Challenges Of Finding Accommodation For International Students In The UK

Planning on following the dreams of many and studying in the royal lands of the United Kingdom? After all, it is an interesting place to be, with some of the best universities and colleges in the world. The process to study in the UK is long and elaborate, from finding the right course for you, searching for a university, visa applications and, after all of that is done, hunting for student accommodation. While everything may come with its own challenges and problems, there are quite a few issues in finding accommodation for international students in the UK. And you know what to do when faced with challenges - face them straight on. Don’t worry. This blog will offer an easy out for the accommodation problems for international students.

Problems with student accommodation in the UK

1. Finding the perfect one

Everyone is always on the lookout for perfection in everything. Be it the perfect course, diner, hangout spot or even the perfect student accommodation. Living away from home is not easy, and the enormous choices of student accommodations in the UK do not make it any easier. A student accommodation is essentially your home away from home, so it’s important you nail down the right one. Finding the right list of amenities that you need can be hectic to narrow down. Juggling rent for amenities has to be the biggest challenge that students face while selecting an accommodation. It is recommended to find a balance between the two and ensure secondary requirements are within reach, like groceries, shops and most importantly, your university.

2. Finances

Managing finances is a major aspect of living as a student in the UK. With a high cost of living in the UK plus tuition, your pocket may be stretched thin. To be more concise, your finances may include meals, groceries, tuition, miscellaneous expenses, transportation and, of course, the rent for your student housing. Budgeting is essential to ensuring that your stay at student accommodation in the UK is as comfortable and hassle-free as possible. When it comes to the rent of student housing, it varies vastly from the type of accommodation you choose to the area it is located in. Major cities have some insane prices. Of course, this can be brought down further by choosing purpose-built student accommodations or PGs and using discount cards. In the end, all it amounts to is managing your finances well as a student. If you need a posh stay you can check out our luxury student accommodation

3. Lacking Planning and Research

Being faced with a large number of choices is enough to leave one confused, and with the large variety of options in the UK, it only goes further downhill and causes a host of international student issues. It is essential to start early. Otherwise, the confusion regarding choosing student accommodation for international students in the UK will be a stressful process. Lack of information on the location of the student accommodation can also be a major factor in causing issues during your decision-making process. Taking virtual tours and connecting with students studying in the area is a good way to gather detailed information about student accommodations from a student’s perspective.

4. Ignorant of services included

Knowing what services a student accommodation provides is crucial to know as this factors in your level of comfort and how you fit in in the long haul as an international student. Being in the dark about these amenities can lead to causing further confusion and stress during the decision-making process. In order to get around this black hole, you can reference various pages for the same property to accurately determine what amenities are being provided.

5. Lack of Extended support

Another problem with student accommodation with being away from home is support. While finding accommodations, it is recommended to find one which provides certain facilities like laundry, kitchen staff to support your hunger and social spaces to help you deal with loneliness. Out of all the student accommodation problems, this one can get tricky to navigate, but with the right research, you can get around with ease.

6. Safety and Security

Staying away from home comes with its fair share of challenges and problems. Families will always worry about your safety, and as such, it is important to find student accommodation in the UK which provides adequate security features like 24/7 CCTV surveillance and even a security staff to make sure you sleep easy at night. Getting student accommodation with friends is another lucky option on the table to make sure you have a familiar face around.

7. Vulnerability to rental scams

With so many challenges for student accommodation for international students in the UK already giving you a headache, rental scams have to be the biggest trouble. These scams occur when you book student accommodations and the person who is showcasing him/herself as the broker or owner asks for transactions to be done to either their personal accounts or a third-party account. You can check out our blog on how to avoid rental scams to get around this particular headache.

8. Connectivity

Being in a different city, let alone another country, can be troublesome to commute in. Transportation costs can be the biggest burden when it comes to daily costs, as little amounts every day can amount to a larger sum. Sure, using public transport in the UK, like the London Underground, can help reduce this sum drastically, it is not viable if you live far away from a station. It is vital to locate accommodation close to your university as well as the local transport hubs/stations to ensure a convenient and cheap commute.

Look out for these red flags

We may have seen the challenges associated with finding student accommodation for international students in the UK, but that’s not all. While navigating through the challenges, it is recommended that you keep a sharp eye out for certain red flags.

1. Unrealistic prices

Pricing is a big point to be noted when it comes to hunting for student accommodations. Absurd costs in an inexpensive neighbourhood don’t really make sense, does it? The same goes for cheap accommodation in an expensive neighbourhood or city. This particular red flag hints at fraud, so beware. 

2. Cash transactions

Official transactions usually offer a variety of payment methods and do not compel you to choose a particular type of payment. Any broker or owner of any student accommodation asking explicitly for cash transactions is a major red flag pointing towards a scam.

3. NO photos or videos or visual tour

In the modern world, every geographical location comes with a means to be viewed over the Internet. This can range from virtual tours to street views and even photos uploaded by people. This extends to student accommodations as well. They even provide virtual tours and photos of the rooms for more insight. Any accommodation not providing any type of media and virtual tours can be red-flagged as they may not be providing the amenities noted and in certain cases, may not even exist!

4. No background information

Another major red flag is the lack of background information about accommodation. Any international student accommodation in the UK without any background information can cause various student accommodation issues, like causing hindrance to your research or even providing the bare minimum. Lack of contact information for the student accommodation along with the owner is another issue which can hint towards a scam.

5. Verbal agreement

Any contract or agreement not in a written format is easy to be nullified. In case any student accommodation is providing only verbal agreements, it is recommended to back out instantly as this may come back to give you issues in the long run or just be a scam to rob you of money.

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There you have the major problems with student accommodation in the UK faced by international students. Hunting for student accommodations is a challenge, and knowing what criteria to choose while selecting a student accommodation is essential. Do your research, choose the right one and live largely. Amber provides a range of reliable student accommodations for you to find your next home, so you do not have to worry about the challenges faced by international students. Find the right student accommodation options for yourself with amber. If you are interested to know more about student accommodation, read our blogs on the challenges of finding student accommodation in Ireland and useful tips during your search. All the best!