Letpads has been helping students to find accommodation for the last 30 years. We are a local family run business who have specialised in providing rental accommodation in Preston. We have used our years of experience to put together the ultimate guide to finding student accommodation. Use our tips to make sure you are ahead in the race to get the best place to live.
- Which type of accommodation is best for you?
When you start looking for accommodation it is important to understand what is going to be the best accommodation for you. As a student you really have four options:
Halls of Residence
Owned and managed generally by the university and are popular with the first-year students. They are a great way to adjust to living away from home and making new friends. There are a variety of options including catered/self-catered and ensuite/shared bathrooms. On average you can expect to pay £152 per week for type of accommodation.
House/Flat Share
This is the most common type of private accommodation for students after year one finishes. You can rent a property with friends that you have already made. If you are considering this, Letpads https://www.letpads.com/ has large selection of properties available walking distance to the university.
Remember, you may also have to factor in utility bills if you choose this option.
Private Halls of Residence
These properties tend to be similar to university owned halls of residence, expect there are open to everyone, and are generally more expensive as they often have a better level of amenities. The contract will vary from 40 weeks to 52 weeks and, as they’re independent, you will be sharing with a diverse mix of people from a range of universities-perfect if you like meeting new people. Expect to pay £156 per week
Room in a private house
This is where you rent a room in a house where the landlord currently lives. Whilst this probably isn’t the type of accommodation you imagined during uni days, it can provide a useful stop gap option if you’ve left it late looking for private rented housing.
Once you know what type of accommodation you are looking for the next important decision is to decide when to start your research.
- When to start looking for accommodation
This is one of those topics where everyone has an opinion, but there is really is no right answer! The team at Letpads suggest you start looking when you are ready to. The benefit of starting to look for your accommodation early is that you will have the widest choice and a range of options available to you. If you want to leave it later then you will be able to find a place to live, but you won’t have the range of choices and may have to compromise.
It is also worth knowing that some cities have more student accommodation available than others. As the amount of available accommodation can vary each year it is worth checking what the situation is in your city. We have a team of helpful advisors who can talk you through this, just call the Letpads number on 07870 159999 and we will try and help you as best as we can.
Good luck in finding the right place for yourself!