Searching and finding accommodation
The timing of the search process varies by both nationality and year of study. Therefore, the non-first year UK students typically search and secure their accommodation in winter, while a large number of first-year International students who start searching for accommodation in late summer drive a secondary peak of activity.
There are several aspects students consider when choosing accommodation. Briefly, they try to find a balance between the location of the accommodation with respect to its distance from the University, key features such as a fast internet connection and bills inclusive rent and the weekly accommodation price which should reflect a high value for money. 81% of the students highlight the importance of fast internet connection and 61% that of bills inclusive rent. 53% of respondents were clear that their accommodation represented value of money.
Property management and additional fees
The majority of the respondents paid some form of non-refundable fee. About 40% of the students paid fees between £100 and £299. Despite these additional costs, there remain some salient issues with the way properties are managed which mostly relate to tenancy deposits and gas certificates. Furthermore, only one third of the students were aware of any accreditation in relation to the property, despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of student believe accreditation to be important.
More about the students
The report also looks into the social and financial aspects of student life. Income wise, the student loan remains the primary income for two thirds of the students followed by parental contribution (41.7%). British students rely more heavily on student loans than international students. As far as their debt level is concerned, the percentage of students who have a level of debt above £20,000 has significantly increased from 10.3% in 2014 to 21.4% in 2016 (i.e. it more than doubled). These aspects have driven 71% of the students to work during term time and/or during holidays.
To access the full report visit our research section http://www.accommodationforstudents.com/research_reports/research.pdf
