If you’re about to start your property search in Leeds, you may be feeling slightly overwhelmed by the prospect. After all, there are lots of things to consider. Do you want to live with just one or two others or would you prefer a larger house share? Are you looking for something simple or are you leaning towards luxury student homes in Leeds with more amenities? Do you want to be in the thick of the action, location-wise or somewhere more chilled?
That’s why we’ve put together our Leeds student guide to renting property. From finding the right location to remembering to read the small print, let’s look at the top five things to consider when you’re searching for student rentals in Leeds.
Student Renting in Leeds: Cost
Before embarking on your student rentals in Leeds search, it’s time to work out your budget. Knowing how much you have to spend on accommodation will help narrow down your search. When looking at your sums you should factor in utility bills, contents insurance, plus travel and living costs, such as food and drink.
Here at Beyond Lettings, we aim to make the whole process easier with our all-inclusive bills package. The majority of our luxury student rentals include water, energy and superfast broadband, making budgeting a breeze.
You’ll also need enough money for a security deposit. This is a lump sum that is kept for the duration of your tenancy to cover any potential problems, including unpaid rent or damage. It’s returned to you at the end of your tenancy, providing there have been no issues. Whoever you rent from, check that your deposit will be securely protected by a recognised scheme, such as the Deposit Protection Scheme (DPS) or My Deposits. It’s illegal for letting agents to charge you to protect your deposit or for certain admin fees such as reference checks, so always be aware.
Student Renting in Leeds: Location
Your new student home is where you’ll be spending a good amount of your free time, so location is something to consider carefully. Think about which elements are most important to you. Are you looking for a good choice of pubs, bars and eateries, to be close to green spaces, sports facilities or cultural hotspots?
While it’s true that the most popular student areas in Leeds all have these to some degree or another, they each have their own unique attributes. It’s a good idea to have a look round each area to help you decide which one feels right for you.
You should also consider the proximity to your university. It is within walking distance or does it have good transport links such as bus stops or cycle lanes if it’s further away?
Once you’ve narrowed down the area and put a few properties on your shortlist, consider your potential neighbours as well. If you’re sociable and like to throw parties, you probably won’t fit into a street with young families, whereas if you’re looking for a calmer living experience, somewhere with less students might be closer to your preferred vibe.
Student Renting in Leeds: Amenities
Luxury student homes in Leeds are becoming increasingly popular. If you’re coming from the new generation of halls especially, with their premium finishes and amenities, you’ll probably want similar high-spec accommodation for your upcoming years.
Amenities you might want to consider on your accommodation search are bike or sports kit storage facilities, a washing machine to save you lugging your clothes to the laundrette, a welcoming space to hang out with your housemates, as well as a private place to study.
At Beyond Lettings, not only do our luxury student homes in Leeds feature contemporary interiors, they all come fully equipped with everything you’ll need for modern communal living including a washing machine, fridge/freezer and microwave in the kitchen; comfortable sofas and a TV in the lounge; plus a double bed, desk, chair, wardrobe and chest of drawers in each bedroom. Not only that, high-speed broadband is included in our bills package, perfect for streaming and gaming.
Student Renting in Leeds: Maintenance
Before you sign your contract, ask the lettings agency or landlord what the process is should anything go wrong, say for example, the washing machine or boiler breaks. You’ll want to be assured that should anything happen, you can easily get hold of the lettings agency or landlord and that they will deal with it promptly.
It can be a bit of a shock going from halls, where everything is taken care of, to private accommodation, where you suddenly have to do a bit more adulting. However, renting luxury student homes in Leeds with Beyond Lettings means that if anything goes wrong, we’re here to help.
Student Renting in Leeds: Contract terms
Finally, once you’ve found a property you like within your budget, it’s time to look at the tenancy agreement. Make sure to go through all the small print and get your parents or another adult to look at it for you as well. Things you’ll need to consider are the length of the tenancy, as well as any restrictions on it, such as smoking or pets. Have a look too at the additional fees you could be charged, for instance, for cutting short your tenancy agreement or paying your rent late.
We hope you found our Leeds student guide to property helpful. Eager to start your search now? Don’t forget, our luxury student homes in Leeds are fully furnished with everything you could need, plus with our all-inclusive bills package and dedicated support, you get luxury-style living at an affordable cost and without any stress.
Take a look at our available properties here.