One thing we would stress is DON’T RUSH!
It’s likely that you’ll feel under pressure from friends, letting agencies and other students to start looking for your property as early as November, which can give the false impression that there will no properties left if you don’t. This is not the case so you can take your time to ensure you know who you want to live with and find the right the property for you.
There are lots of things to consider before you start looking for a property;
Use the Liverpool Student Homes Property Checklist to help.
Who to live with
Make sure you know your new housemates before you commit to living with them. A lot of first years in halls rush into signing a tenancy agreement with people they’ve only known for a matter of weeks! Personality traits that you find endearing in first year may not translate well within a shared house. You will meet people on your course and from a sports club, society or volunteering group. Consider people such as this to move in to a student property with as you may find you share common interests with them.
Where to live
There are a number of different student areas in Liverpool.
Kensington and the City Centre are on the University’s doorstep, which will save you money on transport costs. However, rental costs in the City Centre can be considerably higher than other parts of the city.
Smithdown Road and Wavertree have a significant student population and rental costs are usually lower than those in the City and you’re also more likely to find bigger properties (5+ bedrooms). Transport links to the University and city are good, with a number of bus services running frequently to take you to campus.
For more information, take a look at Liverpool Student Homes’ statistics, which show the average price for accommodation in different areas of the city.
Where to look
If you’re unsure where to start looking for your new place, Liverpool Student Homes is a great place to start. They’re a University-approved service who advertise accommodation by accredited landlords. The LSH standards ensure that registered landlords and agents manage and maintain their properties to a good standard for student tenants. Use their website to narrow your search based upon your individual criteria. LSH also run housing fairs starting towards the end of Semester 1, which lots of landlords and letting agents across the city attend so you can go along and get a feel for what’s on offer before your start your search.
Viewings
NEVER sign for a property without seeing it yourself! You should always view a property at least once before you sign for it. If you’re in a group, try to attend viewings together to ensure that you’re all happy before you sign. A good landlord/letting agent will be flexible for group viewings.
When you view a property, make sure you have a proper look round and check that it meets all of your requirements.
Wherever possible, speak to the current tenants about the property. Asking them a few key questions will really help you to decide whether it’s the right place for you:
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How much do they pay for bills?
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Do they have any security concerns?
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Are there any outstanding issues with the property?
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Why are they leaving/would they rent the property again?
Scams
Scams targeting people looking for properties are unfortunately becoming more common. These scams will normally involve someone advertising a property to rent (usually online) and asking for an upfront fee when the property in question either doesn't exist or has already been rented out. We would recommend taking care when looking for accommodation and to never pay any money until you have had the opportunity to see a property. More information about Rental Scams and tips to avoid them can be found on the: Action Fraud Website.
If you have any questions about looking for a property or would like us to check your tenancy agreement before you sign it please contact our Advice team by email:?guildadvice@liv.ac.uk?or find out when our drop-in times are?by visiting or calling the Guild Reception on 0151 794 6868.