Here's How To House Hunt Like A Pro

Need a house for next year? Make sure it's all plain sailing with these handy tips.

Take your time.

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You've probably heard that if you wait all the best places will be gone -but it’s a myth. Feeling like you're being rushed into a decision should be a red flag, not to mention that average rent falls the longer you wait.

Get a buddy.

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Get a helping hand looking at properties and talking to landlords with our brand-new Housing Buddy scheme. They'll be able to go with you to viewings and have all the knowledge you need to get the best deals out of a landlord or agency - fill out this form to get one for yourself!

Rate Your Landlord.

Use Rate Your Landlord to check out potential landlords or agents. It’s a bit like Trip Advisor for landlords - previous tenants leave comments and ratings on what they think that landlord’s like. A quick look could save you a whole year of stress!

Get a second pair of eyes on your contract.

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Once you sign you have to pay, so make sure there are no hidden surprises in the small print. The Unipol outlet in LUU or Student Advice can help, and remember, you're allowed a minimum of 24 hours to take a contract away for checking.

If you don't cough up, who does?

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Don’t sign any contract until you know if your guardian will have to sign as guarantor for you. That basically means if you can't make the rent, they'll have to pay. If they do, you need their agreement before signing.

Protect your hard-earned cash.

By law, landlords have to protect your deposit within 30 days of receiving money from you. You should get an email from the Tenancy Deposit Scheme, run by the government. If this doesn’t happen, come and see Student Advice - you could stand to receive some sweet reimbursement.

Figure out who you actually want to live with.

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Let’s be honest. We’ve all clocked that group. Friends for life from the moment they liked each other’s comment on the Halls Facebook page in August and realised they both had profile pics of themselves at Parklife last summer. Ask any wise, old final year, how much of a nightmare second year can be when people rush into groups for housing. No matter where you end up living, the people you have to see day-in, day-out, really are the ones who make or break the experience.

A lot to remember?

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LUU and Unipol are here for you! Unipol also have offices both downstairs in LUU and on Woodhouse Lane near Central Village where you can get all the guidance you need. They even have an online advice chat too on their website.