Finding a place to live

Moving to a new country is a big step for anyone. It’s not just a question of the cultural and lifestyle changes you’ll have to adapt to, and nor is it just the fact that you’ll be a long way from your family and friends.

It’s also the practical dimensions of settling in abroad that make it such a big deal. Think of all the little components that make up your life in your home country, such as your mobile phone and your bank account. You’ll need things like these in your new home, but the chances are you’ll need to set them up from scratch. Thankfully your university should guide you through most of your course-related issues before you arrive, meaning that when your plane does touch down in your new country you should be able to relax about this side of things and just go through the formalities of registering.

Perhaps the biggest practical issue related to coming to the UK to study is the question of where you’ll live. The place where you stay will have a big impact on your enjoyment of your time studying in the UK, and so it’s important you get it right.

Thankfully, as a country with a long history of welcoming international students, the UK’s universities have a great track record of helping international students find a place to live, and in many cases can arrange a place for you to move straight into when you arrive.

So really the question is not whether you’ll be able to find a place to live, but rather what type of place would suit you the best. To help you make your decision have a look at our guide to the main three options you’re likely to have.

University accommodation

The vast majority of universities in the United Kingdom have their own supply of accommodation for students. It takes two main forms. Firstly, there are halls of residence. In these large buildings students have their own bedroom, with perhaps as many as fifty bedrooms on one floor and up to one thousand students living together in one building. Students then either share kitchens, or alternatively don’t have to cook at all, with food being provided in a canteen in the hall (this is known as a catered hall). In some halls each bedroom also has its own bathroom, but in others there’s a shared shower block and toilets on each floor.

Secondly, there are university flats. As you’d expect, these are more like the sort of accommodation you’d find out in the ‘real world’, with up to six or so students having their own bedrooms in a shared flat and sharing a kitchen, a living room, and also a bathroom, unless the bedrooms are en-suite. In most cases, these flats are all grouped together in larger buildings, meaning your neighbours will also be students. So like with a hall of residence, you’ll be surrounded by other students, only you’ll have a little bit more privacy in a flat but also have more contact with your flatmates. At some universities they also have studios; if you prefer not to share your kitchen with other people this would be a good choice for you.

There are few great advantages to living in university accommodation. The first of these is that it means that you’ll automatically have access to a large network of new student friends, meaning your life in the UK will be a more sociable one. Depending on which university you study at it may be possible for you to request that you live with other international students–or even other students from your home country, if there are enough of you– or with postgraduates, if you are one yourself.

The second great advantage of university accommodation is that you’ll be able to reserve your room before you arrive. This means the stress of finding a place to live in the first weeks of your arrival will be removed; anyone who has been in that position will tell you it’s something you want to avoid if you can.

The third plus point to university accommodation is that you won’t need to worry about bills–things like electricity, heating and internet will be included in your rental price. And if you go for catered accommodation some or all of your daily meals will be covered, though the monthly price you pay will be higher as a result.

There are a couple of things to be aware of if you are considering university accommodation, however. The first is to make sure that you pick a place that suits your lifestyle. Living in a hall of residents with lots of British first-year undergraduates is great if you want to embrace their lifestyle, but if you prefer a quiet life then it might be a bit rowdy for you.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that the quality of the university’s accommodation can vary quite a lot. Some universities have wonderful, modern flats and halls that are a joy to live in. Others, however, can be a bit drab, scruffy and dark. So look carefully at the photos in the booklets that the university sends you before you make a decision!

Purpose-built private-sector halls and flats for students

An increasingly popular alternative to university-owned accommodation for international students is to turn to the ever-expanding selection of private-sector halls of residence and flat blocks that are exclusively for students. In some ways these follow the same basic idea as university accommodation, with the main difference being that they are run by private companies rather than the university.

As with university accommodation, you can usually book a room in one of these before you arrive. And in some cases, if you are arriving with a group of friends from your home country, you can book an entire flat together.

Where the private-sector halls and flat blocks have an advantage over university accommodation is that they tend to be much nicer in terms of their facilities and decor. The bedrooms will usually be en-suite, and often included in your rent is not just the bills for electricity and water, but also for luxuries such as high-speed broadband and cable TV. So if you like a comfortable lifestyle, this could be the right choice for you!

The main downside to this type of accommodation is often the price. All these nice things are expensive, and this is reflected in the level of rent you’ll be paying. That said, however, some halls and flat blocks offer pretty competitive prices and discounts for those who book early. So don’t rule out this option until you’ve checked out the prices for the places in the city or town where you’ll be studying.

Private-sector landlords

The final main accommodation is to ‘go native’ and find a room in a student house under your own initiative. In many ways this is the riskiest option. It’ll probably mean that you’ll have to stay in a hotel when you first arrive and then look for a flat while you’re staying there. As people who have flat hunted before know, this process is often a pain, and will be doubly stressful if you are simultaneously adapting to life in a new country.

Be wary of booking accommodation before you arrive if you choose to go down this route as well. There are unfortunately unscrupulous people out there who will advertise a property online that doesn’t exist, as well as people who claim the place they are offering you is a palace when in reality it is not fit to live in.

However, there are a couple of positive things to be said for taking private accommodation. Firstly, it is likely that you’ll pay less compared with the other two options. And secondly, it’s more likely that you’ll have the opportunity to live with and really get to know a group of British people.

If you are interested in renting privately, the best thing to do is contact the university where you are studying and get the details of their accommodation office. Universities in the UK usually offer a service that helps students who are looking for a place to live outside of university accommodation. They’ll be able to advise you on matters such as how much you should expect to pay. Many universities also keep a list of approved landlords who have passed the university’s inspections and are therefore considered to be trustworthy.