2nd year accommodation, how much is reasonable?

[Mindgone]

DS1 is in his first year at a northern uni. He and some friends have decided to share a house together next year, and have just started looking around at what's available. The one he has seen so far sounds very expensive, considering he won't be there in the holidays.
I was just wondering really, what's normal and expected?

[Follyfoot]

I think we'd need to know the city concerned for people to be able to give you an idea of normal costs. The 'North' is a very big place

Can answer for Newcastle but not anywhere else really...

[grovel]

DS paid £95 a week (all bills included) in Durham. Very grotty.

[noddyholder]

My ds pays 350 rent and about 50 bills

[Mindgone]

It's Leeds, and there is 8 of them wanting to share.
Is it always a 52 week contract? And is it deemed better to have bills included, or not?
Obv, you're not all going to have info on Leeds, I was just trying to get an idea of what's an acceptable cost, generally. Is it generally more expensive than first year in Halls? I had it in my head that it would be cheaper!

Thanks all very much for any and all replies, you're such a helpful lot! :)

[noddyholder]

My ds contract is Sept to end of July. So annoying as his course started back on 6 October and he finishes in June!He comes home as he has a job here but still has to pay

[OliviaBenson]

Years and years and years a go I went to leeds uni!

What are the costs? I lived with a group of girls, it was £55 per week plus bills. We paid more to live in headingley rather than in Hyde park.

[OliviaBenson]

Oh and it was a 52 week contract (really annoyingly).

[grovel]

This may help:

www.let-leeds.com

[Lilymaid]

Some contracts are 52 week contracts but with rent reductions in July and August when you are not allowed to stay in the accommodation anyway!

[Mitzi50]

Dd is sharing with 6 others in York - she will be paying £82 per week plus bills. Her contract is Sept to July. Mildly grotty accommodation (although she seems to think its ok)

[SecretSquirrels]

Mindgone a lot of us have commented on the empty nest thread(s).


DS and 5 others have got their house sorted without my advice or interference for next year. Only first and 3rd years can live on campus.
The best they could get was 11 month let. The house they picked was the same price as competitors but larger. They had to pay £75 each to reserve it and then £370 each deposit. In December.
The rent is going to be £370 a month each plus utilities. I had naively thought that living on campus was the more expensive option.

[grovel]

I loved the naive phone call from DS. "Got my house sorted. The landlords will be sending you some stuff. Please reply quickly".

The "stuff" was a parental guarantee with all the parents having joint and several liability. So I was expected quickly to process a document potentially exposing me to a £25,000 bill. Happily the parents had a conference call (to the embarrassment of the kids) and managed to persuade ourselves that we could trust each other to do the decent thing in the event of problems.

[Bowlersarm]

DS shares a house with 3 others; his rent is £400 per month, which includes bills.

[Smurfingreat]

I let houses to students in the Midlands and prices range from £85 pw for a small single to £105 pw for a large double in a house with a lot of communal space. This does include all bills even down to the TV license (and the TV).

I either do 11 month contracts or 11 months with half rent for the remaining month, during which the students are welcome to stay in the house. There is a lot of competition for decent houses so I can ask for contracts that long and a lot of my tenants stay here for the summer to work or are studying courses without a summer break. There are always significantly cheaper houses with shorter contracts available, but in the words of a first year I spoke to last week "they're cheap because they're crap!".

[Delilahfandango]

My DD is currently paying £455 PCM and her next property is about the same. There are 6 sharing this year and next year I think there are 7 of them. The current house is lovely, really nice neighbourhood, whole house was brand new when they moved in. Initially the contract was 52 weeks but they seem to have negotiated it down to finish in July. They are in a southern coastal city. It's a major bloody rip off, this letting to students! The agency takes £150 off each of them for doing very little as far as I can see. They don't even give them paper copies of any forms they need oh and that rent doesn't include bills either!!!

[BackforGood]

Ds's house share is 10pw less than his halls, but his is fully inclusive of bills - including a tumble drier -get them!
I thought it might be less too, but sadly - I started asking other parents with dc slightly older than mine when he found this place - it turns out it rarely is a great saving . In 'bills separate' accom., there is the potential to save on bills by keeping the house colder, etc, butthat would mean they'd all have to be of the same mind, and don't forget, there will be a lot of electricity used on gadgets alone with that number of teens sharing a house.

[5446]

I lived in Leeds in student houses up until about 3 years ago, so my figures could be slightly out of date.

I firstly lived in a house of 5 in Hyde Park and paid £55 per week, excluding bills. In my third year, I lived in a nicer place, still Hyde Park, in a house of 4 and paid £64 per week. Both were 52 week contracts, as were all of my friends.

I can imagine prices have gone up a bit. There is also a LOT of pressure this time of year to look - I can remember all the rumours of all the best houses going!

We found our house for third year in mid May and it was stunning - had just been redecorated with new kitchen and bathroom.

We went through DEU Estates, who were great. In third year, our landlord was local and popped in twice, giving us notice both times. He popped back after both times with wine, beer and chocolates to thank us for keeping the place so clean.

I've just had a browse and our place is up there for £67 pppw.

[Delilahfandango]

Must admit I have been surprised at how sensible my DDs house seem to have been about bills! The girls (3 of them) put their washing in altogether ( they have a big machine) so as to save on electric. It would appear they're all stingy with the heating as well! I thought they'd run up a big bill and then learn to be more frugal.

[goinggetstough]

Rent inclusive of bills sounds good, but do check the small print as my DS's contract it is inclusive up to a certain amount. After that amount they have to pay the excess. So in my eyes not really inclusive of all bills!

[BackforGood]

Oh right - thanks for that tip going - I'll get them to look.
Seems a sensible thing for a landlord to put in, to be fair, but not something they (the students) would have a clue about.

[Lilymaid]

If rent doesn't include bills you run the risk of having one or more sharer not paying. If your DC is the person whose name is on the gas bill it can be rather difficult if someone in your house owes you a lot of money and shows little inclination to pay up.

[Mindgone]

Hi all, thanks so much for all your input! After reading your experiences, maybe it wasn't so expensive after all!
Today he saw a more reasonably priced house at £74 pppw plus bills, with an all inclusive option, which appeals to them. He is going to check with the others, and if all agree, they'll go for it.

[MillyMollyMama]

My DD never had an inclusive of bills option in her university city. They all have different letting economies. Also her city had a very lovely student area with rents well above £90 a week, all bills excluded! We have a friend at Leeds. Leeds is cheap!!!! Where there is pressure on accommodation, the rental period is often 1 year whether you are living in it or not. You are entitled to, of course!

[AuntyMacassar]

DS1 is at Durham.

Last year he paid £75pw in a purpose built six bed house, exc bills. It was only a couple of years old but 30 mins walk from the science site. This year he is sharing with two others in a terrace nearby for £60pw. Not as nice but perfectly good. Next year he is paying £85pw in a 4 bed detached very near the science site.