but on a personal level it's closer to 3 stars just because I don't go to them.
Thank you for your comments about staff and we hope you will join us at the next social event.
I live in block A and my room itself is good value for what I’m paying. However, I was disappointed to see that the bathroom is not if the same quality, particularly the shower, which is basically a hole in the wall, and the fact that the water from having a shower spills all over the floor. This leads to me having to deep clean the floor to prevent smells and rot. The kitchen is good apart from the dirty floor, which remains that way even after being cleaned
Thank you for your comments on a re-furbished room in A block, we are reviewing the showers as they were installed as an environmental benefit, but I do understand your comments and issues. I will be looking into your comments about the kitchen floor, thank you for raising it. Joanne
Being in trouble with money was a real concern of mine during my first term at Dinwiddy. I had spent the year prior here, and suddenly found myself between a rock and a hard place. After finally reaching out for help regarding financial arrangements , the staff couldn't have been more fanstatic. They were exceptionally kind, empathetic and were able to help me resolve things in a timely fashion. Not only is this accommodation such good value for money, both budget and location wise being dead-set in zone 1, but the staff really make it feel like home. Couldn't recommend this accommodation more, and I hope to stay on for a third year.
Thank you for your kind comments, staff will always try to help you with any situation you find yourself. We are glad we could help you.
I came to Dinwiddy House for my 4th and final year at SOAS. For my 1st and 2nd year, I lived at a catered intercollegiate accomodation called College Hall. Now, the difference in rent was only approximately £80 per week. When I arrived at Dinwiddy, I had some expectations of what the room and facilities would be like but I was a little disappointed. The taps and showers are on 3 second timers so you can't actually have a shower in peace or wash your face in peace without pressing the button every 3 seconds. I was expecting more shelves in the bedroom to put my books and a bed side table. They have a 5W bulb in the bedroom which doesn't give enough light. They don't even provide a study lamp! However, the rooms all have an ensuite, and they are a decent size. It's a 25-minute walk to SOAS, which isn't bad if you're trying to get your daily exercise in. Overall, the facilities they provide for the rent you pay isn't worthwhile, but it's affordable and doesn't break the bank.
Thank you for your comments, I am aware we have some challenges and we are working on them. Always report any issues and lets see what we can do for you. Joanne
Overall a good place, however I would add more social spaces and events for people to engage with one another. Furthermore, keeping up with cleaning inspections as some flatmates aren't very clean people.
Thank you for your comments, if you flatmates aren't clean people, lets reception know and we will see what we can do.
It's in a very convenient area but very expensive.
Thank you for your comment, unfortunately all capital cities are expensive to live in.
The room is dirty and not cleaned properly before moving in. However the staff are lovely and the courtyard provided a nice community feeling.
I am sorry that your room was not up to the expected standards, I hope we managed to change that for you. Joanne
This year within the accommodation is very nice so far, the room is not the best but is nice considering I get a bathroom to myself as well. The room was in good shape apart from the window which is really difficult to shut. The staff this year are friendly and they listened to previous feedback about the social areas and the looking after of the cats!
Thank you for your comments, we do listen to feedback and hope to continually improve.
The staff members are helpful but the management is not so good. I like the location.
I am sorry that you do not find management not as helpful as other staff. we will look at reviewing our approach. Joanne
Kitchen space could be better in our particular flat but the overall experience is better than most accommodation, the courtyard is very sociablea but equally having a room with an ensuite gives a good level of privacy. Location this close to kings cross station and regent's canal is perfect.
Thank you for your comments, I would love to hear how the kitchen could be improved, please come to reception and talk to me.
Love to stay in kitchen space with my flatmates! Accommodation stuffs are welcoming and nice peope!
We are happy that you are enjoying your time with your flatmates and thank you for your nice comments about the staff.
Very good location, nice staff
I hope you enjoyed exploring the area and thank you for your nice comment about staff.
Love it! Best location ever and great management
Thank you for your lovely comment
I met great people and was in the perfect location to go to school or on night out. However I had no hot water for month and the flat was dirty.
Thank you for your comments, I am aware we have challenges and we are working on them Joanne
I had a good time, the location is definitely a bonus. The accommodation is a bit old and could use some renovation, but definitely worth for the price. The staff is friendly. I noticed there were a number of problems from internet issues to heaters and water issues, however the staff was always trying to get it solved as soon as possible. I had some trouble with my flat mates who did not respect quiet hours. Overall a decent accommodation for first and second year students.
Thank you for an honest opinion. If you have problems during quiet time, please contact security, they should be able to help you Joanne
Diwiddy House is an extremely isolating place to live with zero indoor common space besides the kitchen in each block and the tiny common space in the lobby. I wouldn’t recommend to anyone besides the location.
I am sorry to hear you think Dinwiddy is an isolating place, we do have the common room by reception. Joanne
I recently met with a friend and spoke to her about the unfamiliar sadness that envelops me everytime I think of my inevitable departure from this place. Dinwiddy has come to mean so many things for me- The Office in the common area where you can hear and see people meeting strangers and becoming friends, where echoes of laughter always fill you with a sense of company in the depths of loneliness, and the 12am birthday parties that you get to witness (or be part of) in that little shed. I will forever remember the awkward morning encounters in the laundry rooms, and the unreasonably slow elevator in block E that sparked the beginning of many acquaintances. My most treasured memory will always remain the two dinwiddy cats in the courtyard: to just see them bring joy to despairing graduates and undergraduates during finals or assignment season, has helped me through the worst of days. Dinwiddy, in many ways, is my experience as a postgraduate in a different country.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts/memories of Dinwiddy House. We are so happy you will be looking back with such fondness
Flies, rats, and unpleasant staff. Having lived at the accommodation for three consecutive years I can confidently say that although it is value for money the service by the sanctuary students staff and the quality of the accommodation is below par.
Thank you for your comments, I would like to say that the building is under new management and we hope to improve the standards Joanne
Pros: Grateful for the friends I made & love the sense of community felt during my time at Dinwiddy. Cleaners were exceptionally sweet and please be patient and kind to the staff at Dinwiddy <3 The accommodation is quite affordable for central London so that is a bonus! Cons: the downsides were the Lift (specifically in F block) broke down every other day.. so got my steps in every single day living on fourth floor!
Thank you for your comments, I am sorry about the lift Joanne
I stayed at Dinwiddy for 2 years, and I generally enjoyed it. The staff in the reception and the cleaners, are really friendly and helpful. If something broke, they’d usually fix it within the week, if not sooner. You won’t find cheaper student accommodation so close to SOAS, and having Kings Cross a 10 min walk away means that you’re very well connected to the entire city, as well as to the rest of the country. On the downside, there are a few things to be mentioned. The lift in F block was broken for the majority of the second year, and likewise, the hot water didn’t work on and off for months, during the winter (they were waiting for spare parts in order to fix both, but honestly, it wasn’t very professional). Also, while the kitchen was cleaned every week whereever the countertops, stovetops and sinks are clear from stuff, the rest of the time, the kitchen is only as clean as 6 students bother to keep it. So it was pretty disgusting a lot of the time But overall, I do recommend
Thank you for your honest option.
All in all, pretty reasonable place to live. Not the best but for what it was worth, you can certainly live in it. Close to University so very convenient and I got a pretty spacious room so can't really complain
Thank you for your comments
Great value for money! Loved the 24/7 security
Thank you for your lovely comments Joanne
We were met with several hot water supply issues throughout winter, occasionally laundry machines not working, one power outage caused due to some issue on the tube network at Kings Cross - but the management was quick to resolve them, apart from the water issue that took longer due to issues beyond their control. I had some issues with a few flatmates, with one attempting to break into my room at 1am with her boyfriend, in my female only flat. The security team took instant action and I got a new room within the week. They were very helpful and kind. Especially Sharon, the Assistant Accommodation Manager and Jacob, the security officer.
Thank you for your comments, Unfortunately, things do happen in the community which are out of our control, but the team will always do their best to assist. Joanne
Horrible experience as there were leaks in every building, which was a major violation of contract. And when my room was flooded there was no maintenance or managers on-site to fix the issue immediately despite there being 24/7 maintenence advertised on the website. I had to wait the next day whilst waiting in a flooded room and this was a very stressful experience. Then when the managers did intervene they moved me into another room that had another leak in the building and I had no hot water. For other repair issues, it would take weeks to get them resolved. Living at dinwiddy was just a traumatic and stressful experience.
Really helpful staff, great location and the room was great value for money
Thank you for your lovely comments Joanne
It was okay, didn't have hot water for half the time
Thank you for your comment, I am sorry the new boilers took as long as they did to get installed. Joanne
This place is a money making SLUM. Disgusting managers and staff who couldn’t care less about their job despite it being their only career prospect and the best that they could do in life. They’re rude, probably orphans as they have no manners or morals which is shown through their poor attitude towards teenagers even though they are nearing menopause themselves. They are slow and lazy and would do anything to not do their jobs - one of the MANY examples is when there were mice in the flat and refused to move flatmates out of the mice infested room and also refused to get pest control until a week later. The rooms themselves have mould, stains and putrid smells coming from the carpet which I don’t doubt has been replaced since the place opened. There’s fungus and unknown juices leaking everywhere in cracks of the rooms. There are maggots and worms in the drains that eventually turn into flies and swarm the room. The bed is a disgrace, you might as well sleep on the street on cardboard.
I really enjoyed my time at Dinwiddy. The staff is phenomenal and so helpful, and while the facilities are not super updated, the location and the people make it very worthwhile.
Thank you for your lovely comments. Joanne
It’s a good locations and staff are alright, but there’s been wayyy too many issues this year with the accommodation to be paying anywhere near what we are paying. For example, the lack of hot water and heating throughout the whole year, constant wifi issues, the lifts almost never working, maintenance taking forever to come and requests for maintenance being ignored. It’s just not what I’m paying for :(
In all honesty this accommodation gets away with things because it’s cheap. When we lost hot water in December they would lie and say it’s just individual people and it would come back soon then do nothing. It only fixed in late March, isn’t 100% back and there was no compensation. The manager is argumentative when you discuss issues with him and don’t accept his brush off apology because you want actual help. Rent is increasing even more next year and this feels like them making us pay for the temporary boiler mess of the last year. However, the room is ok, heating from the radiator is good and the kitchen supplies work. Maintenance is very good, always fixing things as quickly as possible and the reception/security staff are always there to answer anything.
Very helpful staff members! Haider khokhar helped me into my flat when I forgot my key and was so kind, lovely company!
Thank you for your nice comments
Dinwiddy House is a popular choice for SOAS students, but BEWARE when you end up in a situation like the current Covid-19 crisis, they will not respect you at all. Lots of students this year literally begged them for altering the contract or reducing the rent fee, as they were going back home. I personally haven't been in my flat for 3 months and paid £3000 for nothing. Some of the staff at the reception are very hostile too, so it's not a very pleasant place to live anyways. On top of that, getting your room is like a Russian Roulette, you might end up in the nicely refurbished block A with normal showers and new furniture, or in Block E, where you have to put up with 'swimming pool showers' (you push a button and the water flows for about 10 seconds) and of course you can't control the temperature. There is an outdoor courtyard, but if you end up living with your window facing the courtyard, you will hear screaming and laughing every single night. I don't recommend.
I have been living here for the past nine months and I am low maintenance and don't have much to ask BUT I have never met unhelpful staff in my life as the staff here. They don't reply to emails and dont track their communication. I have to explain my issue to everyone who happens to sit on the reception on that day. They dont even try to make an effort, all they say is 'there is nothing else we can do about this' for a simple thing that can be resolved. The manager is there from 2-4pm (only) and we have to plan our days according to that time slot if we have a problem. The only reason I am staying here is because it's close to my school.
Good afternoon Thank you for your feedback. We are disappointed to hear that your stay with us was not as expected. We have recently changed management, so hopefully any future visit should be improved. Thank you. Dinwiddy House Management
The location of dinwiddy is really good. It is only a short walk from SOAS and is very close to Kings Cross. I did however move out halfway through the year. Other students there are also very nice and very welcoming but the quality of the accommodation was very poor, especially for the amount of money you have to pay. Rooms, especially bathrooms, we're pretty poor and the shower wasn't good at all. I also have seen both cockroaches and mice within the building. There are also frequent fire alarms and times when water (usually hot) does not work. I also know people who's locks have been broken for a long time. Overall, it is in a nice location but if possible I wouldn't pay the money for the quality of accommodation you get.
Good Morning, Thank you for your feedback. We are sorry to hear you experienced these problems during your stay at Dinwiddy House. We are expecting to undergo a refurbishment during the summer period to help improve the building so we hope any future visit will be improved. Thank you. Dinwiddy House Management