• Who/When/Where
• Getting Started
• University Database
• Prices
• Private Letting Agents
• Signing

Who, When and Where?
Who?

This is the hardest bit of the process. No doubt there will be people you want to continue living with and people you don't want to live with. There may even be lots of people you want to live with that won't fit in a house (in this case you may want to look for several houses in close proximity - if you get in early that's going to be easier). The best advice is not to live with people you feel sorry who who are in a bit of a fix if you can't stand them. If you think they are great, then of course fine, but if not, it can work out for the worst. You need a good house with good friends to work well in and enjoy and you must put this fact first in your decision making. Also be aware that if you are living with other people, your friendship can go either way in the long run - choose your housemates wisely!

When?
You want to start looking just after the beginning of the spring term (around the start of February) especially if you want a large house. Obviously it's first come first served but you will always be able to pick something up in the summer term. THERE IS NO RUSH - we cannot stress this enough. Take your time, there is no need to miss lectures etc. for viewings, just make appointments accordingly - you are giving the landlord money in the long run and they should accommodate you (if they don't think twice about going with them!).

Where?

Attached is a map of york and the surrounding area

Heslington

Heslington is obviously one of the best choices if you want to live near the uni. On the downside you still won't be so close to town however it is possible to find a place mid-way here and have about a 15-20 minute walk to town and campus respectively. This is a popular area to live so places go fast, but houses keep coming on the market right up to the end of the summer term.

Heworth

Heworth is a bit of a mission to campus, however very close to the town centre. Good if you are a student with limited hours on campus.

Osbaldwick

Quite close to campus but not much, and big trek into town, and more so back if you've had a few too many - avoid unless you love the house you've found and don't mind the walk and/or the ever increasing bus fares!

South Bank

South Bank may seem like far away if you drive or get a bus there, however the Millennium Bridge allows you to cross the river. The journey is about 20-25 mins walk from the bridge to the university campus, and about 10 mins cycle. Be prepared for the walk/cycle if you are going to live here though, buses are least reliable when you are late for lectures! (sods law)

Fulford

Obviously a good location being close to uni but one of the furthest away from town. Facilities like shops and pubs are also slightly more sparse here.

If you are a current student and have lived off campus before and have experience and advice to share, then please share it with us over at the forums. Students who haven't lived off campus should check the forums for such advice and feel free to ask questions about housing there too.
Getting Started...

Option 1: Contacts in Higher Years

First things first, you may want to get in touch with any friends in higher years. If they are leaving their house next year you may be interested in looking at it, getting an idea of what its like and you'll be able to get an honest opinion on what the house is like. You can then get contact details and get in there quick. Be aware however that houses change land lords and more often than not the people handling the lettings change. A good experience one year doesn't guarantee a good one the next year - this is especially true if you dealt direct with a landlord one year and then through an agent like Sinclair the next (you don't get the same personal touch).

Option 2: Rich Parents

Rich parents? You may want to chat with your parents about buying somewhere in York. It will then be your property and you can charge friends rent with one of your parents as the landlord. It will work out cheaper, it will feel more like home, and it will get you on the property ladder. Obviously you must have trustworthy friends that will pay the rent, and you should be quite relaxed (ie. no screaming "ITS MY HOUSE and I'LL DO WHAT I WANT TO - that's going to lose you friends).

Option 3: Starting from Scratch

Most people are in this category, so don't worry - it's easy to find a house if you know where to look, and that's right here below!

University Database
Your best bet by far is to go for the universities housing database. The landlords are accredited and it is student biased. If you have a bad experience with a house on the list it will not be listed again in the future. To view the list, go to the link below and login with your university user name and password:

http://www.york.ac.uk/admin/accom/local.yrk/newprivatelist.htm NB: This list opens in February - there is no rush!

This lists lots of various houses let directly from accredited private land lords in York which you can hunt through with your preferred criteria. The list is updated every day with new listings and old listings are removed as soon as the office hears they are gone. if you call the landlord on a listing and find out it is gone, drop the office a line and help someone out. It's frustrating for both students and the landlord to have to go through the motions time and time again with a no room at the inn response. As soon as the office hear a listing is taken, it will be removed within 24 hours.

If you don't like computers much you can also get the same up to date lists of accommodation up for rent over at the Accommodation Office on campus. You may also want to check out notice boards in the Accommodation Office and also outside the Student Centre (in Goodricke)

You can also check out the main property firms in the area (see the Private Letting Agents below) but the university database is much more biased to the student and all Landlords on it are accredited by an organisation approved by the students union.
Prices
Most housing has termly rent, but some have quarterly or monthly rent. You may have to pay by cheque or standing order. All of these things will be clearly stated in the contact so check this out. Most houses rent also do not include bills, so you will have to budget for these as well.

An acceptable level of rent is anything between 60 and 75 pounds per person for week (do the maths to work this out if your contact doesn't state a per week price). Bills for a house include Electricity, Gas, Water, Phone and Broadband, though the last two you may need to get setup/installed yourself*. Bills are usually charged per quarter, and work out at around 5 pounds per person per week for ALL of them put together, though of course if you factor in hour long calls to the boyfriend/girlfriend every night it may be somewhat more!

When you move into a house be sure to check about bills with the utilities provider. Make sure your name(s) are on the bills and you are only being charged from the figure on the meter(s) from when yo moved in and are not picking up a bill from old tenants who haven't paid!

*The website officer is a networking expert, so you may wish to field your broadband and telephone questions to him via the forums!
Private Letting Agents

Ask the following if they offer "Student rented accommodation". These obviously have lots of properties to choose from, but do be aware that their business is bigger and they tend to give less attention to students. This is especially the case with a company like Sinclair, and there have been reports to us of people having unsatisfactory service, or being marginally swept under the carpet. Always make the universities database your first point of call with housing.

Belvoir Property Management
01904567320

City Lets
01904652729

Copley & Co Property
01904632336

Letters of York
01904655200
http://www.letters-of-york.co.uk/

Lawton Letting
01904634498

Minster Property
01904640640

Sinclair Properties
01904427428
http://www.sinclair-properties.com/

If you have any experience of the above letting agents please share it with us and other people on the forums. Your comments and experience will help other make an informed decision and in turn allow us to provide better advice
Signing

You have 72 hrs to have your contract checked before signing it once you receive it. Do not feel forced into signing. You may find something in the contract you don't like such as "landlord is allowed to turn up unannounced" and such unwanted items so it's best to read over it. The Halifax welfare team will be happy to give housing information and you can get solid legal advice on exactly whats in your contract from the Students Union centre in Goodricke. Even if you love the house, DONT sign the contract without getting it checked or if you don't like what it says - your signature makes it final and legally binding. There are plenty of houses out there, and despite what you may hear, you WILL find somewhere to live for next year.

Acknowledgments

Based on The Off Campus Guide from YO10 by Jon Robson: Link to his page on YO10