Student accommodation

[OPUK46]

Hi, what has your experience been like with sorting out accommodation for your child/children for university? any advice? things to consider or look out for?

Before providing financial support I want to make sure we get it right!

@OPUK46

Yeah that's a really good point, ability to switch flats - especially when they're moving in with complete strangers!. Not many seem to advertise this though.

In our son's experience, his Uni were pretty unhelpful about changing flats in their Uni accommodation. He had some problems with his flat and was told he couldn't move as they claimed there were no empty flats and no one else wanted to move to swap. In reality, neither were true, as he knew people in another flat who had an empty room and he also knew other course mates who were wanting to swap. It's basically easier for the accommodation office staff to say they can't do a swap to save them the hassle/paperwork, etc. Our experience was that you really, really, have to push them hard to get them to agree to change, despite them "advertising" it as a benefit in their accommodation open days/website as a benefit to living in Uni accommodation!

Dd is in her first year, all uni decisions were made in lockdown/ restrictions. She made a spreadsheet costs, facilities, distance to uni etc and whittled it down. She’s in uni halls on campus with en-suite. She’s made her room really homely and apparently it takes 2 minutes to get to lectures.
She’s looking at second year shared houses now, I think she might be spreadsheeting for the whole household.
I haven’t really got too involved but I have suggested questions to ask when they look round. Her maintenance loan is her budget, she doesn’t quite get the full amount but my contribution is her phone bill, contact lenses and keeping her during the holidays.

DD and I looked at some of the accommodation on a campus tour, and she chose which ones to apply for. At her university (Newcastle) acccommodation is allocated after results day and is a complete lottery.

She sorted out her second and third year accommodation with friends. We are guarantors for her.

I don’t think you can plan for every eventuality OP - there’s no guarantee DC will hit it off with their flatmates. Let your DC look at options, work out what’s important to them (own bathroom, communal lounge, closest to campus, or whatever) and factor in their/your budget, and take a punt like everyone else.

My daughter made all her decisions (COVID) from looking at the website, her criteria were location, proximity to her department and city, en suite and modern as possible. It came down to 2 and she decided just prior to booking it for her firm choice around March. I did suggest which of the two she selected was better and for what reasons.
She's signed up to a flat with 2 friends for her second year, no input this time apart from being a guarantor but think she's made a sensible choice.

We did en-suite in halls for the first year. That was the best accommodation DD had, the rest has been poor.