There’s an awful lot of things you need to look out for when searching for student accommodation, so we’ve put together our top four things you must think about when choosing a student home.


It’s been a very busy few months for student property bookings here at StudentTenant.com. We’ve had plenty of bookings for the next academic year, and the best student properties are starting to get booked up for 2018/2019. So, if you’re looking for student accommodation, we highly recommend that you find and book a student property soon!


Haven’t started your student accommodation search yet? Don’t worry! There’s still some time to start searching for student houses, and fortunately for you, we’re here to offer guidance when choosing the right accommodation for you.



1. Location

Location is everything. Most student populated cities have specific areas in the city where students tend to rent. Usually, you’ll find that they’re within walking distance from the university campus, or at the very least, they have great public transport routes to the university.


Think about it - do you want to be waking up at the crack of dawn in the middle of winter to get to university? I don’t think I would! Make sure that when visiting a student home, you’re making notes of how far the university, whether you can get into town or the shops easily, and whether it’s in a student populated area.



2. Communal Space

Let’s be honest, you’re probably focusing on the bedrooms when you search for a student house, but what about the communal space? If the living area is too small, you may find that all of your housemates are struggling to cram in there for pre-drinks on a Thursday night.

So, what should you look out for?

Think about how big the living space is, and imagine that you’re living there with a group of friends. Would all of your housemates be able to fit into the living room, have somewhere cosy to sit, and see the TV? Or is some unfortunate soul be relegated to sitting on the floor?


And what about the kitchen? Is there enough space for you and your housemates to cook dinner, or will you be restricted to a schedule so you all have an allotted time to cook your meals? If there’s not enough room, you might find yourself struggling to make time to cook your dinner every evening.


Don’t forget! Some houses convert the living area into another bedroom, so make sure you check the floor plan before you book a viewing if you do want living space.



3. Letting Agent Fees

When choosing a student house, you’re going to have plenty of letting agents and landlords vying for your attention. But before you go ahead and book a property, you need to make sure you’re aware of the potential fees when booking.


Most importantly, you need to make sure you choose a property which comes as little upfront costs as possible. You’ll probably find that some letting agencies charge over hundreds of pounds before you even move into the property, and you may end up paying for: securing the property, referencing fees, administration fees, guarantor and tenancy agreement fees, and check-in fees. Sometimes students could be pressured into paying over £700 each to student letting agents on fees alone.


With StudentTenant.com, we only charge a flat one-off booking fee of just £135 - and that’s it! For £135 we’ll take the property off the market so it’s secured by your group, and we’ll also conduct your guarantor referencing checks. You could easily save hundreds of pounds simply by booking a student property on StudentTenant.com.

What should you do if you think the fees are unfair or illegal?

If you think that an agent is charging unfair or illegal fees, you should send a complaint using the letting agencies official complaints procedure. If you’ve paid a fee which you think was unreasonably high, or you weren’t given details of the charge in advance, you may be able to challenge it on the grounds that it is unfair. Your local Trading Standards Officer, or housing specialist at your university will be able to help you with this.

Please note: From October 2014, all letting agents must belong to a government-approved redress scheme for dealing with complaints. If you have a complaint which hasn’t been resolved, you can complain to the relevant scheme which the agent belongs to.



4. Crime

Finally, we recommend searching for properties which are in safer areas of the city. Sure, it’s easier said than done in student populated areas, but you can save yourself a lot of hassle by choosing a property with secure windows and doors.


When viewing a house, make sure you pay close attention to all the locks throughout and make enquiries about burglar alarms and neighbourhood watch programmes. The best house is a safe house, so don’t be shy to ask every question you need to in order to have peace of mind.


If you’re worried about crime, or you want protection for all of your valuable possessions in the event they are lost or damaged, then you should think about purchasing contents insurance.


We’ve put together our list of things you must look out for in a student property. Check it out before viewing a student house.