Looking for a house? No stress!

It’s getting to that time again when people begin to (unnecessarily) panic about housing for next year, despite us being less than 2 months into this academic year. First years in particular, read on, and second years and above, you may also learn something.

• Don't panic. Do not just grab the nearest person and sign up for the first house you see. Take your time, think about who you really want to live with, where you want to live etc. First years, you have probably only known these people for seven weeks, and although you probably have a vague idea of who you want to live with in second year (or, at the very least, an idea of who you don’t want to live with), spend some time thinking about it over Christmas, and get some perspective on the situation whilst you are away from your flatmates for the first time since you met them.

• Be selfish. As harsh as it sounds, you have to consider whether you can honestly live with them for a year. Don’t make the common mistake of living with someone out of pity, or because you think they won’t find anyone else to live with. And just because you lived with them in halls, does not mean it will be the same in a house. With (generally) less people and a closer living environment, in a house it is harder to escape or pretend you aren’t in if you want some peace and quiet. Would you trust them in a house you owned? If not, don’t sign a contract with them-if they break/damage anything, chances are, it’s your deposit they’re wasting too.

• Deal with grievances sooner rather than later. If you would rather not live with someone, tell them. They may be annoyed at first, but in the long run, they will probably be grateful that you told them in time for them to find someone else to live with, rather than leaving them in the lurch when everyone else is already tied into contracts.

At the end of the day, if you don’t manage to find housing with who you want, don’t worry! Plenty of people will be in the same boat, and soon enough posters will appear around campus advertising for house mates. And the same goes if you end up with a spare room in your house - chances are you will find someone to fill it.

The University releases its housing list every year which features landlords and properties that have been recognised by the university as meeting certain standards. This year, the list is due to be released on February 1st, and although it is useful to have some idea of what you want before this, there is no need to rush out and sign a contract, as the city of York has a surplus of student housing, so there are plenty of houses to go around!

For further advice:

http://www.york.ac.uk/students/housing-and-money/finding-somewhere/

http://www.york.ac.uk/admin/accom/privatesector/index.htm

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