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University of Leeds Accommodation
From The Student Room WikiTSR Wiki > University > Student Life > Accommodation > Leeds Accommodation This information is for 2008/09 Applicants. Please help by adding your opinions on any halls you have seen! The next Leeds Accomodation Open Day will be this Saturday, 26 April, 2008. PLEASE HELP BY UPDATING THIS PAGE!!!
HallsBodington Hall Facts and Figures
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TSR Opinions
Carr Mills Facts and Figures
Chares Morris Hall Facts and Figures
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Clarence Dock Facts and Figures
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Devonshire Facts and Figures
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Ellerslie HallFacts and Figures
Henry Price Facts and Figures
The Bedroom - General Right, I'm in my bedroom now and it's cosy The rooms are a decent size, you get a bed (Bet you're glad about that) a bin, a semi-comfy chair, heater, desk, shelves, bedside table, wall mirror, wardrobe, 6 plug sockets and a Internet Socket.Note: Pink Diamond informs me that the large ensuite room gets an extra chair and a coffee table! Basically you get everything that will help you survive for the year. For those of you who want to give the room your own personal touch, there are two note boards that you can use to stick things on (Posters etc.) However according to the rules this is the only place you can stick these things up, using pins and other items on bare walls is very very naughty  For those of you with a wardrobe of clothes the size of that which Kate Moss owns, the wardrobe provided is a good size, I was easily able to fit all my clothes in there and have space free, but then again I don't have 20 pairs of different high heeled boots to fit in There is also storage space under the bed in the form of two deep sliding drawers... I havn't even used these as I didn't need to space when I had finished packing Note: A small person can fit in these drawers, however I do not condone such behaviour......  Now a comment I have heard a lot about bedrooms is "I really want an en suite with my own bathroom" personally I don't see the point. The ensuite room IS about twice the size of a normal, however, there is a misconception that you will share a bathroom with 8 other people, I even thought this as I never came to an open day, this isn't true. In Henry Price the shower rooms are between two bedrooms, so you will share your shower room with the person living in the next bedroom (It's kind of between the two bedrooms difficult to explain). I'll get onto the shower room later though.... Also I read about someone who was worried about the bed sizes, and that they thought they may have been too tall. I'm about 6 foot 2 and when I lie down vertically on the bed I still have half a foot of leg room... so unless you are of an amazing height the bed will be big enough So in general for good points, the bedroom is very nice, to be honest the first time I saw my bedroom I was very impressed that it was better than I imagined, one of the major plus points of Henry Price I'd say.... but wait there are a FEW bad things... The bedrooms - Bad Points Well firstly, the major issue I've had with my bedroom is the heating. Sometimes you feel like it's not working at all even when it's on full, a few weeks back there were a few problems which caused the heating to not work at all!! However, the service at Henry Price is sound, whe I informed the accommodation office they gave me an emergency number I could call if it came to the point where the cold was unbearable so top marks there for the staff! The second issue I've had is the door to the shower room, look at it this way, you can get into it through your door, the next bedroom can through theirs, not really a problem you may say, however, there are no locks on the inside so potentially while your doing your natural stuff on the toilet your drunken neighbour could stumble in on you, hasn't happened to me yet but for those who relish their privacy it may be something to consider... And that's it for the moment for the bedrooms until something else pops into my head, as I said feel free to ask any questions you have So up next..... The Kitchen Right this is where you'll eat all your 'healthy meals' (For the first week anyway then it's onto the pizzas ) The kitchen comes with all the standard stuff, oven with inbuilt grill, 2 hobs (4 hobs on each hob O.o Does that make sense) cupboards - enough for 1 cupboard each for 9 people, sink, draining board, 3 fridge-freezers (Enough for 1 shelf each and 1 drawer each in the freezer) sitting area, iron, ironing board, kettle, vacuum cleaner and table. Oh and also theres a tv aerial socket, a few plug sockets and an internet socket in here too. NOT INCLUDED: Utensils, Cutlery, Crockery, Food (Ha you wish ), Toaster  So yeah your standard communal kitchen, great place to socialise for the first few days, oven works well and it's generally nice. You also get a notice board in this room too for sticking up any take away leaflets/fliers for clubs etc. Again as with the bedrooms there are a few problems that I've come across. 1. The sink - Whatever you do, and this is my top tip, do NOT choose the cupboard under the sink for your pans/plates/cups. I chose this one myself (DOH!) and recently I've had gunge from the sink leaking onto my pans forcing me to disinfect the cupboard every time it happens, so trust me and remember this saying "See the sink, don't even think" ^_^ 2. Toast Lovers - The grill is shockingly bad, takes about 20 minutes to heat up and it barely browns a piece of bread, get yourself a toaster or even better wait until everyone arrives and chip in a quid or so each and you're sorted :P 3. May not be an issue for you but I thought I'd have a rant about it, when we arrived to our flat the kettle didn't work 4. The oven was a mess when we arrived, and in a flat inspection a few weeks back we had to clean all the gunk out the oven from last year's flat, so if you're in my flat next year, and feel the same anger, then blame me 5. The seating area is a little small for 9 people to fit on, the table will fit roughly 6 people at once having dinner, but even that's pushing it... Righto, this is going to be long WHY OH WHY DID I DO THIS The Bathroom - General I don't like calling it a bathroom, because it isn't. Basically it's a shower, sink and toilet combined into one. One of the major flaws, it's small, can barely fit two people in the whole shower room so for those of you who are used to putting your makeup on in the morning in the bathroom, better get used to the bedroom The shower works as it should but mine is currently deciding to leak quite often lol Something that has cropped up time and time again is the issue of girls sharing with boys and vice versa. However, as far as I'm aware all the showers shared between 2 people are same sex, no one I know of is sharing with the opposite sex. And as I said earlier, there are no locks on the inside, but as long as you're polite and make some kind of system (Knocking and all that jazz) you should be fine. I echo what I just said, there is really no big deal in sharing with another person, everyone I know has no problems with it, trust me when you run out of toilet roll and you need to do a whoopsie you'll be glad that you share with someone that you can borrow some off. Don't get too wound up if you applied for an ensuite but don't get it (There's only 1 en suite in each flat anyway) the shared bathrooms are just as practical.
 The Bathroom - Good Points
The Bathroom - Bad points
The Building ItselfYeah it's a building, nothing fun about a building, but as they always say don't judge a book by it's cover. You get into your block using a keycard provided by the uni and this keycard will also get you into the flat so it's really secure. There's also CCTV on the outside just to be safe. The building is made up of 5 floors with two flats on either side of a floor (Except for certain blocks, F is a example) The blocks range from B-F, F being the one closest to the university with the other blocks moving further away as you go down the alphabet. There are no lifts, so if you're one of the unfortunate ones who gets one of the two top floors (Like me) you'll be doing a lot of stair climbing, saves you having to go to the gym anyway One of the disappointments of Henry Price is that there is no common room, so meeting other flats can be difficult, however many people randomly walk around the first few days, leave your door open and people will pop in to see you At the bottom of each block there's a set of lockers for flat mail, of which I believe you obtain a key from the office situated at the bottom of Henry Pric, however no one from home seems to send me anything? so I havn't yet obtained a key. Laundry Another important thing (That no one told me about beforehand when I arrived) is the issue of laundry. Now I know many of you will take yours home every weekend, but some of us don't like wearing the same underwear 3 times a week. The laundry room is located between blocks B and C, and costs £1.60 for one wash. The washing machines are like those large launderette ones so you can fit a lot in, the washing machines now accept all coins except 5p, 2p and 1p (Thanks again to Pink_Diamond for reminding me about this ). I've never used the driers but they also cost money, however a lot of people claim they make black fluff appear on your clothes haha! Parking There is limited onsite parking, however I have no idea who can get it and what you need to do. There's some parking spaces on the main road outside the building but they get full by 10am. Depending on which side you overlook from your bedroom, you will either be looking over Hyde Park or a graveyard (Yes that's right a graveyard). I got the Hyde Park view which I'm not complaining about... The General LocationThis is one of the best things Henry Price has going for itself. You couldn't ask for better, it's about 2 minutes walk from the union, 2 minutes walk from a pub and takeaways and there's a bus that stops right outside the halls which takes you into town (A £2.70 day rider can be used to go there and back but only get it if you plan to make more than two trips as it costs only a £1 to get into town and a £1 back, thanks to Henry Price's biggest fan EssexDan86 for reminding me!). The takeaways are great value, the best in my opinion being Romee'z pizzas that sells 14 inch pizzas for £3.50, a bargain! There's also a Chinese, burger and curry takeaway as well as a few small restaurants down the road. The Library pub which is a 2 minute walk is a really great place to start off a night with events such as comedy night's on Thursday's often selling out because they are so popular. There's also a big morrisons superstore that's about a 15 minute walk (Or it's located on a bus route if you prefer to hitch a ride) which will be your godsend for budgeting on your food each week. Put it this way, I know people who live in Bondington Halls and they have to get up an hour earlier than me just so they can catch the bus into Leeds Uni. If your one of those people, like me, who wouldn't mind setting off for lectures 10 minutes before they start and want a self catered halls then I would seriously consider Henry Price as your choice, just for the pure fact of the great location. Bad Points?Well can barely think of any.... if I had to be picky, some nights can get a little noisy with drunk students walking past, and also you can hear the traffic lights outside beeping until early morning..... but truthfully, location is one of the things that clinched the deal when I chose Henry Price. Miscellaneous Stuff
<math>Insert formula here</math> James Bailie Park Facts and Figures
LocationOn the open day I had been to every single accommodation, and JBP was last, and to be fair I wasn't impressed with the others either what the offered wasn't right or I didn't feel safe in the area. I fell in love with JBP, I remember saying to my Mum this is the place I have to go to. It’s located off the Headingley road, 2mins from Devonshire, 5 mins from shops on Hyde Park corner. Great location, and it's up a really secluded road which I think is a major benefit, no dodgy council housing estates around us and we're really close to Headingley and Hyde Park student areas. I walk to and from uni every day unless it's dark (because I have lectures that finish at 6pm) and the bus is only a £1 if you don't feel like walking.
FacilitiesFacilities are great here, we have a common room, it may not be the biggest but its good. Ben and Jerries ice cream machine, food vending machines and 2 drinks vending machines. Sky TV in the common room which guys tend to monopolise for footy. The Office is upstairs, it’s open till 10pm on weekdays and not open on the weekends, but there is an emergency number in each room for when it's closed. Laundrette is next door to the common room, only used it a few times, it isn't too expensive but can get busy. The FlatsThere are 5 blocks A,B,C,D & E which I think are all split up into 1’s & 2’s. I myself am in Block C1. In our block we have a lift, so apparently we are privileged! Each floor has two flats one on the left, one on the right with 6 rooms. Buildings are modern, all rooms are nice and the kitchen/living rooms in the flats are great The Rooms  The rooms are great; some people complain about room size, though to be honest, they are more than adequate, and practically all of them are en-suite. Each room has a TV aerial and dab radio socket so you get perfect reception and freeview works. Plenty of space, but me having such a large amount of clothes could do with more. Internet is provided in each room, and they give you an Ethernet cable to connect your pc/laptop to the university network. I have noticed my computer is picking up a wireless signal for Leeds Uni network, but I don’t use it as the wired net is easier to use, and faster. This will probably be available in the next few years. There is a wardrobe with a storage place for shoes, a bedside cabinet with a drawer, and 3 drawers attached to the desk which I use for clothes. There’s a window which opens slightly and lets a nice breeze in if you need it. Only complaint about the rooms is my heater is rubbish so it can get a bit cold, easily solved with a hot water bottle. The Kitchen The kitchens are a good size, and all the appliances work fine. You get a living area also with a 2 seater sofa and 4 single chairs, all placed around a little coffee table. There is also a breakfast bar in the kitchen with 6 stools. We have 8 cupboards, but feel this still isn’t enough really, some of the cupboards are a lot smaller so we have to share the two extra out between us. There are four hobs, 2 big ones, 2 little ones and they are electric so no worries about gas and setting the kitchen on fire. The oven is a good size aswell, but we don’t use it that much. We have a big tall fridge freezer and an extra little fridge. In the big fridge freezer there are... 5 drawers in the freezer and 3 shelves in the fridge, with an extra 3 shelves in the small fridge. It works out okay in our flat, we just share freezer drawers. There’s a nice big sink to wash up in, which I advise you do as they do regular inspections after Christmas. The StaffAll the staff I have spoken to are very friendly and try to help you as much as they possibly can! The office is staffed up until 10pm, but then you can contact Unite directly if you need help. Cleaners periodically clean the blocks and communal areas (basically the corridors outside your flat and the stairs) but they do not clean your flat or change your bins. But that to be honest isn’t a problem if you don’t mind carrying the bin bag 200yds to the bin area in the car park, and if you can’t be bothered doing that you’re lazy! The university security staff patrol the site at night with an Alsatian so I feel very safe here. Car ParkingThere is a large car park, which I had no trouble at all getting a parking permit for. It was £175 for a year, but as I use my car a lot (to go home and work) it is worth it. I know people who have paid for a permit and never use their car so I’d only recommend bringing your car if you know you will use it. And driving to uni is pointless, there is nowhere to park, so you might as well get a bus if you can’t be bothered walking. So far I don’t know of any car crime in the car park, but like anywhere you need to be savvy and not leave sat navs in the car etc. Slightly expensive parking permit if you want to park your car on the site. FAQ SectionQ. "Is the community a close knit one? I'll be happy living anywhere as long as everyone gets along!" A. Thanks for the first question ever Swifter Okay a few things to mention... 1. You live in a flat with 8 other people, you would be trying very hard to annoy people if you didn't get along with at least a few of them! Everyone in my flat gets along with each other, there has yet to be any arguments. (Although I must say, it seems to be the all girls flats that supposedly have the big disagreements) Like I said in the guide there is NO common room, however, I don't think one is needed. 2. The first few days are nervous for everyone. On the first day when I came to Henry Price there wern't many flatmates that had arrived. I left my door open and an hour or so later someone arrived and came and said hi to me. As long as you don't shut yourself away you will be fine, other people from other flats even came knocking on our door. 3. The kitchen is a great place to meet everyone (It's like a mini common room in itself) You will most probably see each of your flatmates everyday, one of the maor advantages of self catered accom. over catered. On the first night we had a flat meal so everyone gradually got to know each other, just talk to people and things should be fine. Remember, there are going to be a wide variety of people with different interests to you. Some people you may not get along with but I guarentee there will be many more that you do make friends with, it's all part of the experience Q. " Is it single sex - like to each flat? and if it is then is all the leeds accom single sex?" A. As far as I'm aware there's no specific single sex accommodation for Leeds University. In my current flat there are 4 males and 5 females however in the flat across it's just all females. It's pot luck I think. I don't think you'll ever get put in the situation where you are with all members of the opposite sex (i.e if you're a boy you end up in a flat with no other boys), or I'm not aware of anyone in this sort of position at the moment Q. "I'm not really that picky with stuff like rooms being en-suite etc, my only problem with Henry price judging from your guide is the lack of common room. Do you reckon its a major letdown or not really a big deal?" A. Personally I thought it was a really bad point before I came to Leeds that Henry Price didn't have a common room... but since I moved into Henry Price it hasn't bothered me in the slightest, in fact I never even think about the fact that there's no common room in HP. There's tons of stuff to do around campus/in the city/even at the local pub down the road (Which has table football and a pool table). Of course I guess having no common room is a slight negative, afterall, I don't see how I could play table tennis at 4 am like you said you can do at your friend's accom. What you find is if you get a half decent bunch of flatmates, you'll find yourself doing stuff with them, for example, a game of trivial pursuit, Playstation in the kitchen, Buzz The Music Quiz (I love that game!! ). Like I said in the guide, the kitchen is basically a mini common room itself! However, I think when choosing an accommodation having a common room or not, in my opinion, is insignificant. You're going to be living in whichever accommodation you choose for just under a year, so base your decision on the overall feel you have for the place, whether you'll feel comfortable living there and is it the sort of place you can feel happy living in for a period of time When I was looking through the various accommodation before I came to the uni last year, I found that there was no single perfect place for me, each had good and bad points, it's just that Henry Price ticked more of the good boxes than the rest. Leodis Facts and Figures
Room NumberYour number will be something like this A2:35 A = Block 2 = Floor 3 = Flat 5 = Room number The FlatEach flat of 6 rooms arranged down a corridor: In the 3 modern blocks (which are big blue and yellow things – quite ugly) there are 2 flats to each floor and 6 floors total; there is a lift and obviously stairs. In block A, the converted old building which they show in all the pictures, there are three flats to a floor and no stairs! Not sure how many floors, but the top floor are attic rooms with sloped ceilings; in the rest of the building the ceilings are very high up – maximum poster space (whitetac only, mind)! The KitchenThe kitchen is pretty decent in comparison to the others I have seen in different accommodation. There’s space for about 1.5 smallish cupboards each, but a huge fridge and huge freezer so that's very good. The kitchen is in a little corner bit and the rest of the room is a dining table and chairs which you can move around. Some people convert it into a living room and put a sofa and tv in there, we've just left it as is. All the cleaning things like a mop/bucket/dustpan and hoover come with each kitchen. The BedroomThe rooms are an alright size, smaller than some other places in uni accommodation but that is because we have the luxury of an ensuite bathroom! The shower is nice, powerful enough and hot (but there is a cap so it's not boiling sadly). You’ve got a little shelf in the shower to put your stuff on, plus there’s a little shelfish thing by the sink base. I would recommend you buy a suction cup little soap tray or similar as it is a pain leaving your soap on the shower edge. There’s a ring for your towels to go in, but I bought two adhesive hooks and stuck them to the door to have somewhere to put my dressing gown (they came off perfectly at the end of the year). The room comes with a bookcase, 3 drawers under the desk and a bedside cabinet with three drawers as well. Also there is a wardrobe with one shelf and the rest hanging space. If you have a) a lot of clothes b) fold your clothes, then it's advisable to bring some of your own storage. There is also a notice board for all the flyers and such you'll be bombarded with! The room has got lots of powerpoints, mostly above the desk and two by the bed. Also an internet connection point. Internet is good and fast with no problems. There's a radiator which you will never use! The walls are quite thin so you will hear other people if they are talking loudly etc. Social AtmosphereLeodis seems to have a bit of a reputation of not having a great social atmosphere, I would say this is probably due to the lack of a common room and because it's all self-catered you never really have to see people who aren't your flatmates. However, some floors do seem to be really sociable and visit each other all the time, it's just pot luck. There are a couple of social events organised each year by the Leodis Student Committee. LocationAbout 1 min walk along the road is a Londis which sells all the essentials you could need and also has a post office and box for all that business (you can also get cashback there). To get to uni you have to walk up the steep steps of doom which will absolutely knacker you in the first few weeks. Then you have to go up a steep hill (past Montegue Burton) passing a One Stop (for any other bits of food/drink) cross a couple of roads and tada! Uni! Well, the Parkinson building.It takes about 7ish minutes to walk there, less if you run (heart attack beware) and more if you amble your way up the hill. It takes about 15mins to get into the centre of town, 10mins to Morrisons, 20-25 to get to Bus and Train stations. I walk everywhere as Leodis is so close, but there is a bus stop at the bottom of the road (though not quite sure where it goes!). ExtrasWhen you arrive you'll get your key which you need to get in AND out of the site, so don't lose it! The key also gets you into the site office (where your post goes) and the laundry room (4 washers, 4 dryers, £1.40 for a wash and dryers 20p for 12mins). The flats are all non-smoking apart from in the kitchen. Also there are inspections every now and again to make sure kitchen is clean. There are no cleaners so you have to do that yourself, but there is a team of ladies mon-fri who take the bins out and give you bin liners (so don't bring those with you!!). You are allowed visitors to stay, apparently it's supposed to be visitors staying for no more than 3 nights, 3 times a year. However, this is very loosely interpreted, and as long as your guests aren't long term, or disturbing other residents, you shouldn't have any trouble. There is no phone cord in the room, and I would imagine it would be difficult to sort out a phone line there. But, if you're desperate for one, I suggest you call the site office and see if it is possible. TSR Opinions"Leodis are relatively well known for not turning up to lectures cos they're drunk" - Shiny Apple Lupton Residences Facts and Figures
Appearance I decided to go see Lupton for myself. A mate of mine (international student) is staying in Block O, so I decided to invite myself round and took a look. I took the 83 from the railway station and it took about 25 minutes to reach Lupton (busy time of the day and lots of students on the bus). To be honest, I could see why people described it as, 'looking like an insane asylum' from the outside; the big green gate, the dull-coloured exterior, the paths between blocks ... I wasn't so impressed. I got into Block O and, fair enough, it looks like your average uni corridor. (Key-cards are used to get in, by the way).  RoomsThe kitchen was tiny, but okay to share between 5. The bathroom ... not nice. Tiny, smelly, 60's-style basins and horrible shower. I hoped it was just this particular corridor that was in this condition, but it was the same on the upper floors. My mates room was nice though, looked cozy. Big desk, good storage space, bed looked quite nice. Overall, it was narrow but homely. Waffling now ... just to wrap up, I was expecting a better setup after what I'd heard here. I'm guessing Block O is quite old. I heard that some blocks had been redone, I just wouldn't wanna run the risk of being stuck in an old block. As I said, my mate is an international student, sharing with 4 Chinese lads. One big plus-point is that there's a lot on your doorstep, at Lupton. There's a supermarket, take-aways, fast-food restaurants, shops and even a STARBUCKS in Headingley! Niiiice.
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Lyddon HallFacts and Figures
Montague Burton Facts and Figures
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North Hill Court Facts and Figures
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Oxley ResidencesFacts and Figures
Sentinel TowersFacts and Figures
St Mark's
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Private HousingHeadingleyHeadingley is the main student area of Leeds. Its packed full of student houses and there are plenty of shops, bars and take aways. There is plenty to do in Headingley. Otley Road is packed with pubs and bars, there are also lots of little cafes and restaurants (La Cafetiere opposite the Hyde Park Pub does an amazing hot chocolate!!) Everywhere is very student friendly and most places are very reasonably priced. There are two small cinemas in Headingley, Cottage Road and the Hyde Park Picturehouse. Cottage Road shows new releases (usually two at a time) and the Hyde Park tends to go for the classics and has special events, like the Back to the Future all nighter!! There's also Headingley stadium, which is home to Yorkshire cricket club and Leeds Rhinos Rugby League if you like that sort of thing. Buses run to and from Headingley until the early hours of the morning and its in reasonable walking distance of the university. On the down side, Headingley does have the highest crime rate in the country, however you have to bare in mind that these figures are based on the number of insurance claims, and in a big student area you'll have an average of 5 or 6 students in a house, and one break in will result in 5 or 6 insurance claims. Make sure all your property is insured and that you keep your doors locked and its not a real problem though. |
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