What’s the deal with student housing?
What’s the deal with student housing?
Every year, around September, students begin to look for housing and accommodation. However, moving away from the security of our hometowns or safe student accommodation, can be confusing and daunting. Where do we look? What do we do if we find a place we like? All these questions have answers, so no need to panic. Here are some top tips and things to consider…
Student Accommodation
As a first year student at BNU you are entitled to guaranteed accommodation* in one of our three halls of residence. Information about our accommodation options are usually sent out in Spring to all new students who have accepted offers to study at Buckinghamshire New University the coming September.
All of our High Wycombe halls are within 20 minutes from the campus, shops, supermarkets, bars and restaurants. We also have at least one senior student in all our halls to help support you with any problems you may be having.
For more information visit the BNU accommodation section.
Looking for houses
First you need to know who you’re going to live with, as this will determine how many bedrooms you want. You’ll also have to agree on a place all together, after all, you need to find a place that suits everyone. You can chat directly to estate agents or go online.
Rightmove is going to become your best friend during this time. it’s great for offering a lot of listings and you can even toggle settings like “show student houses”, sort by price, distance, bedrooms and many more.
Also, depending on who you know and what stage of the University experience you’re within, word of mouth means you can find out from other people how their experience with certain agencies have been. You could also ask third years where they are living so upon graduation you know where the free houses will be.
Bills included, or separate?
Now, I’ve lived in student houses for over 3 years now. When we first moved into a student house, we had the option of having bills included (with the total price to rent), or separate, meaning you are responsible for water, gas, electric and broadband.
Now, it’s always nice to have bills included as this gives you unlimited usage and means you do not have to worry about sorting out utility bills yourself, which all in all is good.
However, make sure you aren’t paying more than you need too, a set amount may be over what you would pay if you sourced the best deals, however it is a safety net to have during your tenancy. The decision is down to you though, usually houses have less arguments over usage when bills are included, although you’ll be saving more money with bills not included!
Always view the house before!
Pictures can be very deceiving when looking for houses...For example, we went to look at a house after seeing pictures online. The house was a nice, little, and cosy looking property. But, when we went to view it, we saw the mould (not in the pictures) and other nasty things about it. If we didn’t go and look at the house, we would’ve had to live there! So always, always go and look at a house before you make any rational decisions!
Your safety net, given to you by BNU
Private, student houses are not run by the University, and so do not come under management of BNU. This can be a scary feeling when considering the possibility of disputes and other issues, but do not worry. BNU offers advice and support during times of difficulty when considering student housing, so please, use it as it’s there to support you.
During the pandemic, when students were back in their hometowns, but still paying for rent, the University even stepped in to intervene with private landlords, to remind them of the money students were paying and to consider reducing costs.
That’s a wrap
So, there you have it. It can be daunting at first, but once you pick somewhere to live with your friends, everything will start to feel exciting.