When to start looking

Q: As a first-year student, when should I start looking for accommodation?

A: If you are applying for University or College accommodation, then you need to return your application forms by the relevant deadline. An application for accommodation will normally be sent to you when you have confirmed that you intend to study at that institution. If you are in doubt about the procedure, look on your Accommodation Office Website or telephone them and ask. For contact information for your institution please click here.

If you want to live in private sector accommodation, or if you have not been able to get a University or College provided room then you can start looking immediatley. Students who are reliant on A-level results will have to wait until mid-August before they can look, but others don’t. So if you’re in a position to look for a house before mid-August, please feel free to you the website today. There will also be local factors which affect when existing students start looking for the following letting year, this information can be found below.

Q: As a returning student, when should I start looking for accommodation for the following year?

A: If you want to remain in, or move back to, University or College accommodation then you need to contact your Accommodation Office just before you leave for Christmas and see what their system for returners is. If you want a short let, contact them at any time of the year and they maybe able to help, depending on when you want to live there.

returning student You are likely to come under early pressure from the private sector to start looking for accommodation for the next letting year as early as November. This pressure will largely involve alarmist messages that all the good properties are snapped up at this time of year for the following year. Beware – this is not true. There is a surplus of good accommodation in Leeds and signing too early can often lead to paying over the odds. Although there is some element of local custom and practice, the bona fide house-hunting season doesn’t get going until January, and we recommend that you hold off signing up until at least this time.

About a quarter of returning students finalise their arrangements with the owner (including signing the contract) in January and February to come in to effect on 1 July for a full 52-week let (although sometimes there are summer rent concessions made). The rest of those who commit themselves to a full year’s let (about the same number again) sign an agreement in April, May and June (but mostly May) before the third term.

There is a surplus of accommodation in Leeds and therefore there is no need to rush in to making a decision.

Your university, student union and Unipol are keen that any decision you make about accommodation is based on sound information. As a consequence you will receive targeted information from November onwards about how to find suitable accommodation for the next academic year. This will include a house hunting guide in December, house hunting talks in January and a tabloid in late December/ early January detailing a selection of Unipol’s and Unipol Code owners’ properties.

Every year some students fall foul of various housing myths and rumours such as:

There is a housing shortage – This is simply not true. In Leeds there is a surplus of good quality accommodation. Students who leave there house hunting until the summer before they return to University still secure good houses.
All the best places go first – Often students that sign up for houses too early are actually signing for properties left over from the previous year! Wait for the official house hunting start date when over 10,000 bed spaces are released on to the Unipol website for students to view.
Everyone pays sign up fees – Many property owners do not ask students to pay admin or sign up fees, if you don’t want to pay choose an owner who doesn’t charge them. Unipol will not expect you to pay for setting up a contract.

For more information on finding a great house for your second or third year please click here

Q: So why have a start date to house hunting?

A: Having a start date:

stops confusion between students wanting to rent properties now and for next year;
gives all owners (both large and small) an equal starting date for marketing their properties;
allows advice and information delivery to be given to all students at all institutions;
ensures that there is a decent amount of comparable property for student to choose between;
increases choice and transparency in the letting market;
Will always fit in with the inter semester system and enable students to look for housing after they have taken their inter semester examinations.

The universities, students' unions and Unipol will all be advising students not to rent before this date.