Top Student House Hunting Tips
28 October 2024 • 6 min read
House hunting can be a lot of fun! You get to explore the local area, discover new things, and hopefully find the perfect place for you and your pals to settle down and study. But it also comes with its challenges, especially as everyone else is doing the same thing at the same time.
Fear not - we’ve been there and bought the very specific t-shirt, so are here to answer all your questions about student housing, such as what to look for, when you should be doing it, and how to tell if a dodgy smell is just a short-term problem or a red flag you should walk away from...
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When is the best time to look for student housing?
As tempting as it is, you should never leave house hunting until the last minute. If you do, all the best places might already be gone, and you could struggle to find accommodation specific enough to cater for you and all your friends.
We’d advise starting the search as soon as possible. Many student landlords will begin advertising their properties in October and November, so aim to start doing your research around then. By January you should have narrowed your search right down, and ideally have contracts ready to sign on your chosen home. However, the housing market can slightly differ in London, where properties aren’t sometimes released until April.
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Where to look for student housing
The obvious answer to this question is to look right here. We offer a fantastic range of student housing across the UK’s major university cities and towns, with all the bills included in whichever property you go for. Working with a wide range of student letting partners means we can present the best student accommodation from across the market in one convenient place.
Your uni may also have an area with accommodation adverts in the Students’ Union, and as you’re walking around your uni town or city you might notice ‘for rent’ signs outside houses that look interesting, with the contact details of the relevant letting agent. If you’re only looking for one room in a house or a short-term rent, forums like Reddit and The Student Room might be a good place to start as students will often seek tenancy take-overs there. However, you should note that bills might not be included within these properties, which will make it harder to know what your monthly outgoings are likely to be. We’d therefore advise putting extra budget aside for the colder months, when your energy prices are likely to increase.
To make things easier, UniHomes also offers a bills-only package, where we can still set up and manage all your utilities for the same monthly price, even if you didn’t find your property through our site.
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What matters most to you and your housemates?
Maybe you already live with your housemates, or maybe you’re moving in with new people. Either way, it’s important to have a chat about the things you’ll need in your future home so you know what to look for. Whether that’s a central location, a good communal space, a garden, or a landlord that’s ok with pets, it’s good to get on the same page at the start to help make your search more targeted.
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Budget, budget, budget!
Another vital thing to check with your housemates is that they can afford the same thing as you. Maybe you’re lucky enough to be able to afford a penthouse apartment with a private pool and personal butler, but if they’re not, you need to reach a compromise. Check what everyone can afford when it comes to rent and bills (all included with our properties), and don’t pressure anyone into going for something that’s out of their reach - that’s a sure fire way to lose a housemate!
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Make a plan (and stick to it)
It can be easy to be swept away by a beautiful sofa or giant TV - but you need to know what’s really important before you start viewing student housing.
Plan a list of questions to ask the landlord or agent as they show you around, and make sure to do your research so you can compare the market. Here are some starters to get you going:
What power is there? Is it electric and gas or just electric?
Are bills included?
Is it fully furnished, or will you need to provide your own?
What's the water pressure like?
Are there smoke detectors and fire extinguishers?
What type of tenancy agreement is it? (A joint tenancy means everyone is responsible for the whole house.)
Are any services included, such as cleaning or lawn maintenance?
What’s the neighbourhood like? Is it mainly students or is there a mix of locals too?
Has there ever been any problems with damp?
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Never make a decision before a viewing
Houses can look a lot different online to how they look in person. It’s easy to up the contrast on a photograph to make a room look brighter, or take a shot from a certain angle that makes it look like you’ve got loads of space. Don’t fall for it! Always view a property with your housemates before agreeing to anything, and don’t feel pressured into deciding straight away. View a few options before signing the contract - you’ll thank yourself later.
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We make student housing simple
Our extensive network of student letting partners gives you access to a huge range of student properties across the UK. Just search the city you’re studying in to see what’s on offer, or filter the properties by area, number of bedrooms, bathrooms and price to find the perfect fit.
All the student homes include utility bills, broadband and a TV licence, meaning you can avoid the hassle of setting up accounts and managing direct debits with your housemates.
Browse the wide range of properties now - and open the door to hassle free living!
