Finding a House
Looking for a house can be very stressful, but it doesn't need to be if you check through our advice and find out what you need to know.
Landlords really want you to rent their house, and not all houses are a good deal. You will see a lot about housing, sometimes making you feel you need to sign for next year's house right away when you start uni - take some time to get to know people to share with, see which areas in Leeds you could live in and what accomodation is on offer before making any commitments. Remember you could be spending five or six thousand pounds on your house, so make sure it's the best one for you.
What sort of place can I live in.
Leeds has a lot of different types of accommodation available throughout the year. There are rooms in a house or a flat that you can share with other students, or you may want somewhere on your own, for example in a Studio Flat.
There is also the option of a single room in a large complex which has other students living there - this way you would still have your own space.
You may also want to stay in University Accomodation
When should I start looking for a house?
The best time to start is when you know what you want to look for and that you feel ready. Leeds has a huge amount of good houses to rent, so don’t feel pressured to rush into signing a property or give in to landlord’s signing tactics.
Most landlords will start advertising before Christmas, but there will be plenty o0f houses left later if you are not ready.
Before you start hunting you need to figure out:
- How much rent you can afford
- Where and who are you living with
- What do you want from a house
- What you can and can’t compromise on.
How do I find somewhere to live
When choosing a place to live you might want to:
- See which landlords and properties other students are recommending on Rate Your Landlord
- Compare different rents and property standards to get the best price
- Get your contract checked before you sign (you can do this using LUU Advice's online contract checking tool)
If you’re uncertain about somewhere, you don’t have to sign.
Unipol is your best place to start, you can do a personalised search online here.
If you need any help, are finding it hard to find suitable accommodation or have any particular needs in finding accommodation please contact LUU Advice, you can come into speak to someone in the Union, call us on 0113 3801 420 or email us here.
Where are the best areas to live?
Students who study at the University of Leeds tend to live in areas close to the University. These mainly include Hyde Park, Headingley, Burley, Woodhouse or the City Centre.
See which are is right for you by finding out more about different areas on this page from unipol.
Choosing where to live depends on the type of experience you are looking for during your time at Leeds, as well as whether you want to live in a house or a larger complex.
You can find out about the type of accommodation available in Leeds here.
It’s important to feel safe in your house, so if you find somewhere you like the look of, visit it at night as well as the day, before you sign anything to get a good feel for the area.
The risk of being a victim of crime isn’t necessarily down to where you live - check the security of the house and have a look at our Crime and Safety section for more advice.
Will all the best houses go first?
If you are looking for family accommodation, disabled provisions, or larger (8 bed+) houses there's no shortage.
Leeds has a huge amount of good quality places for rent so don’t be fooled when some landlords say "the good ones go early". In fact, students who begin house hunting in November/December tend to be offered the landlord's ‘poorer’ places as they know you are willing to get something sorted quickly.