Accommodation

The issue of finding suitable housing for the period of study is one of the things that is at the top of the to-do lists of every person who is planning to start studying in the UK. In this guide, you will find tips to help you successfully look for and choose the right property. In the first place, we recommend checking if your university has its own letting agency, or if there is a Student Advice Center in their area, where you can get information about recommended letting agencies (Letting Agencies✅), check the contract (tenancy agreement), and get legal assistance.

In the following comparison, you will come across information about the commonly required guarantor ✅several times. Please see the following article for more information on this topic.

Types of accommodation

Student Halls

Dormitories in England have nothing in common with those familiar to Polish ones, except, of course, only students can live there.

This type of accommodation offers a very high standard and is usually located close to the university, allowing students to save time and money on commuting.

Prices of dormitories vary, depending on the city and whether you will live in it alone or choose to share it with other students.

Weekly rent usually varies between £90 and £160 per week, and in cities like London, it can be as much as £200-400 per week.

How to find a dorm? Start by checking your university website, almost all of them offer the possibility of living in a dormitory on the university grounds.

The next step is to find one managed by private companies, most often also located near the university.

What should you pay attention to?

We recommend double-checking whether are there any additional fees, and conditions related to guarantor and payment terms, remember that a large part of the agency charges a deposit of up to one month’s rent!

Pros:

it`s easy to make new friends,
if you are not a fan of cooking, then you can opt for the option of catering ( for an additional fee),
Common spaces are cleaned by a cleaning company,
you don’t have to worry about bills (all are included)
security – the area of the dormitories is monitored by security guards,
social life, or parties!

Cons:

With the shared accommodation option, you will live with random people,
price – is much higher than the options below,
parties, or social life – noises and shouting at 4 AM,
Fire alarms – a real annoyance for any person who has had the opportunity to live in a dormitory.

Room from a private landlord ✅

This is the cheapest option on this list, with prices starting from £60 in smaller cities and going up to £150 in cities like London.

Renting a room means having to share an apartment with other people.

Factors to watch out for:

Price and standard – before you decide to rent see some alternatives so, having a reference point, you will be able to choose the best option,
Roommates – it’s worth getting to know the people you’ll be living with,
Location – choose a room as close to the university and work as possible, this will save you time and money,
The contract-tenancy agreement protects both parties, we recommend that you do not pay a deposit, without written confirmation,
Landlords often require a 2-week deposit – so be prepared to pay the equivalent of 3 weeks’ rent in advance,
Rooms often have only basic furnishings, which means additional expenses.

Room from student agency

Aside from a slightly higher price and the requirement to be a student, this option is very similar to the aforementioned, you can easily find Student Letting Agencies listings in Google.

Shared apartment:

Living with friends is often the cheapest option, renting a 3-bedroom apartment in a small city (Leicester as an example) you will pay about £700 a month with bills for 3 people, which is £60 per person per week. If you don’t know anyone yet text us, it is possible that someone is in a similar situation!