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For many students, uni is the first time living away from family. It can be scary, thinking about what to expect and how to manage finances. We're busting some myths about student accommodation so you have a better idea what to expect when you move out.
1. Student accommodation is expensive
One of the biggest myths out there about student accommodation is that it’s too expensive. Well... that’s not true.
There’s actually a huge variety of student accommodation in London and most of the other large cities of the UK too. The secret? Start looking early! The early bird takes the worm. The cheapest rooms and the best deals always go first.
2. Any room with a bed will do
Many people think you just need a bed and you should be happy with your “accommodation”. Maybe a few decades ago that was true, but times have changed, and nowadays you should have certain expectations for your accommodation. Wi-Fi and central heating being an absolute must.
3. Students have no respect for property
This is one of those myths that exist thanks to a tiny minority of students who spoil it for the rest. Truth is, with tuition fees rising dramatically, students know that damaging their house means a deduction off their deposit, so they actually take much better care of their accommodation than they’re given credit for.
4. The deposit scheme doesn’t apply to students
Why wouldn’t it? Of course the deposit scheme applies to students too. Make sure your deposits are registered under one of the deposit protection schemes when you pay it to your landlord. This offers you protection and ensures that if there are any disputes over the deposit when you move out, the protection scheme will look at the evidence and make an assessment.
5. Students only arrive in September
Most landlords assume you’ll only move in around September and will use that time to perform works on their house. But many students - especially internationals - come back a week or more earlier. If this is the case for you, make sure you let your landlord know in advance!
6. Students don’t care about location
There are actually two conflicting myths regarding location. One says you don’t care about location, (i.e. if it’s in a nasty area), whilst others claim that you don’t want to live more than two miles away from campus.
The truth of the matter is that, one way or another, you do care where your house is located. In fact, location is one of the main concerns students have when deciding where to live.
7. Students have to buy everything before they leave home
Students in general have the bad habit of buying everything they need before moving in. But just thinking about stuffing your parents’ car till it’s bursting at its seams should put you off doing so.
Remember that most students will leave a lot of stuff behind when they move out, so you might actually turn up and not need half of the stuff you had planned to buy.
8. Most students live in halls
The only way this myth isn’t busted is if you only include freshers in it.
It’s common that most first year students live in student halls, but you’ll be hard pressed to find second year students and above still living there. Most students tend to move into a place with their uni friends after the first year.
9. Current students must look for next year’s accommodation ASAP
Although you want to start looking for next year’s accommodation early, let’s not exaggerate. It’s more important that you find a cool group of people you actually want to live with and then start looking. Just remember that the early bird gets the worm, so, as mentioned above, the great deals are to be found early, but only once you have found your dream flatmates. It also depends on the city you live in as to when student lets are typically advertised. Make sure you find out when local estate agents are planning to release
Next step: Choose the type of accommodation you want
