What you need to know before you start looking for somewhere to live

• Accommodation provided by your educational institution
• When to start looking
• Contract length
• Types of accommodation
• Rent and hidden costs
• Quality
• Renting as a group

Contract length

• As a first-year student how long should I expect the contract to be for?
• As a returning student how long should I expect the contract to be for?

Q: As a first-year student how long should I expect the contract to be for?

A:  For first-years signing up during the summer most owners will expect a contract to run either from the time of signing or from the start of the following month.  At that time of year a lot of owners start their contracts from 1 September. but if you are considering renting through the summer, they may make rent concessions or retainers. Raise this with them – it’s always worth negotiating with an owner about the precise date you start paying rent.  But, as ever, patterns vary from year to year and from place to place, so check for local details.

Q:  As a returning student how long should I expect the contract to be for?

A:  The contract length will depend on the market conditions in your local area and will commonly vary bewteen 40 and 52 weeks.  If you do opt for a 52-week let, try negotiating – before you sign – for a summer rent concession.  Others choose to delay signing up until the late summer; again their contracts are likely to run to 30 June. However, if you do delay be aware that most accommodation services get very busy at this time of year and finding accommodation then can be extremely stressful and time-consuming. It's best to look for a house before the release of the A Level results usually in the third week of August or leave it later to just before the start of term (but risky if there is a local accommodation shortage).  If you are looking for a house as a group you must make a definite arrangement with each other to meet up before the end of summer because you will all need to agree on the property and be required to sign a contract.  If you’re thinking of leaving it until late on in the summer, be aware that the better quality properties and the small supply of self-contained flats and houses for two will tend to be let over 52 weeks.  Remember, some owners will often be willing to negotiate with prospective tenants about when they should start paying rent from.