The Things Nobody Told You About Student Housing in Leeds

Straight out, it is going to be messy, smelly and cold. Even at the best of times, much of the student housing Leeds has to offer is pretty basic. As a student in Leeds you learn to adapt your wardrobe to cope with Icelandic conditions. You buy hot water bottles and blankets, and drink lots of tea. However, if you are lucky enough to live near to the pub then you can spend the winter months in the warm with a nice pint. Classic.

Leeds Uni provides all its first and second year students with lots of nice free information about renting, avoiding dodgy landlords and important things to know, like how to check for damp- giving you the opportunity to have a great house. However, the phrase ‘You don’t know somebody until you live with them’ is completely understood by students everywhere with grimaced faces and knowing looks.

Be it the nice, quiet boy that turned out to be a secret peeping tom, or the sweet girl that went full-scale crazy when you borrowed a slice of cheese, we’ve all met them. Getting the house right is only the half of it; you have to pick and choose your housemates carefully. Very carefully.

Due to the majority of student houses being quite old with thin walls, it’s important to make sure that none of your housemates have any odd nocturnal activities, or if they do- make sure your bedroom is not underneath theirs! Bills too are really expensive, and a source of conflict between housemates, being frugal with electricity is good to reduce unwanted expenses. It is always handy to have a friend/parent that can fix things around the house if your landlord is a bit crap; nobody wants the front door hanging off its hinges for weeks after a heavy party.

Here’s another thing to remember about student housing: Leeds student houses apparently “don’t work very well”. Every student had something wrong with their house that contributes to its…er, unique charm. Whether it’s a dribbly shower, extremely noisy flushing in the toilet, the strobe light that isn’t supposed to be a strobe light, draughty windows- nowhere is failsafe, there are always little things to watch out for! And no matter what you do, do not leave the front door unlocked. Ever.

ATTENTION STUDENTS! We’re currently taking on more student writers. Visit Student Jobs Leeds home page to find out more and get involved.