Do’s and Don’ts of Student Housing

Student housing can be a minefield; trying to find a place to live with people you haven’t known for that long is difficult, especially when you have to figure out what you’re getting into by just looking at each room for 2 minutes at a house viewing.

Do’s

Location

Location will mean something different to every person but make sure you’ve thought about the maximum distance you want to be away from the things that really matter to you. Whether that's walking to a 9am, or how far you'll be walking back from a night out in the dark.

Flat Mates

A lot of bad situations can be made better by the people you share them with. You need to have people you can trust and rely on. Especially with issues as important as rent, bills, and any emergencies. This will come with time, but it is good to have people who you will be able to relax with so you don’t spend the whole year living on the edge.

Communicate

Communication is one of the biggest problems with most student housing issues. Either the landlord and agents don’t communicate with you, you don’t communicate with them, or you don’t communicate with your housemates. It can all very easily become one big mess. Remember to communicate your needs and expectations to people so, in the event they are disrespectful of them, you can rest easy knowing you're not the problem.

Don’ts

Compromise

There are 28,000 students at Newcastle University and more at Northumbria, you can always find someone else who has the same needs as you. You do not want to end up resenting your friends because you compromised on something you shouldn’t have done. You do not need to live together to be great friends, but, you should be friends with the people you live with. Living with all your friends sometimes isn't the best idea.

Agents

Estate agents will be a huge part of your university experience, and most of them, at least in my experience, will be awful. The key to surviving them is to keep your communication brief, informative, and consistent. They may be inconsiderate and rude but you don’t have to be and, in the end, if you have to dispute something, it will turn out better for you.

Moving Dates

Check when moving into your new accommodation just when you are actually moving in, and moving out. While June move-in dates can be great because you don’t have to move your whole life back to your parents’ house, sometimes it can lead to you being stuck trying to find somewhere else for the next year. Either try to find the same move-in time, or you end up putting half your stuff in storage because you can’t get it all home.