Locations
Contractor accommodation in London starts with the journey to site
London is not one place to stay but dozens. A site in Canary Wharf, a depot in Park Royal and a job near Heathrow need people based in very different parts of the city, and the right base is decided by the journey at the hour the shift starts, not by the postcode that looks closest on a map.
Tell us the site postcode, the dates and how people will travel. We look for homes, serviced apartments or hotels near the site, from hosts and operators who let to working guests, and we ask about vehicles, shift times and parking before anything comes back to you.
We are based in Peterborough and work with companies across the UK, so a London requirement starts the way every other one does: from the site outwards.
Where the work is, and what that means for a base
The City and Canary Wharf
Office fit-outs, refurbishments and building services work gather in the City and around Canary Wharf. The Elizabeth line, the Jubilee line and the DLR all serve Canary Wharf, so a base on one of those lines, even several stops out, can make an easier morning than somewhere nearer on the map that needs two changes.
East London and the Royal Docks
Stratford, the Olympic Park and the riverside around the Royal Docks are large areas of construction, logistics and infrastructure work. East London has rail links of its own, so people working out here are rarely best placed in the centre.
Park Royal and the west
Park Royal is a large industrial area in west London, with logistics, food production and trade suppliers near the A40 and the North Circular. Work here is van-heavy, so where the crew parks overnight matters as much as where they sleep.
The Heathrow corridor
Around the airport, work runs to early and late shifts and to sites spread along the A4 and the M4. A base to the west, away from the busiest roads into the centre, usually makes more sense here than anything central. The Elizabeth line also reaches Heathrow.
Getting to site before the shift starts
In London, people travel by rail and the Underground and vans travel by road, and the two answers to where a crew should stay are often different. For people without vehicles, a base a short walk from a direct line to site usually beats a nearer one that needs a bus and a change.
Check the first train for the earliest start, not the timetable at a sensible hour. Some Underground lines run through the night on Friday and Saturday nights, and night buses run on the other nights, which helps late finishes more than early starts.
If people are driving, plan the journey at the time they will actually make it. A route that is quick in the middle of the morning can take three times as long at seven, and the difference decides whether a base works.
The search works the same way wherever the site is: the locations page explains where we arrange accommodation, our guide to finding accommodation near a work site covers an area nobody on your side knows, and for crews and site teams, contractor accommodation in the UK sets out what we look for. How it works explains what happens once a requirement reaches us.
Vans, parking and the London charges
For a crew with vans, the charges and the parking rules shape the choice of base as much as the commute does.
The ULEZ covers all of London
The Ultra Low Emission Zone covers every London borough and runs every day of the year except Christmas Day, and vans are included. Staying further out does not avoid it, so check each registration on TfL's vehicle checker before the van travels.
The Congestion Charge is central
Central London has a separate daily Congestion Charge during set hours, payable on top of the ULEZ charge by vehicles that do not meet ULEZ standards. A van crew working outside the centre is usually better based outside it too, so the daily journey never crosses the zone.
Red routes
Red routes are major roads where stopping, parking and loading are restricted, and the signs and road markings say what is allowed. A property on one can be awkward for loading tools, so ask where a van can stop, not only where it can park.
Controlled parking zones
Each borough sets its own controlled parking zones, street by street, and on-street parking in many areas needs a permit. Off-street parking, and its height limit, is worth confirming for every vehicle before anyone travels.
TfL and the boroughs set these rules and change them from time to time, so treat this as a list of what to check rather than a summary of the rules themselves.
Questions about basing people in London
Is it worth basing a van crew outside central London?
Usually, if the site is outside the centre. A base outside the Congestion Charge zone keeps the daily journey out of it, and parking is generally easier further out. The ULEZ applies wherever in London the crew stays, so the van still needs to meet its standards or pay its charge.
Can people reach a London site for an early start without a car?
Often, if they are based on the right line. Find the first train or bus that reaches the site before the shift starts and choose the base from that. For starts before the network wakes up, a vehicle or a base within walking distance may be the only workable answer.
Where do the vans go overnight?
Wherever the property's parking allows, which is why we ask about vehicles first. In much of London that means off-street parking with a known height limit, or a permit arranged in advance. A van left on the street in a controlled zone is a fine waiting to happen.
Planning a London job?
Send the site postcode, the dates, how many people are going and how they will travel. We look for accommodation near the site and come back with options, or a plain answer if nothing suitable is available.
The office is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.