Welcome to the My Student Digs guide to house hunting for students. We have compiled together some useful hits and tips for you to consider when looking for your next house. Hopefully in using this guide you will find searching for, and living in, your next house a much more pleasant experience.

Please choose the section of the guide you would like to look at below.

1. Housemates

Choosing your housemates

Anyone who has ever shared a house with anyone else will know that the experience you have is largely dependant on the people you live with. A house mate, be them good or bad can really shape how your time in your new house passes. If you are moving off campus and into private accommodation for the first time, you may have already found out how difficult, and often painful, it can be choosing the people you want to live with. You may think that having lived in halls with someone you have got to know them really well but have you stopped and thought what they would be like in the long term?

What you thought were the most benign habits of your best mate can soon escalate into a driving force that tears a house apart. Little issues such as them not helping out with the chores or spending too long in the bathroom every morning can lead to division, resentment and, above all, an unenjoyable experience for everyone.

Don't get us wrong, living in your own house with your best friends can be a great experience, and for many it often is. All we are saying is take your time. Don't rush in to choosing a house and signing a contract in December when you have only know them for three months, as you may soon find out that the person you thought was great, really isn't at all. Make sure you mull things over and choose wisely, or may you end up sharing with people you really don't want to.

Before you sign anything, sit down as a group and decide upon what you want from every housemates over the coming year, that way no one should be in for any nasty surprises.

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Moving in with strangers

OK, so maybe your not going to get any say in the people your going to live with and you just out to find the first available spare room. If this situation applies to you, don't just sit back and think that you need to put up with what ever hand gets dealt to you. If you are planning on moving in with strangers, included the people who already live there in your decision making process. Talk to them when you look round the property. Ask them questions, find out what their interests are. If you think you won't get along with them, don't move in. Ask the landlord what they think of the current tenants: Are they clean? Do they pay their rent on time?

Build up a picture in your head of all the houses you have seen and include all the people you have spoken to. The one that you think will suit you the best and make you the most happy is the house you should go for.

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Disputes

All disputes are different, so we can't just sit here and give you an answer to all of them. What we can do however is giving you some common sense advice that should make things a bit easier to bare.

Firstly, talk to the person you have had a falling out with. Sit down together and discuss your problems out. You may find that a simple misunderstanding is all that is wrong. If you have listened to their side and they have listened to yours and still no agreement can be reached, you should contact your landlord who may be able to take some intervening action, alternatively find a different mediator to help you come to a conclusion.

If you suspect that one or more of your house mates are participating in illegal activity toy should contact the police immediately. It could get you out of a lot of trouble in the long run.

Remember in most cases, simply packing up and storming out is not a viable option as you may still be liable for your rent payments. If you feel that the only way to resolve matters is to move out, contact your landlord and discuss what options you have open. You may need to find a replacement tenant, so make sure the rest of your house are aware of this first.

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2. How to house hunt

Know your area

The first thing you need to do before setting off to look around houses, is to know where in your university town you want to live. Many towns have student zones, certain suburbs where the majority of the students at you university live. These can often be found in the immediate location around campus. The student hot spots can be great. They often have a good vibe to them with plenty of bars and pubs, good access to town and local amenities such as shops and takeaways. However they can often be pricey, as landlords know that that is where students want to live, so charge accordingly; they can be crime hotspots, as students are often a prime target for opportunist criminals; and they may not even have the nicest student houses. Just because everyone else live in one place doesn't mean that you have to join them. Learn about all the areas in you city, look at rent prices, crime figures and transport links to the city centre and to campus. Once you feel that you know where you want to live concentrate your search in that area.

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How to hunt

Right, now you have decided where to live you need to think about how you are going to go about finding a property. We would not be good at our job if we didn't say that the first place you should look at is My Student Digs.

Between yourself and your housemates you need to set the criteria you are looking for. Create a list of things you want your house to be and have (e.g. Virgin Media enabled, tumble dryer etc.). You should stick to this list, but you need be flexible also, or you may not find that perfect house.

Start by searching our website for all the available properties in your area. Make a short-list of the ones you think meet your criteria, and contact the landlords or agents using the details as shown.

You should arrange to meet the landlord/agent for a viewing of the property with them there. This will allow you to ask them questions and to clarify certain things like what bills are included. If you like the property then view it for a second time without the landlord present. This will give you the opportuity to ask questions to the current tenants about the landlord. Remember having a good landlord is almost important as having a good house.

Whatever you do, don't agree to take the first house you look at. Shop around. There will be many available properties in the area and you should take the time to look around as many as possible as a group. You never know you may find something better than you thought possible.

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3. Before you sign

Safety issues

Before you sign any contract it is important to check the the property meets basic safety and security standards.

Does the house have a burglar alarm fitted? All student properties should have one as standard. Do not accept a property without one. 

Are there smoke alarms? There should be at least two smoke alarms fitted in the house. Make sure that they work. If they do not work, have the landlord change the batteries or replace faulty units before you sign anything!

Does each bedroom have a lock? If there is not a lock on each bedroom, insist that the landlord fit them. Although you may not like the idea of locking out trusted friends, it may stop a burglar entering your room, even if they have gained access to the property. Having individual locks should also keep insurance premiums down.

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HMO Licences

HMO stands for House of Multiple Occupation, and if the property you want to rent falls into the defining categories, the landlord must have an HMO licence.