THE Best Process To Find Student Accommodation in the UK
Is there a best way to find student accommodation in the UK? I wouldn’t say there is a specific and set way but there is a sort of path and process to follow to make sure that you can find the better student accommodations that are being offered to students.
I will give you some of the best ways to find student accommodation
The Best Process
- Know what you want
- Research properties and student accommodation providers
- Viewings
- Contracts & Tenancy Agreements
- Moving in
You can do this even if you are in the area or not. You can do the viewings online, however, it is always best to go and actually see the property. If you know anyone in the area, ask them if they wouldn’t mind viewing it for you if you can’t.
I’ll explain in more detail about each part and why they are generally the best way to find accommodation in the UK.
What You Want as a Student
As a student, you need to know what boundaries you have and what you want. For example, you will need to know how much rent you can afford or want to spend.
You will also want to know who you want to live with if anyone at all. In which case you need to find a studio or a one-bed apartment.
Some of the items you will need to think about are:
- Rent
- Beds you need
- Location
- Bills included
- Letting agent or Purpose Built Student Accommodation
Once you know the type of place you are after you can go out and start looking at what there is in the area.
Researching Properties and Agents
After you know what you want, then start looking online and making a note of what agents and providers there are in your area.
Make sure you take a good look at their website, social media profiles and even try and talk to some of their current students if you can. This will help you find a good and honest student landlord and providers.
The best way to search for student housing and accommodation:
- Comparison websites — I am biased on this, however, it gives you an overall view of the area
- Referrals from other students where there isn’t commission involved
Best way to find letting agents and landlords in your area:
- Again comparison websites, most will list the providers of the accommodation.
- Google — use different search terms like Student Letting Agents etc
- Instagram — So many agents, investors, providers and landlords use this to showcase their work.
Viewings
Make sure you go on the viewings if you can. The reason for this is because you will be able to see the house and understand the layout, the spaces you have and the storage and make sure that it is good quality.
If you can’t physically view the student accommodation, then a lot of places have upgraded and got virtual tours, 360 walkarounds and videos of them touring the properties.
You will be able to get a gist of what the property is like and if you like it then you can make a decision about booking.
Best things to do on a viewing:
- Go with any questions you might have
- Look in every bedroom — You don’t know which one is yours
- Make notes on the good and bad points on your phone
- Don’t be afraid to take pictures so you can remember them. Videos are also fine — you can always send these on
- Make sure the communal spaces are big enough for everyone
- Make sure the property is functional and has plenty of storage.
- See if you can get hold of an inventory — This will tell you what comes with the property and what condition it is in.
There are more, however, these are my main points that I would focus on for a start.
Contracts and Tenancy Agreements
Before booking and moving in, you need to make sure that you have read the contract and or the tenancy agreement.
A lot of it will be technical jargon, however, this is important for a few reasons:
- You need to know what you are liable for
- You will know what the landlord or agent is liable for
- The tenancy start and end date
- Deposit amount and stipulations
- Rent amount and payment frequency
- Reporting repairs
- What to do with any complaints
The most important one is knowing what you are responsible for and what the landlord is responsible for. When it comes to something like changing a lightbulb or maintaining the garden you know exactly what you need to do to keep your deposit.
You won’t need to send it to a solicitor but just having a quick read and understanding the main parts should be enough.
Moving In
Once you have done all the above you are free to agree on the move-in date and sort when you will pay the deposit.
I hope this has been useful for you, if you think anything should be added to any of the lists, please email me!
If you want to know more, I help students find their student accommodation in the UK and can find more info at www.student-it.com
