How to Search for Accommodation

A Guide to Searching a Student Accommodation

Accommodation is of utmost importance when one considers studying abroad and your choice of accommodation will be based on several factors. Students are usually expected to find their own housing, however, many institutes offer assistance when it comes to finding an accommodation. There are a plethora of options to choose from and depending on your preference and budget you can choose from the below list of accommodation in deciding the kind of accommodation that you would like to avail.

Types of Accommodation

1. University Halls:

University Halls are huge buildings which are often located on a university campus or near to it. In university halls, each student has a private room but share the bathroom and the kitchen. While some university halls of residence provide the facility of cooking to students, main meals are usually eaten in large dining halls that leads to bonding among students coming from various countries and crates a great social atmosphere. Many universities form a contract with Unite and Nido in order to provide luxurious accommodation complete with en suite facilities.

2. Private Accommodation:

If you are looking for privacy or independence, you could opt for private accommodation such a studio or a one bedroom flat, or you could also share a flat. A flat share is essentially a house that has two or more rooms and everyone has their own private room, with a shared bathroom and living facilities. Some students live together with friends, while others live with roommates.

3. Homestays:

Homestays offer a glimpse of real life as you live with a family. It will help you learn a new culture and will also help you in improving your English

Searching for Accommodation

While students are responsible for their own accommodation, universities do provide assistance to students in finding an accommodation. This provision may range from them finding accommodation for you, to offering you several options, or merely advising on the same. Apart from assistance and advice from your university, there are certain organizations whose primary purpose is to offer lodging advice and ease the entire process of accommodation. They are often associated with several housing organizations and usually help you find a decent place to live. You should also check student notice boards both offline and online, as well as local newspapers for advertisements on rooms, houses and apartments for rent. Below is a list of sources of accommodation for students:

Key sources of accommodation for students

1. University Office: 

The officials at the University Office of the university where we have secured admission offer free consultation and you can discuss about the various accommodation options available to international students and choose accordingly. You will find out all the requisite information available to you.

2. Websites offering information on Student accommodation:

There are a plethora of websites that offer information to students on the types of accommodation that are available. Many of these are associated with a large number universities, which ensures they are legitimate and dependable. They offer various kinds of accommodation options like rooms, studio apartments, dormitories, complete apartments and shared flats, among others and you can choose the kind of accommodation you want depending on your budget and preference. Their customer care executives are friendly, helpful and fast. They have a trusted and large user base, several filter options, is very easy to browse, forty eight hour cancellation policy and a map of verified listings. Some websites also match roommates and also have provisions where a student can assess amenities and house rules. In addition, some of these websites offer 24/7 customer care support, have a live blob, user videos and a provision to chat for potential and new roommates. They also have a filter for duration wherein you can go for short medium and long- stay instead of giving exact dates. Some of the websites offering information on student living options have an insurance guarantee in place, require no deposit, in addition to having cancellation options which are flexible in nature. With these student accommodation websites, housing options for international students have become very simple and is takes the anxiety of house-hunting in a foreign city. Craigslist also offers helpful property information. In addition to Craiglist, there are other websites which you can refer to for assistance.

3. Residential Agents:

You can also take assistance from residential agents in the chosen city to help you find student accommodations. Residential agents specialize in student accommodation and student lettings and help students find accommodation in their chosen destination. Many of these residential agents do not ask you to pay for any hidden charges and offers professional help. So whether you want to live in a studio apartment or homestays, or opt for University Halls or opt for house-shares, they will provide you good options that you may like. Residential agents strive to provide international students with a wide variety of accommodation choices and works hard to provide a safe, comfortable and happy home away for students. Some agents are friendly and is multi-lingual thereby ensuring that you get good advice, thereby ensuring your stay abroad is an enjoyable and safe experience.

4. Classifieds:

You can also check out the local classifieds in the local newspapers and magazines where landlords and owners advertise their properties and get in touch with them.

All students are required to pay a refundable security deposit when moving into any student accommodation. If the condition of the house is the same, after the end of your stay, the money is refunded. How much security deposit you have to pay to your landlord will be influenced by the location of your accommodation and the type of accommodation. In private rented properties, students are usually required to pay four to six weeks’ worth of rent but some landlords ask students for more.

Do an extensive research, take the help of all the above listed sources, seek the guidance of your parents and you shall find the accommodation of your choice.