Housing
Look out for the UBU Housing Roadshow in a hall near you during Week 9 and the University Housing Fair next term (more info soon).
A quick guide...
Who with?
A very important consideration is who you are going to live with. This may not be your best friends; remember, you are looking for good flat mates as opposed to fun people.
You've only know the people you're living with now for a couple of months - are you all still going to get along at Easter, let alone in eigteen months time?
You all need to have a similar budget and you all need to make sure that you can live with each other in harmony for at least a year.
Be reasonable; don't try and squeeze all your friends into one big house; it will cost you in rent as well as quality. Living with fifteen people may sound like fun, but living with fifteen people's washing up really isn't!
The biggest problems that we see are with all female groups and those who have parents as landlords. Think about things carefully and don't rush into anything!
How much?
The most important thing to consider - how much can you really afford to pay for your accommodation next year?
Are all of you in the group able to pay the same amount?
Are all of you willing to pay the same amount?
Don't forget to factor in other living costs such as bills and food!
Average Costs
Rent: £244 to £315 per month x 12 = £2928 to £3780
Admin fees: £150 (maximum)
Utility bills: £618
Insurance: £100
TV Licence: £135.50
Internet: £90
Total: £3871.50 to £4873.50
Where?
There is life outside Clifton and Redland believe it or not. Ok, they're close to Uni but they do cost a small fortune compared with other areas.
If you are on a tight budget think further afield; Gloucester Road, Bishopston, Montpelier and Hotwells in the other direction are all really cool areas with bustling student populations partly due to UWE.
If you are in halls up at Stoke Bishop at the moment then pretty much anywhere in the city is a shorter walk in to lectures in the mornings!
Do you want to live in flat or house? Furnished or not? Do you all want double rooms? For a larger group this is close to an impossibility!
If you have a car then parking is nigh on impossible in Cotham, Redland and Clifton so make sure you factor this in when deciding on an area.
How to find your house...
Agencies
There are loads of these, especially along Whiteladies Road. Most produce lists of student accommodation that they have on their books.
Agents may charge a fee if you find a property through them. This can be up to 35% of one months rent plus VAT so they aren't the cheapest way of finding somewhere to live. However be aware they can't charge you for just looking at places or being on their books, the charges are only applicable if you choose to sign for one of their properties.
If you know any second or third years have a chat to find out if they are with an agency and if so what are they like? Reliable? Helpful?
Some agents may manage the property for a landlord, others simply advertise it -make sure you ask!
Private halls
There are a number of privately run ‘halls' in Bristol mostly owned by Unite.
Some are let as single rooms/small flats and some students like the service they offer.
University list
The Accommodation Office's list of properties for next year goes online at the end of January. This details rooms and properties registered by landlords with the University.
All landlords who use this service have signed up to a Code of Good Practice and cannot charge more than £25 per student as a fee (significantly cheaper than going through an agency!)
The list is constantly updated throughout the year with properties added on nearly a daily basis so don't be put off if there doesn't appear to be much available!
Other sources
- Shop noticeboards, especially the Ten O'Clock Shop by the Students' Union often advertise properties to rent
- The local newspaper ‘The Evening Post'
- Websites such as gumtree
- Word of mouth - ask second and third years who you know if they are moving out or not!
- Facebook marketplace (oh yes)
