Routing the UK Student Housing Market: Choose the Right University Accommodation

A student should feel a sense of relief after getting admission to a university of their choice. While they feel happy about getting closer to their dreams, another worry pervades their mind. Many fears and concerns are associated with moving to a foreign country.

One of the first things a student thinks about after an acceptance letter comes through is where they will be staying. A professional course should last at least a few months, if not years. During this time, the student must have a suitable accommodation. To put it simply, finding accommodation in a foreign land is far more difficult than searching for a place to live in one’s own country.

Once a student gets admission to a UK-based university, they should immediately start looking for accommodation. This must be done before they move to the country with their luggage. In today’s digital age, speaking to people based in the UK who can help one find accommodation wouldn’t be a very challenging task for an Indian student.

Here are some of the options for Indian students looking for accommodation in the UK:

Private Accommodation

Many of the Indian students, who move to the UK to pursue their higher studies, prefer a private accommodation for themselves. Living in a private accommodation gives them the necessary space and time to get used to a new country and cultural environment. This is something study abroad consultants vouch for as well.

Most of the private houses or properties become available to students in June. This is the time when the examinations and academic year come to an end. Many students return home during this period and, therefore, leave their accommodation in the UK.

If a bunch of Indian students are planning to move to the UK to study at a particular university, they can make plans in advance and rent a house for all of them to live together.

Moving to a foreign country could seem very tough initially, but if a student shares a house or an apartment with people they know, they experience a sense of comfort. It is a good idea even for many friends who will be studying in different universities but living in the same area. Looking for accommodation also becomes easier when a group of people are involved.

One doesn’t have to move to the UK to look for private accommodation in the UK. Before a student reaches there to pursue their studies, they can start looking for accommodation through the various available property or rental sites. Many UK-based websites let users look at numerous properties based in the country in different locations that are up for rent.

If a student has friends or family based in the UK, things get much easier for them. They can speak to them directly, tell them about their requirement, and seek their help finding the right private accommodation. People already living there can help them with pricing and ensure they get a fair deal.

While getting private UK student accommodation on rent, students need to figure out whether they would prefer furnished or unfurnished. A furnished apartment or house, as one could guess, would have a higher rent than a property that has not been furnished.

If a student is on a budget and is fine with living minimally, they can opt for an unfurnished space. If they feel the need to have some furniture around later, they can get it on rent. Many offline and online stores in the UK provide furniture and other home equipment for rent.

There are certain things Indian students studying abroad must remember while looking for private accommodation in the UK. They shouldn't pay an advance unless the property is shown to them. If they pay a certain amount of money in advance, see the property a few days later, and do not like it, they will regret their decision and might get stuck with the accommodation for some time.

Many international students have been victims of scams and fraud while looking for private accommodation in the UK. Therefore, before entrusting an individual or an online platform with the responsibility of finding the right accommodation in the UK, a student must check their credentials and find out whether they are genuine.

There are several other factors a student must consider while hunting for private accommodation in the country. While studying abroad, international students must ensure that most of their time and energies go into their studies. Therefore, they should opt for private accommodation not too far from their college or university.

For somebody from India, the rents charged by the properties in the UK could prove to be a shock. After doing adequate research on the rental charges for private accommodation in the country, students should decide on a budget and stick to it.

While deciding on the amount of money they will be spending on rent, they must also consider the other expenses. After paying the rent, they should have enough funds for food, travel, and other amenities.

Halls of Residence

In India, they are referred to as student dormitories. In the UK, one calls them halls of residence. This type of accommodation can be divided into two categories. While the college or university provides such halls, students can also stay in private halls based out of the college campus.

In a hall of residence, a student can expect to see 5-10 rooms present on one floor. Each of the floors would also have a common living room and kitchen. The rooms will have independent bathrooms. In certain halls, a bathroom has to be shared by students living in two or three rooms.

When a student decides to live in a residence hall, they can choose from various room types, including single room, deluxe room, and deluxe room. The budget they have decided to stick to plays an important role here. After getting accommodation on rent, the student should have enough money to get overseas student health coverage which is very important.

Halls of residence are opted for by students who fear getting isolated or lonely while living in a foreign country to pursue a particular course or program. When they live in a hall of residence, they get to interact with a large number of students daily. They can make friends and meet people from different countries or cultural backgrounds.

If a student is living in a hall of residence provided by the university, they will always stay inside the campus. This is a good thing for several reasons. Apart from ensuring a greater degree of student security, it also saves them a lot of time. It will take just a few minutes for them to walk from their accommodation to where classes are being held.

When international students study in the UK, they get to decide whether they want to live in a catered hall of residence or a non-catered hall of residence. Every day, three meals are provided to students in catered halls. They also get access to a common kitchen where they can cook meals for themselves as and when they like. The rent for catered halls tends to be higher than that of non-catered halls.

Once students enroll in a college or university, they get an email asking them whether they would prefer living in the halls. If a student is interested, they must not delay filling up an application form and sending it to the university. The number of students applying for an accommodation in a hall of residence often exceeds the space available in these halls.

If a student’s application for an accommodation in a hall of residence gets accepted, they must pay the rent in advance. This is why a student needs to plan their finances.

Most university-backed residence halls ask for just one month of rent to be paid in advance. If the student comes across any confusion while making the payment, they can contact the college authorities. Certain halls provided by universities ask the student to pay the rent for the entire academic year in one go.

If the college does not have halls of residence, students should look for private halls closer to the institution. They could go through the official websites of the private residence halls near their university and apply there. They could also reach out to their college administration and get their help or guidance towards finding a suitable private hall of residence in the area.

Sometimes, colleges that do not have halls of residence of their own tie up with private halls to provide accommodation to their students. In such a setup, the college and the individuals running the private hall look after the grievances of the students.