Every year more and more students decide to study out of their home town. Many times students do not know what life is like in their new place. Before the coronavirus crisis, mobility programmes were at a peak of popularity. This growing tendency makes us think that when this crisis is over, the previous levels of participation will be back. For these students, finding a new home may be a harsh task. If you feel the same, check out the Top 7 websites for student rooms and apartments.
Problems finding accommodation
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Finding your ideal accommodation is a very complex task. First of all you should ask yourself the following questions:
- Do you want to live near to the centre or the university? You will not spend much time at home, so the location is becoming very important to be able to attend classes and maintain social relations.
- How much are you willing to spend? This is one of the main problems, your budget must be realistic. You must take into account the average price of renting in the city. Big cities are usually expensive, so, if you have a tight budget, you should look for a smaller city where the price is more affordable.
- Do you want to live in a residence or a flat? If you prefer not to worry and focus on other issues, choose a residence. They include all the essential services you need and is extremely reliable. If you are looking for independence and flexibility, choose a flat or a room, the price is usually lower and you will feel like at home.
- Are you going alone or with friends? If you are looking for accommodation on your own, it will be difficult for you to pay for an entire place. In this case, we recommend you to look for rooms, sharing a flat will save you money and you will meet new people. If you go with several friends you can share a flat, it is one of the cheapest options and you will live with people you trust.
- How much do you like the party? It may sound like a cliché question but it is really important. If you are not a party animal, you should avoid living in closer areas to nightlife. Although the course is long and (almost) everyone likes to party, during the exam period you will remember this decision.
Once you have answered these questions you can start looking, this is our Top 7 best websites for finding apartments and rooms for students.
Top 7 websites for student rooms, flats and apartments rentals
We present you the top 7 websites to find flats, apartments and rooms for every student, this is our top to get the best accommodation:
1. University Accommodation Service
Usually, students are unaware of this option, but almost all universities have an accommodation service. These services include agreements with nearby residences, which generally keep some of their places for students who request this service. University Accommodation Service usually have a public board available for advertising for those individuals who want to rent their house to students.
These services have the great advantage that the universities do not seek to make money with this service but to help students to avoid scams. On the other hand, the places reserved in student residences might be insufficient. If you are looking for a flat the services are not very innovative. They offer a classified ads board, but you will have to negotiate with the owner personally, look for roommates on your own, etc. For first-year students or participants in a mobility programme, these cons are particularly critical.
2. Online rental platforms
In recent years platforms have emerged that allow owners to advertise and rent out their flats and rooms entirely online. The great advantage that these platforms have brought is that they allow their users to find accommodation that adapts to their needs easily from anywhere in the world.
Its operation is similar to that of any real estate agency, but processes are 100% online. They provide advantages such as: accessibility, efficient searches and lower commissions. Among its disadvantages we find essentially its low popularity and scarcity of offer. The owners sometimes do not know these platforms and they prefer to avoid digital work. They trust in traditional real estate agencies, which means that in some cities we cannot find sufficient coverage for students.
The best option to find accommodation in this way is to use a student accommodation comparator that groups all the platforms that operate in your destination city so that you can compare and find rooms or flats that best suit your needs. Erasmus Play is a comparator made for students, where you can find the best accommodation available, the distance to the University or city centre and other exclusive advantages for students.
Social networks are the perfect tool to meet people on the Internet, in particular on Facebook we can find groups oriented to student accommodation. In these groups, students share their experiences, look for flatmates, explain how they have found accommodation or even if they have a room to rent. This will be the number 3 for our top 7 websites for student rooms.
They are also a great opportunity to meet people before they arrive in the city, to know in which environments or areas students move around and other advice. If you are going to study in a new city, we recommend that you look for the student groups in your city on Facebook. Moreover, you will find very useful information throughout the course, activities, events or discounts. However, the information on these groups is usually not verified and a lot of it is spam from companies looking to make themselves known.
4. Accommodating ads pages
These are websites that offer users a webspace in which to promote their ads. There are pages of classifieds ads that facilitate the search of a rent. Nevertheless, these platforms do not provide the possibility to make a reservation online, neither they are oriented to students.
The main advantage of these pages is that its popularity and ease of use for owners, they have the widest range of accommodation on offer. The biggest problem for students is that they will have to contact each owner by phone. In addition, many times these owners avoid renting to students and look for families or professionals who are looking for a stable rent. Our recommendation is to avoid this option if you can find an accommodation such as a comparator, however, they have so many accommodations that we always have to consider this option, it can also help us to know the average cost of an accommodation and which areas are the most expensive.
5. Residences
In number 6 of our top 7 websites for student rooms, we can find residences. The residences are a great option for carefree students who are looking for accommodation with all the necessary services. They are reliable entities and generally have agreements or benefits for university students. On the other hand, they have strict rules and usually you only book the room, so the dining room, living room, etc. will be common rooms that you will share with many students. If you are looking for the privacy and freedom that living at home gives you, this option is not for you.
6. ESN
Erasmus Student Network (ESN) is a student network that supports international students, especially Erasmus students. This organisation has delegations of students from each university, who live in and know the city and will help you to solve your doubts, both before you arrive and once you are there. If you have exhausted all the ways you know to get accommodation, do not be ashamed to ask them. They know the best neighbourhoods to live, the average cost of accommodation and they will how to find your new home. Once there, they will also help you meet people, get student discounts and access exclusive parties.
7. Talk to other students
There is no better recommendation than personal experiences. You can talk to other students who have been through the same situation as you, they will give you the best advice and how to avoid mistakes. Universities are often looking for volunteers to mentor other students. If you still can't find anyone, search on the Internet. In fact, the web is full of blogs and forums where students share their experience and even stay active so you can chat with them.
All these methods will surely help you to find accommodation, but we find a clear winner. It uses all the capacities that Internet and digitalization offers to you, the student accommodation comparator is the best option to quickly discover the available offer or what is the average cost of a room or flat and, if you like it then book it online right now.
This is our top 7 websites for student rooms and apartments. Of course, if you know other ways to get student accommodation we are looking forward to reading you in the comment section down below.
