Unipol Properties and Exercising Your Choice
Unipol has a range of properties to suit different tastes and needs. Choice is important to us. Our housing varies from small self-contained flats and bedsits for one, to houses for up to nine students. We have student complexes for as few as 40 students and for as many as 447. Many properties are old, even historic listed buildings, others are brand new. Some are within yards of the educational institutions, others are a bus journey away; some are right in the city centre.
We realise that the quality of life for students often depends on having good living accommodation, living with friends and being able to study effectively. Unipol is a specialist housing agency dedicated to providing the best housing and services we can. We want our tenants to become part of our partnership with our customers, providing a responsive and realistic level of service so that students can get the best out of their time in Leeds.
City Living
Unipol is committed to providing housing right in the centre of Leeds. These developments are intended for students who want to be "at the heart" of a dynamic and thriving city, with restaurants, bars and city centre life all around them. Many students have part-time jobs in the city and for those who live in these developments home is often just round the corner from work.
Individual Houses, Bedsits and Self-contained Accommodation
Unipol has a large stock of houses which have been converted for student use. This housing is mostly located in Headingley, Hyde Park, Burley and Woodhouse, all popular student areas close to central sites. Most of this housing is occupied by returning students (many leaving institutional accommodation, provided by the two Universities, for the first time).
Unipol houses are designed to keep their character and are deliberately developed so that students can leave behind the inevitable feelings of institutionalisation characteristic of university flats.
The portfolio varies so widely that it is impossible to offer a description here, only a summary. All houses fit in with Unipol standards and policies outlined elsewhere. Examples of typical houses would be:
- Stables converted for four students with living room, large kitchen and four bedrooms. This conversion maintains the structure of the original stables. The building, internally totally new when it was converted in 1994, is in a conservation area and looks onto a large garden with a large house, called Rawdon Lodge, converted by Unipol into three student flats and four bedsits. Off-street car parking is available.
- A shared house for six with a living room, large kitchen, six large bedrooms and two showers. Overlooking a pleasant garden, immediately next to another Unipol house which has been converted as a flat for three and a couple. Car parking is available in a large communal drive area (shared with six other houses).
- A small back-to-back house for a couple, consisting of separate kitchen, living room, traditional bathroom with shower above the bath, large master bedroom and large attic bedroom. The house front door goes straight onto the street with no garden but there is a communal bin yard at the end of the block. Street parking is available.
- A property with a large garden converted into four bedsits and a self contained flat. Each bedsit consists of a large centrally heated room with self-contained kitchen with two bedsits sharing a dedicated bathroom with shower and separate toilet.
All of Unipol's housing stock has central heating (except the very small units which have a mixture of Economy 7 heating and gas fires). All larger units (in excess of three occupants) have a washer/drier fitted, which is included in the rent. All have smoke detection systems and each house with ground floor occupancy has a burglar alarm. Many have additional security features described elsewhere.
Unipol houses are well located, well maintained and offer independent living in buildings of character. Soft furnishings are fitted into all living rooms and some bedrooms.