Freshers being told they MUST book accommodation NOW for Sept 2020

[DishingOutDone]

Sorry if this is being covered on another thread but just wanted to get opinions on this; I've heard of this happening but hoped that my DD wouldn't get drawn in. Apparently the third years have told her course that unless they get booked in now for sept 2020 they won't get anything nice. I have heard that this is something rogue landlords do to try to bump up their rent; what does everything think?

I am worried as she's not entirely happy now what if she wants to change uni for year 2 or something goes wrong? Also I looked a few weeks ago on Right Move for her area and there were loads of 3 nice bed semis for rent outside of the main student drag in quiet residential areas - but I wonder if owners/landlords automatically refuse to rent once they know its for students? Also it would take a lot of nerve to hold out till September 2020 before booking.

Hive views please (or if this has been done on another thread tell me off and send me to it!)

Ah,. my son has been told by his very old Bristol neighbour about the wonderful very very quite vet students in there last year..... I think they have a lot to live up to with those quiet girls. However they are trying to be quiet and his landlord this year has a cleaner who comes round evry week - the spy in the house perhaps in a sense but I am sure it is very useful to have a cleaner and it probably makes them keep the place tidier too.

My son shares with friends he made at his year 1 hall but not I think on his corridor. My other son shares with boys who I think were just placed in his group of boys (only) in his section of his all last year who became friends. It has worked out pretty well but I agree it can be hit and miss as you do nto really know those people very well to be able to decide to live with them for the whole of year 2.

In my day I ended up sharing with people I didn't know in year 2 as my university had a system of introducing people to others through private landlords and I went back into halls for year 3

Ahhh that makes sense. DD said that two or three or her friends could not renew on their houses as the landlords had decided to sell and it was pretty obvious that her last year landlord had decided not to invest any real money in the property, one of only two student houses left in a nice residential street, actually the other one was sold this summer, though he was OK on necessary maintenance.

Bristol appears to have brought in additional licensing for central Bristol from July this year for "privately rented flats or houses with three or four unrelated people, living in two or more households and sharing some basic facilities". This means that some of the smaller properties will no longer be let to students or sharers, and that letting agencies will not be able to take properties onto their books unless the license is in place. This should make this year's accomodation battle interesting.

Just had tearful phone call from my DD who is in first year of uni. 6 weeks in and just returned from reading week. She says she has no real friends and everyone else has friends already and is looking for houses for next year.
She feels excluded,vunerable and friendless. reassured her, a lot can happen by September , it's too early to look. I couldnt believe some were already house searching for next year! Then this thread popped up, as if it isn't hard enough for them already , ridiculous pressure! friendships at this early stage are likely to shift and change .

It will also be interesting in Bristol if all those load lugging diesel cars are banned! Many people will be wondering how and when to deliver DC and their belongings!

This is definitely the case for my DD - she's at Reading. She is currently in her second year and has just sorted her house for next year. She was in halls last year and stayed in halls this year too as she hadn't really made any close friendships this time last year (about 6 weeks into her degree) and didn't want to share with those in her flat. Was lucky she didn't arrange to live with them as two had dropped out of uni by the end of the year. It's far too early in my opinion.

Back in the early 90s this was true at my school. If you wanted a unit near a bus route, you had to reserve it as soon as landlords started accepting deposits. Students who had cars and could
Drive to campus had access to much more housing and it tended to be nicer and cheaper.

DD has been to look at a couple of places today, but I agree that it seems too soon.

One slight warning is the 'friend of a friend'. Just because you like your friend does not mean you want to live with their friends. If someone suggests another person it is worth checking that they share similar attitudes to noise, cleanliness, drugs and nouse.

This worries me as one of the girls wants to invite a couple of others to join them. This means that they would be looking at a place for 8 people which, I imagine, won't be easy. DD said that if there are going to be 8 of them they might as well stay in halls in a flat for 8. Although I don't think this will be possible.

DD has also been to look at some places where all rooms are used as bedrooms, including sitting rooms where the door opens directly to the street. I said under no circumstances is her group to take a house like that as (a) its crap and (b) if a landlord does that its likely they are not someone I'd want her and her friends to rent from

DD has also been to look at some places where all rooms are used as bedrooms, including sitting rooms where the door opens directly to the street. I said under no circumstances is her group to take a house like that as (a) its crap and (b) if a landlord does that its likely they are not someone I'd want her and her friends to rent from

I think you are being unrealistic.
All student houses use their living rooms as bedrooms.

I do agree it is a ridiculous situation where people are expected to be looking for houses this early in their first year, but, as others have said, it is fairly typical. It doesn't happen in all university towns and cities, but it does happen in a lot.

So, it depends how fussy she is - if she needs it in walking distance, or if she needs parking or if there is an unusual number of them want to stay together, etc. However, it is (and always has been , certainly going back to when all my peers went to University at start of the 1980s) normal to use the sitting rooms as bedrooms, so maybe you need to change your thinking a bit there.

This worries me as one of the girls wants to invite a couple of others to join them. This means that they would be looking at a place for 8 people which, I imagine, won't be easy. DD said that if there are going to be 8 of them they might as well stay in halls in a flat for 8. Although I don't think this will be possible.

My dd is one of 8 in a house share. She loves it. Is now in her 2nd yr in the house - a couple moved on and a couple of new folk joined them this year. Most universities don't have the capacity to let 2nd and 3rd years have rooms in halls. Also, it is cheaper and quieter in their house than it was in halls (and, in her case, nearer the town and nearer the University I realise this will vary hugely)

@BackforGood - with the front door opening next to the bed? I'm not talking about a house where you have a front door, you step into the hall and then the first room off the hall, the sitting room, has been turned into a bedroom. I mean you open the front door, there is no hall, the bed is directly in front of you.

If that's me being unrealistic then long may I have such ridiculously high expectations!!

DS is in his first year of university, with term starting in early October. Last week, he secured accommodation for next September, in a shared house for 5. Apparently, all the most desirable properties go very quickly.

We had, naively, it seems, thought we'd let him settle then perhaps think about looking for a property to help him buy, so he was paying a parent- guaranteed mortgage from year 2 onwards (his is a 4 year course). Clearly, in the rush to sort themselves into groups for renting, there was never going to be time for that.

I think not having a living room is common in London, to save money, but not elsewhere. DS rented a three bed ex-Council flat with three others, and was not bothered. One reason why as a landlord I am wary of letting to students is that over occupation can be a problem. You think you are letting to three then you find extra mattresses in the living room and in bedrooms. You as the landlord are potentially breaking the law yet established, big name agents have been known to facilitate this or turn a blind eye.

(I have had the same happen when letting to a couple of building contruction managers, who then flew in a load of contruction workers. Its not just students who try to find ways of making London affordable.)

It's quite standard for student letting everywhere to have the living room turned into a bedroom - it's certainly not a London thing at all!

It should be registered with the council as an HMO, with the usual smoke alarms and annual gas certification.

Often the student union offers a check the landlord and property service, but in my experience most student rentals, and landlords, are ok. Obviously not all, but most seem to be of a decent standard. With that student essential - a dishwasher

It is standard to not have a living room but not to have the main front door / access to the house opening into a bedroom. I would not want either a son or daughter to be in the situation of having random people tripping through their bedroom day and night

I did check apparently you have to have a minimum occupancy of 5 to register as an HMO - is that right @Needmoresleep?

The need for an HMO licence depends on the local authority. Some insist on one with just 3 bedrooms.

@titchy I'd say that was a good thing - aren't HMOs subject to closer scrutiny? Or really maybe it all just depends on local authority area what checks are carried out e.g, fire regs - ?

Last year most seemed to sort it around Easter time where dd is.

Dd isn’t actively looking but she has a group of friends already in a shared house and one has indicated they may go elsewhere next year so she’s asked for first dibs on the room.

National guidelines require licensing of properties with 5 'households' and more than 2 storeys. However increasingly Local Authorities are opting for their own licensing requirements, details of which can be found on their websites. Bristol's were introduced in July.

We have a property in Greenwich which is generally regarded as the toughest regime. We went through the licensing process mainly because we did not want to evict our lovely tenants. In Greenwich virtually any property occupied by seperate households, ie sharers, requires a license, and there are apparently potential pitfalls, and possibly huge fines, if say tenants tell you they are a couple but tell Housing Benefits they are sharers.

Even though the property was well maintained it was a nightmare, took months and cost a couple of thousand. We even needed to get DBS checks. The upshot was that, though the licence is still valid for a couple of years, we now rent to a family, to avoid having to apply for planning permission each time occupancy switches between a family and HMO sharers. Agents, who cannot let unlicensed properties, tell us there are virtually no rental properties available for sharers. I assume some local students are then forced into taking properties from less reputable landlords. Or are paying more, or are commuting further.

DDs property is not licensed. Her landlord is the ultimate amateur landlord who bought the property for his then-student children. I am holding it in reserve for when I need to intervene over his inabilty to carry out basic maintenance.

On the question of a living room, my twins' student houses in both years 2 and this year 3 have had a living room. last year they shared with 7 or 8 people (in big houses in Bristol).This year I think one is in a house with about 6 of them and the other a flat with just 4 of them.

One of mine has a very nice flat this year - the kichen is newer and better than mine although the house is being painted so they are shrouded in darkness until January as there is a cover over it. They have negotiated a slight reducion in rent. Those works were supposed to be done over the summer. I am not sure if the landlord is in charge of them or a freeholder actually.

Hi! Thanks for the thread - just joining if that’s ok! Have been worrying about accommodation for 2nd year in London. Needs to be East-ish and well connected to district or circle line and bus systems! Where do we need to look? Is it only the normal property websites or are there student ones as it will clearly be impossible to compete with professionals, partic. in the City or Westminster tube area. I think you said, ‘needmoresleep’ that we can chill until June-time but what about those student studio rentals? I know they cost the earth, but as a fall-back? Thanks so much if anyone can help. Also has anyone taken the plunge and bought something in London for their DC - we are wondering about the relative cost of renting for at least another 5 years versus buying sth. for DD and subsidising mortgage with a lodger?

All the accommodation Dd saw in Newcastle had living rooms. They’ll have an enormous one with 3 sofas in it.

Interestingly our neighbour has rented out 3 bedrooms to students (this is his large home).

@Baytree the student union should be able to advise your DD - renting etc in London I feel is more complicated so its a bit of a "stick a pin in the map" situation for you.

Baytree, I suggest he speaks to first the accommodation office and perhaps the SU to pick up their advice and see what they offer. Then he picks a quiet time and wanders into a letting agent (DS rented through Winkworth, who in my experience are as good as any) and sees what they have to say. I would also look at Plan B private studios. London student halls, especially the slightly more expensive ones are likely to be quieter, though perhaps less friendly, than halls elsewhere. He should also quiz second years on where they live, and spend some time on Rightmove and TfL journey planner.

He should then, immediately post exams be ready to do intensive flat search, with provision made for anyone who might be away at the time, as they would need to make immediate decisions. Note London agents often require payment to be made six months in advance, as it gets round problems about guarantors for non UK resident students. This can be good as it means you too are not "joint and severally" liable for people living overseas.

In terms of buying, it could be a good idea. Certainly the people DS was renting from had got themselves a terrific investment. The tenancy had been going so long (DS took up a spare room from someone graduating, and after two years someone took the room from him) that the inventory included a Betamax recorder. I had a quick look and though there is nothing for sale at the moment however this is similar to the flat DS rented. www.zoopla.co.uk/property/flat-31/boswell-house/boswell-street/london/wc1n-3pr/25463173

No living room so four students each paying close to £200 a week. Really central for UCL, LSE and Great Ormond St, and safe, so no additional fares and lots of scope to work in the 24 libraries. Central London prices are quite depressed at the moment, and good tenants for expensive new build are thin on the ground. However Universities are booming and I think there will always be a market for cheaper well located properties.