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How To Book Student Accommodation Last Minute

How To Book Student Accommodation Last Minute

Welcome To The Last Minute Club!


Welcome to the last minute club! It can be a crazy place to be, but it’s certainly not lonely!
There may be any number of reasons why you’re late booking your student accommodation. Most likely you have been waiting, heart-in-mouth, for your A Level results to arrive, and have only just found out that your conditional offer is now a definite hit! Or perhaps you didn’t receive such great news and now the whole country is on the table as you battle your way through clearing. Or perhaps you’ve just been sitting complacently on that unconditional since February and you’re just the kind of person who likes to turn up late to a party.
Whatever your reasons, whether you are a UK or international student, here are a few pointers to see you through


Think How Yoda Would Search for Accommodation Last Minute.


You will know (the good from the bad) when you are calm, at peace. - Yoda

First off, calm yourself, take a deep breath, all is silence and stillness…

Being in the right mindset is very important, you have to act quickly and decisively, yet also you don’t want to rush into a bad decision nor collapse into panic and inaction. Think what would Yoda do in this situation?

On a serious note though it is important to take care of yourself and if the stress is really getting to you then find someone you can talk too, such as a parent or a former teacher, if there is no one around, try seeking advice from student minds.


Make Lists of Your Accommodation Requirements.


To begin with make a list of your essential requirements. At the top should be the guiding principle of the whole operation: MAXIMUM BUDGET. Make a complete tally of your student finances, what your family can assist you with, and any other income you can realistically expect. Once you have this figure down you will be able to effectively manage your expectations, don’t exceed it, you don’t want to be amassing any more debt than necessary.

Next to add to the list is your course start date, so you can make sure the property is available for the right duration. You don’t want to spend the first month sleeping rough in the lecture theatre!

The next point on that list is location, seriously consider how far you are willing to travel to campus.

This leads on to the second list, which is the desirable list. On the desirable list think what you want in an ideal world. This is where expectation management really comes into play, you might not get that dream combination of private ensuite, a 5min walk from uni and all at a bargain price, so be willing to be flexible on these non-essential factors. Always refer back to your budget, relax and know that with perseverance you will find the right room for you.


The Usual (Student Accommodation) Suspects.


The first option that you should explore is what the university itself can offer you. If you have just had your offer accepted in clearing it should only take a few hours before your information is passed over to the accommodations department. Expect to receive an email from them shortly, but nothing is stopping you from ringing them straight off the bat.

Some universities reserve accommodation places especially for students coming through clearing, so If you are lucky they may be able to offer you something to your liking. If so then well done! Your worries are over, just crack on with that reading list or go backpacking across the Carpathian mountains until term time begins.

If they can’t offer anything though, don’t despair, university halls aren’t the sole source of that mythical “authentic” student experience, your social life isn’t going to be condemned to oblivion if you can’t get in. There are many more options available. It may even be the case that what the uni can offer is cramped, dated or not to your liking at all, and perhaps that all important maximum budget can take you much further.

Even if you’re not staying there, the university accommodations dept is still a very useful resource for extending your options.They can give you some housing tips, recommend local private landlords in the area or pass you on to reliable agents. Also it is worth contacting the universities student union for the same reason.



Welcome to the Private Accommodation Sector.


You may have the preconception that for students the private sector is a dog-eat-dog world, and in the past it was often the case that students were relegated to rat infested dumps at the mercy of unscrupulous slumlords. Today this is rarely the case, with so much opportunity to rate and review properties online a landlord can’t get away with such things anymore. Rising demand has also brought about massive growth in the number of private student halls. These are managed by companies that claim to adhere to strict codes of practice, and failure to meet them can deeply hurt their reputations.

When looking into the private sector it is prudent to research your options carefully.

One resource at your fingertips is social media. A little searching around on facebook with the name of your university along with keywords such as “housing” and “community” will soon find you relevant student groups. Here you might come across students advice about housing in the area, or maybe if you are interested in flatshare you will find other students looking for housemates.

When it comes to private student halls make sure you know exactly what you are getting for your money. It is standard now that bills and Wifi are included, but there is also a wide array of social spaces, study facilities and organised activities available.

Private student halls are our specialty here at Hallbookers. Use the search tools on our site to compare thousands of halls, read trusted reviews and get free advice, all in one place.


Read the Small Print


Before signing anything make absolutely certain you know what it is you are getting in to. Go through the contract carefully and perhaps get a family member or that genius friend who got into law at Cambridge to look over it for you. When visiting the property make sure you check everything is functioning, from the water running to the Wifi, also look out for signs of damp!

The most important thing is to KNOW YOUR RIGHTS, check on the citizens advice website for a comprehensive overview for student accommodation.


if you have any questions, please contact us. We are here to help

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