There’s a wealth of student accommodation to choose from in Headingley and its surrounding areas.
But from deciding who want to live with, to finding the right location, there’s a lot to think about before you take the plunge. You also need to consider whether you have the budget to pay for the kind of lifestyle you have in mind.
Assuming you know who you want to live with and how many bedrooms you’ll need, here’s our list of things to look for when choosing from the pick of student houses in Leeds:
Location
When searching for student accommodation in Leeds, location should be the first thing you consider. Most students want to live close to campus, which is why areas like Hyde Park (LS6), Headingley (LS6), Woodhouse (mostly LS7) and Leeds Center (LS1 & LS2) are most popular.
At Leeds Uni or Leeds Beckett?
If you go to Leeds University or study at Leeds Beckett’s City Campus, Hyde Park or Woodhouse may be the places to look for student digs.
These areas are close enough to the main campus that you can drag yourself out of bed at the last minute and still get to lectures on time. While more central locations (LS1, LS2) are very convenient, they also tend to be more expensive such as various student properties located on Clarendon Road.
By contrast, rent prices in Hyde Park and Woodhouse give you the best of both worlds in terms of a lower rent and short commute times with excellent local amenities.
If you have most of your lectures at Leeds Beckett’s Headingley Campus, then LS6 is perfect if you’re looking for a quick walk into class with excellent shops and restaurants located in Central Headingley.
Study at Leeds Trinity?
As Leeds Trinity is in Horsforth, there’s also a lot of student accommodation to choose from in that area. Although Horsforth is 5 miles from Leeds city centre, there are plenty of trains and buses to ensure you stay connected.
To discover what each of Leeds’ student areas has to offer in terms of nightlife, food and drink and more, have a read through the sbliving student area guide.
Cost
The cost of student living in Leeds is relatively low by comparison with other major Cities in the UK. However, your budget will still determine what type of student property you can afford to rent.
To figure out how much you can pay per week, per month or per quarter, make a list of how much you need to spend on essentials like food, drink, toiletries, travel and textbooks, as well as luxuries like TV subscriptions and alcohol.
Whether you have a part-time job or rely on your student loan to live, you need to subtract what’s going out from what’s coming in to work out whether you’ll have enough to cover rent.
Security
Unfortunately, crime rates in student areas tend to be relatively high. Fortunately, Leeds is quite far down on the list of reported crimes involving student victims for 2017.
Despite this, thieves know young people tend to have lots of valuable stuff and are more than willing to take advantage of lax security. To keep yourself and your possessions safe, check all doors and windows are secure before agreeing to rent a property. If you want to be extra safe, you may want to search for student houses with burglar alarms.
Health and safety
If you’ll be living in a group of 3 or more students and you share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet, the law requires the landlord or letting agents to abide by strict regulations for houses in multiple occupation (HMO).
These regulations are in place for your safety, so learn about what they involve by looking online (e.g. via the link above), or by asking Leeds City Council.
Also check each student house you go to view has a functioning smoke alarm system, and make sure all electrical appliances are in good working order. In addition, you should look out for signs of damp, as this can be an issue in older properties.
Creature comforts
Gone are the days when students were forced to put up with aging décor, tatty furniture and hardly any natural light. Nowadays, you can demand mod cons that, up until a few years ago, were only seen in high-priced luxury student accommodation in Leeds.
In fact, many student houses now come internet-ready with TVs, modern interiors, double beds, great lighting and plenty of space.
As respected Leeds letting agents, sbliving offer high specification safe and secure student accommodation in and around Headingley. To find out more, call 0113 278 8651.
