There was some fantastic advice on renting from Accommodation for Students in the Sunday Express at the weekend.
In case you missed it, here are the article’s top five tips for saving money on accommodation:
- If you’re looking into starting a university course, compare the cost of living in different cities before you make your decision. There can be considerable differences from one region to the next and crippling rents could potentially get in the way of you successfully completing your degree.
- Shop around and do your research. Don’t panic and sign a contract for the first property you see. There may be a better one with lower rent just around the corner.
- Try to avoid looking for next year’s accommodation too soon. The early bird doesn’t always catch the worm when it comes to renting and you may find you get a better deal from landlords later on in the academic year.
- For postgraduates, working as a tutor at the university in exchange for free accommodation in halls is a good way of saving money that would otherwise have to be spent on rent.
- Sign up with Glide to make sure that while you’re living in shared accommodation you’ll only ever have to pay your share of the bills. This will protect you financially if one of your housemates drops out or can’t pay.