Glasgow University Students Representative Council

The SRC know that flathunting can be difficult and stressful. In our Fearless Flathunting campaign we will be highlighting our advice about accommodation as well as the pitfalls to avoid when hunting for your new student digs. In our first post we discuss “where to look”, “what areas to stay in?” and “who should I move in with”? 

For more advice about finding accommodation, please check out the Accommodation advice by the SRC Advice Centre.

Where to look

The following websites are a good resource for flathunting, but remember that these are essentially adverts, so be wary if something looks too good to be true. When you are searching for accommodation online, look out for when the website was last updated to make sure you’re not viewing a property that’s no longer for rent, or worse, a scam (we’ll have more information on common types of housing scams, and how to avoid falling victim to these, later in the week so keep an eye on our facebook/twitter). The usual basic rules apply; never give out your personal details online and just as importantly never hand over any money for a flat until you’ve viewed the property and/or signed a contract.

SRC Flatshare

University Halls

s1rental
gumtree
citylets
glasgowwestend
pastures new
lettingweb

We’ve also enclosed a list of the local letting agents based predominantly in the west-end, but please bear in mind this is simply a list for information and is not an endorsement or recommendation.

You should also take a look at our “Death Trap or Dead Good?” leaflet here which has information on things you should look out for when viewing a prospective flat, questions to ask your new landlord, things you should insist on, along with general information on your rights and responsibilities as a tenant.

What area should I stay in?

There are a lot of different areas to live in around the University. When looking for a flat, think about how close to campus you need to be. Do you want to wake up next to your lecture theatre or would you mind living a bit further out? If it’s important for you to live near your main campus, then there are lots of accommodation options around, but there is more competition for these flats.

If you’d like some advice from a student perspective, it’s worth reading the section of the SRC Guide on where to live as there are pros and cons with all of the different options surrounding the University.

Bear in mind that Glasgow is a city, so whichever area you decide to move to will have good and bad sides. It’s probably more useful to be looking out for a well-lit street that is near public transport, then one with a ‘good’ postcode.

Who should I move in with?

Living with your friends can be great fun, but they’re not always perfect flatmates. It’s important to remember that if you do sign a lease together, this is a binding contract.

There are a couple of things that you should think about when you are looking for potential flatmates, whether you’ve met them before or not.
– Will your potential flatmate be someone who is guaranteed to pay rent and bills on time?
– Does s/he have similar standards of cleanliness and tidiness in a flat as you do?
– Will s/he put up with your bad habits and can you put up with (or ignore) theirs?

If you can, try to get to know your new flatmates before you move in, to see if you can live with each other.

Things can go wrong, however. If you do decide you want to move out of your flat early, you will have to negotiate this with your landlord or you could end up being liable to repay the remaining months’ rent. Call into the Advice Centre on the ground floor of the John McIntyre Building or contact them on T: 0141 330 5360 or e: advice@src.gla.ac.uk.