Student accommodation in the UK - Residence & housing types

Nearly every university in the UK offers students a chance to live on campus. Here, they would have to live in residence halls that have a limited number of available rooms. If you are a first-year bachelor student, you have a greater chance of getting a place in one of these hostels or dormitories. The rooms range from single, double, to private, with combined halls and bathrooms. Accreditation schemes cover these halls, so their management is maintained appropriately.

Many universities offer you a place in the hall if you accept their offer within the deadline. There are 40-week rental contracts signed for one academic year that have two options: meal included or self-catered. Even if it feels a little bit out of you comfort zone, living on campus is a great way to enter into UK campus life with a bang. You will meet many new students, some of whom will be sailing in the same boat as you. Make as many friends as you can!

The costs of rentals inside the university campus depend on what facilities you would be using, the living standards of particular cities, and even the status of home country (EU, non-EU, etc).

Even if you are unable to find residence within the university premises, there is still plenty of hope. Many universities get together with student housing agencies to provide a subsidized living spaces to international students and those from other cities. The property types are usually student houses or shared apartments situated off-campus.

For instance, the University of Lincoln manages a range of houses and apartment blocks with different options for rooms. The kitchen and the hall are usually shared between 3 to 6 students. The Brayford Court apartment block has about 22 self-contained housing spaces! The rent may be expensive, but it usually includes all utility costs including the internet.

If your university does not have any off-campus schemes, they will still be able to connect you with private landlords that are located in the vicinity. They will make sure that the housing is reliable and up to the standards of living, and that the landlord is safe and vetted. Renting with your host university kept in the loop is the best way to protect your interests and attain extra student services.

Another new student accommodation option that has arisen in recent years is privately owned halls of residence. More and more students are interested in inner city accommodation so as to be near the cool and happening streets of their host cities. These properties are share-houses with several private rooms for each student. There is a shared kitchen and communal area, but the bathrooms are usually en-suite, which is a great comfort. This kind of hall is preferred by students in their second, third, or fourth year.

A student at the University of Bristol, for instance, could be interested in renting a room at the Holly Court Studios. It is directly across from the campus and super affordable! Wherever you are planning to study, there are many such options available.

If you are well-versed in the UK terrain, you can get in touch directly with one of the student housing agencies that operate near universities. Depending on your needs and the kind of residence you are looking for, the rent can be anything at all! However, you can communicate your budget to the agent so as to keep them in the loop. Agencies also charge you an additional fee to register with them, but it is often worth it since they can usually find you the perfect place to stay.

In the UK, UNITE is one of the most popular student accommodation agencies. They give students a choice between renting a room in a shared flat and getting a studio apartment if they’re so inclined. The bills are usually included in the renting price. If you’re located in the North of England, another good option is UniHomes.

Your university will usually have plenty of options for you to look into once you start exploring. They have thousands of students passing through every year, and this is why they have connections with so many housing agencies and landlords to assist their graduates. If you want something ideal, start looking early!

Whether you’re renting through an agency or privately, make sure that you have the direct contact number of the landlord. If there are any infrastructure problems in the house such as a flooded toilet or broken pipe, they are the ones responsible to fix it!

Plus, it goes without saying that you should always read the terms and conditions before signing a contract. After knowing everything we’ve just told you, we hope the accommodation finding process will get a little bit easier. Let’s get to work!