Photo taken by Laura May Bailey
Back in summer 2020, when I was searching for a place to live in Leicester, my knowledge of the city’s neighbourhoods and accommodation options was limited. I hope sharing my experience and some tips for house hunting will give future students more of a foundation.
Decision Making
I knew that I did not want to live in a flat or accommodation block with first year undergraduates and was considering applying for a place in the University-run accommodation which catered just to postgraduate students, such as Nixon Court or Opal Court. I spent the first year of my undergraduate degree in similar accommodation so would have known what to expect. However, my best accommodation experience was undoubtedly the two years I spent renting a house from a private landlord with friends in Birmingham. There’s something about living in a house, rather than student flat, that seems more settled and comfortable.
House hunting
Deciding to find a house to rent was the first step, but finding housemates, a decent landlord, and good location were the next big challenges. I joined several Facebook groups aimed at students searching for extra housemates, landlords advertising houses to rent, and ex-students wanting someone to take over their contracts.
House hunting via social media is a minefield. Some places seemed too good to be true, while others were very overpriced, preying on desperate students. I found that focusing on the rooms posted by students looking for an extra housemate was better than dealing with the big estate agents and letting agents. This meant I could find out about my potential housemates, and ask them for a less bias review of the landlord.
Research was essential. I made sure to explore on Google street view, do a (minor) Facebook stalk, and ask questions about expected bills, to know what I was signing up for. In an ideal year, I would also have visited for a viewing but house hunting during the pandemic meant this wasn’t possible.
Outcome & Area
Thankfully, all my research and planning paid off and I have been incredibly lucky with my accommodation and housemates. I’m happy I decided to limit my search to postgraduates as we all have several years of renting and house-sharing experience which makes everything more relaxed.
Clarendon Park is a wonderful area in which to live. I would definitely recommend it to future students wondering where to start their search. It’s full of small, independent shops and cosy red brick terraced houses. While a lot of houses are rented by groups of students at the university, there are enough families and older couples to make the area seem more residential and welcoming than the student suburbs of some other major cities. You pay a little more than for similar houses in Evington or further afield, but the close proximity to Victoria Park and the University, as well as such a nice, safe atmosphere makes it worthwhile.
Written by Laura May Bailey
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