Moving away from home can be one of the most exciting parts of starting university. First of all, you don’t need to move into accommodation when you go to university. Many students choose to stay living at their family home and just commute in.
But if you do want to experience living by yourself – university is a fantastic opportunity to do that in a supported environment. I called it ‘a trial run at adult life!’
Student Halls
Every university will have a variety of accommodation. Some are owned by the university – these are normally called ‘student halls’. There may also be some accommodations which aren’t owned by the university, but you can still live at. With these, you may live with people who aren’t at the university. Some universities, like York St John, have University Managed Housing – these are houses, like normal houses, which the university manages and lets out to students. So if you want to avoid the typical uni flat, this might be an option for you as well.
At student accommodation, most often, all bills are included in the price.
Private Sector
Of course, you might want to rent from the private sector, and you’re free to do this if you want. Most universities will still provide support to help you find and secure accommodation. For me, in second year, I had someone explain the terms of my lease.
In the private sector, it tends to be that you will just pay your landlord for your rent. So you will still need to sort out and pay for energy bills, water bills, TV licences, parking charges (if applicable) etc.
But what type of accommodation do I want?
Flat:
A flat is basically your own room in a larger shared flat. You will have some shared areas such as kitchen, living spaces or bathrooms. You normally share with between 4-6 other students, but this varies depending on the accommodation.
If your flat is ensuite, you’ll have your own private bathroom/shower room. If it isn’t, you’ll share a toilet/shower or two with your flat mates.
For example, at St John Central, you have your own ensuite & bedroom, but you share a living space and kitchen with 4/5 other students.
Studio
If the idea of sharing fills you with dread, and you just want your own space – a studio might be for you. A studio is a self-contained living space. You’ll have your own bathroom, your own kitchen and living area and of course your bedroom. They tend to be quite open plan.
Private Accommodation
At York St John we guarantee first year students accommodation at one of our sites – but some first year students, and most second & third year students, choose to rent from the private sector after first year.
This basically means you rent a flat or house from a landlord. There are lots of student landlords in York – and the university can support you with this.
Student houses in the private sectors tend to be just normal houses, so you’ll share living areas, kitchens and bathrooms. The difference is, you get to choose who you want to live with, whereas you can’t choose with university accommodation – it’s the luck of the draw.
What if I have issues?
If you’re at university accommodation, there will be support available for you. At York St John, we have Residential Support Assistants (RSAs) at each site. They are current students who are trained to offer support and guidance while you’re in university accommodation. If there is an issue too big for them to help with, the accommodation team will be able to help you. Some students ask to change accommodation for a variety of reasons, and although we can’t guarantee, they will always try their best to help.
All of our university accommodation has 24 hour security – so if you are ever in need, you can call them and get support no matter what time – day or night.
If you’re in the private sector, we recommend keeping good communication channels with your landlord. Most landlords will come and fix something quickly, but if you do experience any difficulties, the university might be able to offer you some advice and guidance.
Top tips
When you arrive at your new accommodation/house – take lots of pictures and videos. This is useful so that at the end of your tenancy, you’re not charged for damages that were there when you moved in.
Make sure you know what your contract means – particularly if it’s joint with other people. We know it’s exciting to move in with friends, but if relationships break down – you don’t want to be left with the bill.
Some people choose to split the bills using a third party – again, double check what they charge for this service. It might seem a bit over the top, but it might be worth all of you signing a contract saying you all agree to pay your fair share of the bills until the end of the lease.
We also recommend reading the accommodation handbook thoroughly and your accommodation policies! This handbook changes every year – but the 2020 one is here:
https://www.yorksj.ac.uk/policies-and-documents/accommodation/#accommodation-student-handbook
Still have more questions about Accommodation – watch our Ask Our Students: Accommodation session below: