Many international students who come to Nottingham are renting an apartment in the UK for the first time. Lack of experience can easily get you into trouble during the rental process.
Some of you may have many questions: What accommodation options are available? What are the differences between them? Which one is best for me? What must I know when dealing with agents when choosing an apartment?
We will answer all these questions in this article and help you find the best student accommodation in Nottingham.
Three Main Types of Accommodation Options
Firstly, let’s look at the accommodation options together. There are three main types of accommodation options in the Nottingham area: private residences, student flats and school dormitories.
Private Residences
Private residences are, as the name suggests, private accommodations that are “not for rent”. Most of the private residences for rent near the school are houses. They are located in the four main residential areas of Wollaton, Dunkirk, Lenton and Beeston. Most of these houses are detached English houses of two to three storeys (think Harry Potter’s aunt’s house!), many of them with courtyards.
Compared to student flats and school halls of residence, private residences are usually less expensive and more cost-effective. The weekly rent for a house near a school is around £60 to £110 per person, excluding utilities, etc. Often, even the most luxurious and well-furnished houses cost less per person than student flats or school halls of residence.
There’s also more freedom in your daily life when you choose to live in a private house than a student house or hall. There is no heating that switches off every few hours and no fire drills that visit you every other day. Students who have lived in a house have described living in a house as “the real ‘English quiet, comfortable life'”.
Student Flats
Aside from private housing, another common option is off-campus commercial student flats. Student flats are mainly operated by several large student accommodation property companies in chains across the UK. The main types of accommodation are Non-Ensuite (no ensuite bathroom, shared bathroom and kitchen), Ensuite (ensuite bathroom, shared kitchen) and Studio (ensuite bathroom and open plan kitchen). Due to low demand, Non-Ensuite without ensuite bathroom is rare in the market.
The cost of student flats includes water, electricity and gas, and 24-hour security. It is more standardised in all management aspects, as operations are primarily standardised. So, it would be a less risky choice than private housing.
The rent of student flats in the Nottingham area is mainly from £120. And the price of the higher-end housing will be as high as two to three hundred pounds a week. Past students have chosen Nottingham 2 (N2) near the Jubilee Campus, and the cheapest Ensuite single room available on the official website is £135.
School Dormitories
The school officially runs school dormitories. Most halls of residence are built on campus. Many residence halls are next door to the academic buildings, making them very convenient for daily classes.
In addition to the convenience of attending classes, the halls of residence have the following features compared to the first two living options.
- The cost includes water and electricity grids as well as a weekly cleaning service. Most private homes and student flats require you to clean them yourself. But school halls of residence are cleaned weekly by someone who enters the rooms, saving you time and hassle.
- You can choose to include three meals, so you don’t have to buy and cook. There are two types of halls of residence: those with meals and those without. You can go directly to the canteen and swipe your face for your morning and evening meals. For lunch, you will be charged £28 per week to your student card, considering some students will be eating in other canteens.
- Events are held regularly. Each hall has its committee (Junior Common Room (JCR)), which organises fun activities for the students. JCR also helps organise a formal dinner two or three times a year, where all hall residents dress up and go to the canteen for dinner.
There seem to be too many benefits at first glance, but the price of the dormitory is relatively high. A standard 31-week ensuite room with meals costs £210 per week. The high price is probably one of the main reasons why only a tiny percentage of Chinese students have chosen halls in the past.
Which is Best for Me?
The above has introduced the main differences between the three accommodation options in Nottingham. So, how should I choose as a new student going to Nottingham? Which type of housing is best for me? Here are some suggested aspects to consider.
Relevant Factors
- Budget: From private homes to school dormitories, the prices of different accommodation options can vary by as much as three or four times. Think about how much you would spend on accommodation during your stay.
- Food: Do you have the energy to cook every day? Are you a good cook? If you don’t cook for yourself, can you afford to eat out frequently? Do you have a Chinese stomach?
- Hygiene: Do you have a sense of cleanliness? Can you co-ordinate the hygiene standards of your flatmates if you share a room?
- Noise: Rooms in student dormitories and school halls of residence are usually randomly assigned. The quietness and noisiness of the neighbours are primarily uncontrollable. You need to consider whether you prefer a lively or quiet environment.
- Commuting: How long is it acceptable to commute to and from school every day? Do you like to walk? Is it acceptable to squeeze on the school bus every day?
- Dreams: Are you a dreamer? I’ve heard more than once that I want to live in a big house with a courtyard when I go to the UK. Young people, if you have a dream, follow it.
Which is the Most Important Factor?
The importance of these factors may be different for each person. Some students may care more about cost-effectiveness. Some may care more about the convenience of classes. And some of them may not care about anything but want a courtyard where they can take care of themselves. However, the most important thing is to know exactly what you want.
Once you have an idea of your housing needs, the next step is choosing a house. As mentioned earlier, student dormitories and student flats are relatively standardised, so the living experience is somewhat more secure. However, the lower cost-effectiveness makes most students choose to live in private residences.
Typically, private landlords rarely negotiate directly with their tenants but rather leave it in the hands of a letting agent. Landlords, agents and tenants each have their interests to consider during the negotiation process, making it easy for first-time renters to fall into a trap. The next step is to give you some basic information about the rental market in Nottingham.
How to Avoid the Pitfalls?
A rental agency is a job requiring a lot of time to negotiate and communicate with landlords and tenants. For tenants, it involves helping them identify their needs and select the right property type. Landlords need to obtain promotional materials, collate information and arrange viewing schedules. From the tenant’s point of view, everyone wants to be served by a reliable agent. Several considerations can be made about identifying whether a rental agent is professional and reliable enough.
Aspects to be Considered
Are the basic photos of the house clear? Are the images complete, including the kitchen, living room, bedroom, bathroom, etc.? Does it have basic amenities such as a refrigerator, washing machine, etc.? Are there pictures of the exterior of the house? Where exactly is the location, and how far is it from the school?
Is it possible to arrange a remote viewing of the house? Regardless of the post-adjustment of the photos, many landlords use photos that are several years old and donot reflect the actual condition of the house. At this point, the agent will need to assist in contacting the landlord to remotely video view the house to ensure that all aspects of the house are in line with expectations.
If the property is rented first-hand? Or has it been transferred to two or even three hands? Many of the agents on the market don’t even have their team in the UK. So, the only thing they can do is raise the price of a readily available property from another agent and pass it on to a tenant who doesn’t have a good understanding of the average market price. It is advisable to seek advice from several agents so that you can shop around. Agents who hold first-hand quality properties are comfortable with such comparisons.
Conclusion
The Nottingham area rental market as a whole has more supply than demand. But some popular accommodation options such as main campus halls of residence, N2 and some good value houses are still booked up early. So, it’s advisable to plan and identify your needs as early as possible to take advantage of the situation. We hope these tips help!
