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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 60

Rainfaery

12

Okay, just a couple of questions.

If I put down self-catered, is there any chance I would get catered accommodation?

Also: Are international students housed together, or are they mixed in with home students? I know some universities do house all of the international students together, but I wasn't sure if Edinburgh did this.

Reply 61

nearlyheadlessian

15

If you put down self-catered it's highly unlikely that you'll end up in catered. IT normally goes the other way round - that people who wanted catered end up in self-catering. I don't think there's necessarily a policy which dictates all internationals must be grouped together, but something you do end up with flats which are more international than not. If that ends up being you, then don't worry - your neighbours will all be different.

Reply 62

cappy_bg

Hey guys I need some help. I will probably go to Edinburgh in September. I wanted to ask roughly how much I will have to pay for self-catered accommodation and is it necessary to pay all the money in advance. I mean can I pay for first term and than before second term is on to pay for it too??? thanks a lot in advance :smile:

Reply 63

artorscience?

11

cappy_bg

I wanted to ask roughly how much I will have to pay for self-catered accommodation and is it necessary to pay all the money in advance. I mean can I pay for first term and than before second term is on to pay for it too??? thanks a lot in advance :smile:

Accommodation ranges in price from £67 (small) - £94 (large) per week for self-catered accommodation (and £110 (twin room)- £173 (large en-suite) per week for catered).

For more information look at the accommodation services' website.

And the estimated living costs that the international office offer might be of interest: here

And you can choose to pay either "monthly" (although it's not actually monthly, it's just split into 7 (I think) portions), termly or for the whole year up front.

Reply 64

Oxy

14

Ok maybe a really dumb question, but Edinburgh is my insurance and it says on their site you can apply for accomodation if ur going in sept 09 (which i am if i dont get in my firm ) after 16th Feb do i still need to do this or because its my insurance there is a different route i take?

Reply 65

artorscience?

11

Oxy

Ok maybe a really dumb question, but Edinburgh is my insurance and it says on their site you can apply for accomodation if ur going in sept 09 (which i am if i dont get in my firm ) after 16th Feb do i still need to do this or because its my insurance there is a different route i take?

If you want accommodation in the event of you coming to Edinburgh you're best to do it as soon as possible after the 16th Feb (via the normal route). Accommodation services say that they guarantee you accommodation if you have applied by the 16th August, but I wouldn't leave it that long.

Reply 66

Oxy

14

artorscience?

If you want accommodation in the event of you coming to Edinburgh you're best to do it as soon as possible after the 16th Feb (via the normal route). Accommodation services say that they guarantee you accommodation if you have applied by the 16th August, but I wouldn't leave it that long.

Ok thanks

guess il do it as soon as the 16th passes!

Reply 67

oxymoronic

OP

19

Rainfaery

Okay, just a couple of questions.

If I put down self-catered, is there any chance I would get catered accommodation?

Also: Are international students housed together, or are they mixed in with home students? I know some universities do house all of the international students together, but I wasn't sure if Edinburgh did this.

Just to add on from what NH said - I highly doubt you'd end up somewhere with just internationals if you applied for anywhere in the central area (ie: not the 1 or 2 places which are at KB, as apparently they have a fair number of internationals as everyone else knows not to apply to live outwith the city centre) the most I knew of where a flat of 5 girls, where 2 were Scottish then 1 was an American doing her full degree here, then the other 2 were exchange students from Canada and Hong Kong. As you're not exchange you'll be placed like all of the home students, but there isn't an international house just for exchange students either.

Reply 68

Rainfaery

12

oxymoronic

Just to add on from what NH said - I highly doubt you'd end up somewhere with just internationals if you applied for anywhere in the central area (ie: not the 1 or 2 places which are at KB, as apparently they have a fair number of internationals as everyone else knows not to apply to live outwith the city centre) the most I knew of where a flat of 5 girls, where 2 were Scottish then 1 was an American doing her full degree here, then the other 2 were exchange students from Canada and Hong Kong. As you're not exchange you'll be placed like all of the home students, but there isn't an international house just for exchange students either.

Ah, okay! Thank you very much. :smile:

I'd like to meet boht home students and internationals, so I was a bit worried.

Reply 69

smilelifesgood

Hi i got an uncondictional at edinburgh for engineering so i ll be studing at kings building i was hoping to get self accomodation but not sure which to choose as kings building is quite far out does anyone know what would be the best to go for? is it easy enough to get from the likes of sciennes to kings?

Reply 70

Oxy

14

Ok I like Darroch court and Fraser court. They look quite modern and nice and i like the fact i share with some people so you can make instant friends. I was slightly put off by residences that only have a small number of people like David Horn House which only has 33 single rooms as i think it will be harder to make friends with a small group than a bigger more mixed group? If im wrong please say, what are your thoughts Oxymoronic and artorscience? btw Im applying for a science so im thinking most of my lectures and stuff will be in Kings buildings.

Reply 71

oxymoronic

OP

19

Oxy

Ok I like Darroch court and Fraser court. They look quite modern and nice and i like the fact i share with some people so you can make instant friends. I was slightly put off by residences that only have a small number of people like David Horn House which only has 33 single rooms as i think it will be harder to make friends with a small group than a bigger more mixed group? If im wrong please say, what are your thoughts Oxymoronic and artorscience? btw Im applying for a science so im thinking most of my lectures and stuff will be in Kings buildings.

There were only 8 flats of 5 people in my building (WPR, as there are 2 buildings). I still have friends! I initially was like aw no people but to be honest, it doesnt really matter as after the first week or so people decide if they wanna socialise with eachother for the rest of the year or you never see the people again. I wouldn't go for David Horn as its near KB and therefore will be harder on the friends front as you're reliant on the night busses or taxis to get home, rather than because it is small. Any of the ones in the central area are fine.

Reply 72

oxymoronic

OP

19

smilelifesgood

Hi i got an uncondictional at edinburgh for engineering so i ll be studing at kings building i was hoping to get self accomodation but not sure which to choose as kings building is quite far out does anyone know what would be the best to go for? is it easy enough to get from the likes of sciennes to kings?

Sciennes is a bit crap to be honest... not for the location - there is a free bus running from KB to George Square which runs pretty much straight past KB so you're fine, but the rooms are fairly small and its not as nice as some of the others. In first year a lot of your lectures will probs be in the central area rather than KB anyway. You can also walk to KB in about 20-30 mins too, or cycle. Neither of which I've ever done because I have only been to KB once to go to the library!

Reply 73

artorscience?

11

Oxy

I was slightly put off by residences that only have a small number of people like David Horn House which only has 33 single rooms as i think it will be harder to make friends with a small group than a bigger more mixed group?

I would agree with Oxymoronic. Making friends in your accommodation is dependant on all sorts of different things, how many people there are and therefore the likelyhood that you share an interest with any is one. But more important is the activities that are organised by your accommodation to help everyone get to know each other (usually there are bbqs and the odd club night, but this is something you can't know until you get there because it's all about who gets the job of RA, which noone can say), and most importantly, making friends in accommodations is down to how much you get out of your flat/room and talk to other people in the building. And what it boils down to is that some people are lucky and are living with or next door to their future best friend, others struggle to find friends in their accommodation and rely on societies/courses/work/volunteer activities to make friends.

I lived in Sciennes (i.e. huge number of students) and didn't really know anyone in the rest of the buildings/other buildings in Sciennes. Me and my flatmates made friends with the flat two floors up from us and occasionally spoke to a couple of the guys from the flat next door (they did the knocking on doors with chocolates trick, but about 2 months in, so we knew their names/recognised them around the university).

Reply 74

smilelifesgood

oxymoronic

Sciennes is a bit crap to be honest... not for the location - there is a free bus running from KB to George Square which runs pretty much straight past KB so you're fine, but the rooms are fairly small and its not as nice as some of the others. In first year a lot of your lectures will probs be in the central area rather than KB anyway. You can also walk to KB in about 20-30 mins too, or cycle. Neither of which I've ever done because I have only been to KB once to go to the library!

hey thanks for replying where do u think would be better?

Reply 75

NolaGirl

All of my classes will be in George Square so I think I'm going to put down New Arthur Place, then 5 Nicolson, then Warrender Park Crescent. If it weren't for their unfortunate location on Cowgate, I would seriously consider Robertson's Close and Kincade's

Reply 76

Oxy

14

artorscience?

I would agree with Oxymoronic. Making friends in your accommodation is dependant on all sorts of different things, how many people there are and therefore the likelyhood that you share an interest with any is one. But more important is the activities that are organised by your accommodation to help everyone get to know each other (usually there are bbqs and the odd club night, but this is something you can't know until you get there because it's all about who gets the job of RA, which noone can say), and most importantly, making friends in accommodations is down to how much you get out of your flat/room and talk to other people in the building. And what it boils down to is that some people are lucky and are living with or next door to their future best friend, others struggle to find friends in their accommodation and rely on societies/courses/work/volunteer activities to make friends.

I lived in Sciennes (i.e. huge number of students) and didn't really know anyone in the rest of the buildings/other buildings in Sciennes. Me and my flatmates made friends with the flat two floors up from us and occasionally spoke to a couple of the guys from the flat next door (they did the knocking on doors with chocolates trick, but about 2 months in, so we knew their names/recognised them around the university).

Oh 2months in? thats a bit late isn't it? As soon as i arrive i shall be rushing about all the different rooms saying Hi xD eventhough im quite shy and quiet :frown:

Reply 77

nellied

6

My friend lived in Sciennes for first year and she also said it was quite crap with very small rooms...

I liked the look of 5 nicholas location wise when i looked round but now i've been offered a private self contained flat - it means i will have to be really proactive about meeting new people when go but i't suits me better

Reply 78

Rainfaery

12

Another question or two:

In self-catered accommodation, are things like pots and pans provided, or do we need to bring/buy those?

Also: Things like duvets and sheets and whatnot. Provided or bring/buy?

Reply 79

nellied

6

unless its unite accomodation then you bring your own bedding - some places have pots and pans some don't - its best to check under the whats provided bit on the uni ccomodation website...

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