York Student Houses Information

York Student Housing Tips

Blue Door of York has been providing top quality student homes since 1991. We've had over a thousand happy tenants and here's our advice on how to find the best student house:

• Take a long hard look at your friends. How well do you know them? Will they be OK to live with? Liking people and living with them can be very different…
• Big groups. Living with 10 or 12 others might seem like fun, but big groups of housemates don’t seem to stay together for long. Smaller groups of 3 or 4 tend to last longer. Think about how many people you want to share a kitchen and bathroom with.
• When you’ve got a group, make sure you view the houses together, at the same time, so you’re all in agreement and can make quick decisions if you see something you like. Try and view houses during daylight.
• Walk! Walk to the house from Uni to make sure it’s close. A fifteen minute bed to campus commute is the maximum most people want.
• And Talk! Chat to the existing tenants. They are a good source of info about what the house is really like. Ask about the nearest shops, the neighbours, and your landlord! Make sure any issues were sorted quickly.
• Bills. Splitting utility bills can split up housemates! We offer a simple all bills included service - that’s gas, electricity, water, fast broadband and TV licence. We take care of bills and admin so you don’t have to.
• Safety. If you like a house make sure it’s safe - with smoke and heat alarms, fire extinguishers, a fire blanket, fire doors and a carbon monoxide detector. Check there’s a current safety certificate for the boiler.
• Fees. Be careful many landlords charge signing fees, arrangement fees, referencing fees and holding fees. We don’t charge any signing up fees because we think they are unfair. However if you drop out of your contract before or during your tenancy you will have to pay the admin costs of signing up a replacement tenant.
• Once you’ve found a house, read the contract carefully before you sign. Get it emailed to you and if necessary send it to someone else for a look. Don’t sign on the spot! Read and ask any questions before you scribble your name.
• Enjoy! Remember to look for a home not a house. You might live there for two years, it’s got to be good.