Find your perfect place - all about accommodation in Leicester

Hello everyone!

We are getting closer to the time of the year when we book accommodation for next year. It is good to take some time to think about your needs, along with financial resources, and then research available options. Luckily for you, there is an ocean of possibilities in Leicester, including more than 40 student halls and hundreds of private rooms for rent. It sounds convenient but can also be overwhelming. Therefore, I would like to familiarise you with different types of accommodations and suggest some factors you want to consider while looking for and deciding.

You can choose between two types of accommodations.

A hall of residence is simply a university or private building where students can live. It can be a studio flat with its own kitchen and bathroom or a shared flat with its own room but a shared kitchen and bathroom (unless it is an ensuite room). If the kitchen is big, you will potentially not have a living room.

In most cases, the rent price includes all bills, and there is minimal or no deposit. Prices range from £95 to £156 per week and mostly depend on the number of people living in a flat, facilities available, and location. However, most of the student halls in Leicester are within a short walking distance of the DMU campus and city centre.

One very common thing is the paid laundry room available for all residents, meaning that you will probably not have a washing machine in your flat. Lots of halls have bike storage facilities, car parking, CCTV, and 24-hour security. Some of them, especially those more expensive, offer communal study areas, cinema rooms, gyms, and so on. However, a designed sitting outdoor area is often available.

House/flat/room renting is an arrangement in which people live in the same house or flat and pay their part of the rent based on shared costs. The kitchen will be always shared. In most cases, the bathroom as well. However, ensuite rooms also happen. You would probably have a designed living room area.

The rent might but does not necessarily have to include bills, meaning that you need to pay separately and keep track of many bills, and the deposit tends to be higher. Prices start from £70/80 per week and mostly depend on the conditions and location. Cheaper houses tend to be further away from the campus.

A washing machine is provided, and there should be some bike storage. The parking spot will probably be paid for. CCTVs or security are not common. Some places will have a terrace or even a small garden at the back of the house. Finally, television is not available in most of the offers.

Which one is better? The answer is very personal and depends on what you are used to, need, and can afford. There are some points that were important for me when choosing the best option.

Price: Think about your budget and consider only the options you can afford. There is actually no point in paying more when you can save some money and use it for travel, hobbies or anything better. Do the proper research because you can find real gems in Leicester for fair prices. Also, if you book in advance, you can save a nice amount of money.

Guarantor: This can be especially difficult for those who do not have a UK family and do not really want to pay a company for being a guarantor. The good thing is that many student halls do not require a guarantor, or it does not have to be a British citizen. In most house renting cases, you would have to pay the full rent without a guarantor.

Distance from university: As Leicester is not big and the DMU campus is close to the city centre, you can easily walk anywhere. Therefore, I suggest looking for accommodation that is close to the university. In this way, you will not have to pay for a bus pass. To be honest, I have never used a bus in Leicester, and I have been here for two years.

Your comfort zone: Sharing a bathroom seems unbearable for many. I am not going to lie; my thoughts were not different. Until I chose Bede Hall for my first year of studies and shared two toilets and two shower rooms with 10 people. Whenever I tell it to someone, they do not want to believe it. There was actually nothing (I promise!) wrong with that. I have never waited for my turn and the order was maintained. Furthermore, I had a lively flat full of diverse and kind people.

That leads me to my final point. If it is your first year, the main advice is to live with people. You spend much of your time with them, and this is the best way to adjust more easily to university and establish life-long friendships. As a bonus, I can tell you that those people will probably become your flatmates also in the second and third year.

I hope you will find it helpful :h:

I do recommend checking DMU Accommodation Page for details. If you have any questions regarding accommodation, please do not hesitate!

Take care,

Julia :smile: