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Thread for accommodation questions for 09/10 entry - READ & POST HERE FIRST :o)

We will begin updating this for 10/11 entry - please be patient! Until then, all of the answers to most of your questions can be found in this thread already - please read it. Then add to this post if you've got any other questions and we'll do our best to help.

***FINDING PRIVATE ACCOMMODATION IN EDINBURGH***

It seems that the university is claiming that they will only be able to offer bunk bed twin rooms to large numbers of students for the new year. Obviously, sharing a room isn't the nicest of prospects to look forward to however nice your prospective roommate might be, so I thought I'd put together a little section on finding private accommodation for those who decide not to accept their offers. Remember, you do not have to accept the accommodation offer if you don't want to do so and there are plenty of alternatives - Edinburgh has a lot of very good flats on offer to students.

I want to join an existing flat

Look on the university student union forum here (the link brings you to the accommodation forum). This is generally the first port of call for people to advertise spare rooms, or you can place an advert saying you're looking for a room. Most people advertising on here will be Edinburgh University students.

Or alternatively, try the Edinburgh Gumtree page here.

You can also go into the Potterrow student union in Bristo Square during the festival, and at the back inbetween the SU office and SU shop, there is an accommodation notice board.

I want to find my own flat and some flatmates

This is really easy to do, and if you've got a spare few days in which to head to Edinburgh even better. There are loads of student flats in Edinburgh with 2, 3 or 4 people being the norm so you don't need to have many people. There are loads of people on TSR discussing getting private accommodation so it might be worth PMing them to see if they want to join up with you.

If you are looking to share with 2 or more people you are NOT related to, you need to make sure that your landlord has a HMO licsence on the property which is a legal requirement for rentals to unrelated groups of 3 or more adults.

Landlords and Property Management Companies

You want a landlord who is accredited by the Edinburgh City Council landlord accreditation scheme, which means the landlord and the property has to adhere to certain rules and regulations. Not all landlords are part of this scheme and I'd advise avoiding ones which aren't, esspecially as you're new to the area. Check with the council if in doubt. Private landlords (ie: not large rental/property management companies) are generally better as you can always get hold of them incase of problems and they usually only own one or a few flats, meaning the upkeep is generally better. There are lots of property management companies in Edinburgh, some with better reviews than others. Grant Management is considered to be a company to avoid by most of the student population, and the majority of students know someone who has been messed around/fobbed off/generally had a bad time with GM. I personally would never live in a flat managed by them regardless of how cheap the rent had been made. Other popular management companies are Edinburgh Letting Service, Crichton Stuart, Dove Davies and Edinburgh Property Management, although obviously there are more. I have friends who have rented with all of these companies and they are considered to be better than GM, although I am not saying that all of these are wonderful. As I said you are better off with a private landlord if at all possible.

Finding a flat

You can use the websites I gave above, or alternatively there are loads of search engines where private landlords and property management companies advertise. The most used ones are city lets, s1 rental, letting web, ESPC, letting in Scotland, Student Pad. Again, this list as with the property management isn't exhaustive. Each of the PM companies I listed above also have their own websites.

There is plenty of property available in Edinburgh, so you should be able to find something. Some of my friends came up this summer for 1 week and found a flat easily.

Where shall I live?

The main student areas of Edinburgh are known as Marchmont, Newington, Tollcross, Bruntsfield, New Town and Old Town. Basically, if you have a map of Edinburgh, this is the area which is encircled by Queen Street in the north, then to the east, as far as Holyrood Park and Dalkeith Road, to the south it would be north of Strathern Road level, then to the west, Lothian Road which then becomes Bruntsfield Place. All of these areas are within a 20-25 minute walk of the George Square area of the university, and within walking distance of most popular clubs, pubs and also supermarkets.

(Obviously people live outwith this area, but I am speaking in general terms)

How much will it cost?

Housing here is more expensive than a lot of the UK, and I cringe when I hear how little friends at university in different parts of the country are paying. The thing to remember is that Edinburgh is a capital city, and you want to live in the centre of it, so compared to London and many other capitals, Edinburgh is pretty reasonable on the pricing front.

In general, rental rates start at around £300 per person per month excluding bills and go up to in excess of £400. However, you should be able to get a decent room for less than £320. Bills are generally around £20-25 each a month in my own experience. As a student you will not have to pay council tax and as a result you don't have to pay for water either. Therefore, try not to live with someone who is working unless you can come to an agreement on council tax payment. It is usual that there will be a stair cleaner to clean the communal staircase and each flat pays their share each month - the others in your building will be quick to let you know the procedure when you move in.

Leases are usually always for 12 months, with little room for negotiation. You will be expected to pay rent every single month regardless of whether you are living in the property or not. This is standard procedure, unlike in some other university towns and cities. Many students chose to sublet their room in the summer months to people who are living in Edinburgh for the festival, or stay in the flat themselves working in the city.

Deposits are usually one month rent, which can sometimes be used in lieu of a 12th month payment. All breakages and repair costs are generally paid for by the landlord, not the tenants (unless of course you break it by being stupid/drunk!).

What are the properties like?

All properties here are old tenement style flats, with a shared staircase and 2-4 properties on each floor, usually with 3 or 4 floors. There is usually a shared garden for which you will have access. I've never known anyone to live in a house. They all have very high ceilings and usually contain huge rooms with large windows. A lot of the windows are only single glazed so if you find one with double glazing you've got a good deal, meaning the flats can get very cold in winter. Get used to sleeping in layers and using sleeping bags if you want to live here and save on bills! Some flats have lounges and others don't (it is normally around £320 for a seperate lounge) but most have a large kitchen with sofas here. There is generally only one bathroom. A lot of properties have lots of cupboards for storage and many have lovely, tiled fireplaces which although are no longer in use make brilliant decorative pieces in your bedroom!

---- I hope this is of some use to people... and good luck flat searching! It is easier than you think!

-----------------------------------

Hi,

As accommodation questions seem to be surfacing I thought it'd be nice to keep everything on one thread and pool the resources that we already have into one thread. There have been loads threads over the last few years where people have asked the same questions again and again (as obviously everyone always wants to know the same thing) so to try and stop the repetitive questions, I thought I'd make a proper thread using information current students have given in the past. I'll add to this when I've got more time, at the moment I've gone back as far as this time next year looking for useful threads.

University of Edinburgh wiki - contains photos.

The wiki is a very good point of reference for any questions and has been created by several of the current students who are the 'main' posters in the Edinburgh forum. This means our opinion is already reflected here, so we don't need to write it again. Please read the wiki.

APPLY ONLINE NOW - if you have accepted Edinburgh as your firm OR insurance place. It is NOT first come, first served. It does not matter when you apply as long as you meet the deadline, which is in the summer.

Applications are now being accepted.
Again, it does NOT matter when you apply.
Accommodation isn't issued by order of application.

*New*

Ensure you apply for accommodation using an email address which you will still have access to in September. Offers are sent out via email and you have to accept the offer by clicking on the link and paying your deposit over the internet. This means you should NOT use an email address from school, college, work or anywhere else where you might not be able to access it come the end of august. Many schools and colleges delete students from their user areas after exams in June meaning you can't access your email which is fundamental for after results day. This also applies to the general UCAS form, ensure you're using something you'll be contactable on until you arrive at university.

(Otherwise you end up in a mess like I did where come results day you realise you can't recieve any accommodation emails and then end up having to completely reapply just to change your email address)

**NEW**

Room Sizes:

There are a lot of questions about the room sizing and whether one should apply for a small, medium or large room. The general concenus from current students is that you should always apply for the SMALL room size where ever possible - particularly if you are concerned about money - because the size difference between the rooms is marginal.

This "choice" only came into opperation about 2 years ago (I didn't get a choice) and is simply being used as another way for the university accommodation services to get more money out of students. Paying an extra £10 a week for a "big" room will gain you a room which is say, 30cm wider than that of your flatmate with the "small" room.... you may as well donate £10 a week to Uni AS people as you're getting very little for the extra money.

08/09 (last yr) entry accommodation application discussion

Why did you apply for your accommodation/where did you apply 08/09

Where is the best place to live in Edinburgh?

Price of accommodation, artorscience's post in particular

UNITE at Edinburgh

Where to live/prices for after first year

Edinburgh is my insurance choice, do I still apply?

Self catered accommodation = single sex (in general)

Detailed stuff:

Pollock meal times

Mini fridge? What to and what not to bring!

Should I bring a TV?

Should I bring my bike?

Can I bring my dog to Edinburgh?

From the Edinburgh University website:

Will I be guarenteed accommodation?

Prices and Accommodation types, plus details about Internet

----

Obviously questions do always arise and we all certainly had loads before we came to Edinburgh. We don't mind answering questions at all, as obviously, we'd like to help prospective students as much as we can. I know the university accommodation website isn't very detailed, whereas the TSR site is pretty good at answering questions. However, we do also have lives to lead and get on with our degrees too. So many generic questions can be answered by using the links above and by using the search function. But as I said fire away with questions.... but it'd be easier if they're all in one place.

Thank you!

I hope you end up loving Edinburgh as much as I do :love:

Reply 40

TheUnbeliever

16

If I apply for accommodation, and get an offer (which I should do, according to their guaranteed eligibility criteria, even if it's not what I requested), am I able to turn that offer down?

I realize that this is a really stupid question, particularly given the word 'offer' and the fact that it may not be what you asked for, but it obviously has fairly serious financial implications, so I want to make quite sure.

Reply 41

oxymoronic

OP

19

TheUnbeliever

If I apply for accommodation, and get an offer (which I should do, according to their guaranteed eligibility criteria, even if it's not what I requested), am I able to turn that offer down?

I realize that this is a really stupid question, particularly given the word 'offer' and the fact that it may not be what you asked for, but it obviously has fairly serious financial implications, so I want to make quite sure.

I would contact the accommodation services for sure, as I don't know. I've just had a look online but I can't find anything.

When you apply online you don't commit anything financially to the university, as in, you don't pay your deposit until after you've accepted the offer. Then you get into a contract with them, and at that stage you couldn't decline it. But when you apply, you just apply and then they get back to you with an offer which you can choose to accept (which obviously the majority of people do, as they've applied for a room!) by signing the contract and paying the deposit.

I got mine sent via email (in the first year the university did applications online, they messed it up and loads of people didn't recieve the emails so lost their rooms) which said if you didn't accept it within X amount of time you would forfeit the place and your room wouldn't be guarenteed, which implies that when you're given an offer you're not commited to taking it.

Reply 42

artorscience?

11

TheUnbeliever

If I apply for accommodation, and get an offer (which I should do, according to their guaranteed eligibility criteria, even if it's not what I requested), am I able to turn that offer down?

You can turn it down but accommodation services aren't obliged to make you another offer (when I was applying they said that they would not make a second offer - and I don't think the wording has changed)

Reply 43

TheUnbeliever

16

artorscience?

You can turn it down but accommodation services aren't obliged to make you another offer (when I was applying they said that they would not make a second offer - and I don't think the wording has changed)

That's fine - if I want accommodation, I'll accept it, but I'm not sure yet and they claimed you'd have to apply early if you wanted a chance of getting an offer.

Thanks, both.

Reply 44

arpeggiarpeggi

Are they all definitely non smoking, or can you get away with it?

Reply 45

oxymoronic

OP

19

arpeggiarpeggi

Are they all definitely non smoking, or can you get away with it?

They're all non smoking yes, but whether or not you can get away with it by hanging out the window is another matter. In Pollock I'd say no because you have a cleaner in your room so the smell of smoke would be obvious, but in flats the cleaner isn't in your room to smell or know that you've covered up the smoke detector with tape. You'd have to cover it up as they are really really sensitive - as in, people set them off by standing directly under neath them when they were using hair dryers/straighteners and the heat set them off. Insense sticks also set them off. If you set the fire alarms off everyone in your halls/neighbours will hate you.

Also, your flatmates/friends aren't gonna be too impressed if your room stinks when you could just go and stand outside like everyone else!

Reply 46

nearlyheadlessian

15

oxymoronic

Also, your flatmates/friends aren't gonna be too impressed if your room stinks when you could just go and stand outside like everyone else!

It won't just their room; it'll be the whole flat. One of my flatmates insisted on smoking indoors and the smell was everywhere. We hated him. Do you want to be hated arpeggiarpeggi?

Reply 47

arpeggiarpeggi

nearlyheadlessian

It won't just their room; it'll be the whole flat. One of my flatmates insisted on smoking indoors and the smell was everywhere. We hated him. Do you want to be hated arpeggiarpeggi?

Mate, it's university. Doesn't everyone take up smoking at university?

Reply 48

oxymoronic

OP

19

arpeggiarpeggi

Mate, it's university. Doesn't everyone take up smoking at university?

No. Some people do, some people don't. If you're aged 13 and doing it because all of the cool kids do it, then yes, probably everyone does start smoking at university. The majority of people however grew up at some point between the ages of 13 and getting to this stage of their lives.

However, it is against the university rules to smoke in your accommodation because it is a) illegal to smoke in public spaces in Scotland anyway and b) why should your flatmates have to live with all of your smell?

We're giving you advice as current students - you ask a question and we have given you answers. Do with it what you will - we're not going to be the ones who live with you after all.

Reply 49

Nelien

Following Ed Uni website applications for accommodations 2009 can start 16 February not 1st as is says on the first post.

I'm going to Edinburgh for a second visit late march so I'll be applying after that, good thing it's not first come first serve :smile:

.

Reply 50

mtghent1

Nelien

I'm going to Edinburgh for a second visit late march so I'll be applying after that, good thing it's not first come first serve :smile:

.

So... how do they assign rooms to people? :confused:

Reply 51

artorscience?

11

mtghent1

So... how do they assign rooms to people? :confused:

They put applications in groups and open up the accommodation in groups. Then they fit the group of applicants to the group of accommodation.

We try to offer students the accommodation they have requested, and to this end places are filled proportionately - everyone has the same chance of being offered their first choice, regardless of when we deal with their application. However, because of fluctuations in supply and demand, first choice accommodation can never be guaranteed.

Source. This seems to be all they say on the matter.

Reply 52

oxymoronic

OP

19

Nelien

Following Ed Uni website applications for accommodations 2009 can start 16 February not 1st as is says on the first post.

I'm going to Edinburgh for a second visit late march so I'll be applying after that, good thing it's not first come first serve :smile:

.

Cheers for that, they must have changed it then as it was certainly the 1st Feb when I checked it out about a week and a half ago because I was like wow, thats in 2 weeks! I'll change it on the first post.

mtghent1

So... how do they assign rooms to people?

Randomly by taking into account your preferences and anything else relevant such as age (so a mature student aged 25 wouldn't be with a load of 17 year olds) and probably where you're coming from (as in if you're an international student or not) so that there aren't 5 exchange students in one flat.

People with unconditional offers get given rooms in July time as they are definitley coming, and then everyone else is dealt with at the end of August after the SQA and A level results days when numbers are confirmed.

Reply 53

Nelien

oxymoronic

Randomly by taking into account your preferences and anything else relevant such as age (so a mature student aged 25 wouldn't be with a load of 17 year olds) and probably where you're coming from (as in if you're an international student or not) so that there aren't 5 exchange students in one flat.

People with unconditional offers get given rooms in July time as they are definitley coming, and then everyone else is dealt with at the end of August after the SQA and A level results days when numbers are confirmed.

Two question pop up in my head following this. How big is the usual range of age that they take into consideration? I'll be 23 in September but I wouldn't want to live only with people my age or older, I don't mind a few 17-18 years old, the more variation the better :smile:

.

Also, if you, as me, will be able to receive an unconditional earlier, will I also get accommodation replies earlier? My only condition for my offer is an EOTFL test score and I'll be taking the test in a few of weeks so I'm guessing I'll be sitting with a Firm Unconditional in March already.

Reply 54

oxymoronic

OP

19

Nelien

Two question pop up in my head following this. How big is the usual range of age that they take into consideration? I'll be 23 in September but I wouldn't want to live only with people my age or older, I don't mind a few 17-18 years old, the more variation the better :smile:

.

Also, if you, as me, will be able to receive an unconditional earlier, will I also get accommodation replies earlier? My only condition for my offer is an EOTFL test score and I'll be taking the test in a few of weeks so I'm guessing I'll be sitting with a Firm Unconditional in March already.

If you're happy living with the 'younger' students then its fine, but sometimes people want to contact the university and request NOT to live with 17 year olds and then if they're cool with that, then they don't do anything. I'd assume. As you're older they might put you with gap year students, or people coming on exchange from abroad who tend to be older (21-23 sort of age) than the British students who are coming straight out of school. Remember that if you go for self catering flats (which I'm assuming you will) you will get all of the 'older' seeming people anyway. This is obviously a huge generalisation but I found the younger seeming people with little life experience went for Pollock where it was catered and safe. The people in flats were more independent so it didn't matter how old they were.

With regards to your status, I would assume you would do yes as they deal with the people whos offers are unconditional in July (or early August as they tend to be really slow!) as it makes sense to get everyone out of the way before all of the exam results days. You would be treated the same as all of the other unconditional offer holders. They won't even have finished giving out offers by March anyway.

Reply 55

Nelien

oxymoronic

If you're happy living with the 'younger' students then its fine, but sometimes people want to contact the university and request NOT to live with 17 year olds and then if they're cool with that, then they don't do anything. I'd assume. As you're older they might put you with gap year students, or people coming on exchange from abroad who tend to be older (21-23 sort of age) than the British students who are coming straight out of school. Remember that if you go for self catering flats (which I'm assuming you will) you will get all of the 'older' seeming people anyway. This is obviously a huge generalisation but I found the younger seeming people with little life experience went for Pollock where it was catered and safe. The people in flats were more independent so it didn't matter how old they were.

With regards to your status, I would assume you would do yes as they deal with the people whos offers are unconditional in July (or early August as they tend to be really slow!) as it makes sense to get everyone out of the way before all of the exam results days. You would be treated the same as all of the other unconditional offer holders. They won't even have finished giving out offers by March anyway.

Ah that makes sense, on both points. In other words, when it comes to handing out accommodation they basically do it in two batches, one in July (or early August) with all Unconditionals and gap-years applications and one after Results Day whenever that is (late August isn't it?). I would be in the first batch. That's nice :biggrin:

.

Reply 56

artorscience?

11

Nelien

In other words, when it comes to handing out accommodation they basically do it in two batches, one in July (or early August) with all Unconditionals and gap-years applications and one after Results Day whenever that is (late August isn't it?).

They do lots of small batches starting in June and going through to the beginning of September. You would hope to be offered something before the August results days, but that wouldn't necessarily be the case - 2 of my flatmates in first year didn't get accommodation offers until the couple of weeks before coming despite having been on unconditional offers, and they aren't alone in the experience. The important thing is that the university will offer you something before you arrive.

Reply 57

FTC199

13

arpeggiarpeggi

Mate, it's university. Doesn't everyone take up smoking at university?

for a start, students on the whole cant afford to pay £10 a week for 40 cigarettes, the money would be better spent on drink.

secondly, you have to go outside to smoke in scotland and this means it is freezing if you fancy a smoke at 11pm and i would hope that would put people off starting to smoke

thirdly, we're not 12 anymore, smoking isn't seen as 'cool' or 'rebellious'

Reply 58

FTC199

13

TheUnbeliever

If I apply for accommodation, and get an offer (which I should do, according to their guaranteed eligibility criteria, even if it's not what I requested), am I able to turn that offer down?

I realize that this is a really stupid question, particularly given the word 'offer' and the fact that it may not be what you asked for, but it obviously has fairly serious financial implications, so I want to make quite sure.

just to second what oxymoronic said, when i got my offer last year they said i had 7 days to reply to it. i got it 4 days in because i had been on holiday so i was quite lucky they hadnt sent it 3 days earlier or i would have lost my accommodation!

Reply 59

Nelien

artorscience?

They do lots of small batches starting in June and going through to the beginning of September. You would hope to be offered something before the August results days, but that wouldn't necessarily be the case - 2 of my flatmates in first year didn't get accommodation offers until the couple of weeks before coming despite having been on unconditional offers, and they aren't alone in the experience. The important thing is that the university will offer you something before you arrive.

All right, I'll leave it at that :smile:

. I'm not that concerned on where I will live it's just that it would be nice to know some time before the final weeks and so I'm hoping it can be done as soon as possible. I just feel more comfortable knowing.. Still, a guarantee is a guarantee :smile:

.

FTC199

for a start, students on the whole cant afford to pay £10 a week for 40 cigarettes, the money would be better spent on drink.

secondly, you have to go outside to smoke in scotland and this means it is freezing if you fancy a smoke at 11pm and i would hope that would put people off starting to smoke

thirdly, we're not 12 anymore, smoking isn't seen as 'cool' or 'rebellious'

I would say, fourth, smoking is lately being frowned upon much more in general society with the environmental and ethical issues growing more and more important. I wishfully believe smoking is becoming a vice of the past. Wishfully :smile:

.

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