Advice on finding cost-effective accommodation in Manchester for a degree apprentice

[lotti37]

Help my son is starting a degree apprentice with a large company in Manchester and we need to find somewhere for him to stay . He starts mid September so not long . Can anyone offer any advice on where to stay which sites to look at ? Most cost effective ways of living there ? Any advice Many thanks

It's very difficult and is why most on degree apprenticeships live at home. You cant go into student accommodation since you're not a full time student so its really about finding a house share (which us hard for a school leaver) or a long term airbnb/lodger situation.

Its why degree apprenticeships are easier for those who live in cities, or those with wealthy families who can buy a flat for them.

The uni housing areas in fallowfield and withington are cheaper and you can catch the bus that comes very frequently (a few times an hour) down to Oxford road/city centre

Bus passes are cheaper for students

I’m guessing you’ve tried spare room to see what’s available. I’d also check around the more studenty areas.

I just had a quick nose on Spare Room - a reasonable number of house / flat shares available - but one problem is the number of 'working tenant' ones where a minimum age of 21 is stipulated.

Does the employer not give any guidance? Is it a big organisation?

Lodger or house share is the way to go, surely? Many students live off-campus after their first year and may need an extra roommate. There will be Facebook groups, online message boards or other places where people will be saying they need a "third person" for a room in a shared house.

If you can give a few details OP those of us who know Manchester might be able to suggest areas to look at;
Where will his role be based?
Any odd hours?
What's his monthly budget?
Are you able & happy to be a guarantor if he doesn't meet minimum income requirements for a rental property?

Are there other apprentices joining the scheme? Can the company put you in touch with them?

look on places such as spare rooms.com, rightmove for places.

if you need to be a guarantor, make sure it’s only for your son and not the whole flat.

Don't know whether he’ll be eligible for a student mortgage?

www.bathbuildingsociety.co.uk/mortgages/browse-mortgages-by-product-type/buy-for-uni/

This is a good summary. The Early Years recruitment team at the prospective employer may be able to put your son in touch with other Manchester office joiners (school leavers and/or grads) but they are unlikely to see it as their responsibility to drive forward or co-ordinate.

Bear in mind that, depending on the specific rental/lodgings set up, your son may be liable to pay Council Tax as he will not be a full time student. This is one of the reasons that student accommodation can be problematic, together with the potential incompatibility of student vs full time worker lifestyles.

Letting agents are likely to be to expect to see him on any viewings, so that means waiting until A levels are over and trying to avoid long periods away over the summer. In my experience, letting agents are often not familiar with degree-level apprenticeships and find it hard to know how to assess. However, if you are prepared to explain, they do come around to realising the risk profile is likely to be OK.

The problem is that, as he is not a full-time student, he won't be Council Tax exempt, so sharing with other students won't really work. You try and approach the uni to see if other Degree Apprentices are looking for shares. My son lives at home but his mate has bought a house and lets a room to another DA.

Where precisely in Manchester is he going to be working?

I would ask the employer first whether they have previous apprentices who rent locally, a relocation contact, or any recommended house-share routes. Then compare commute from the office site, not just Manchester generally. For a school leaver, a lodger arrangement or vetted spare room can be calmer than a standard student house share.

A large company I’d assume they have other apprentices and former apprentices I’d get your son to reach out to those as they’ll know what they usually do.