1. By Ross Moffat

2. * Halls of residence are one of the most common forms of
student accommodation amongst students within the first
year of university. Halls are normally owned by the
university, and, or work in conjunction with a third party to
provide the accommodation.
* Typically halls are reserved for first year (entry students),
but there are, on occasion, options for progressive students
entering into second year or above.

3. * Halls are a great place to meet and integrate into the
university, they provide a secure, and cost effective
communal space to meet and greet future friends class
mates and colleagues.
* Unlike rented accommodation, often halls provide cleaners
for the various communal areas and utilise communal
washing and drying areas. The communal nature of student
accommodation offers cost saving benefits.

4. * Halls of residence vary between accommodation options
and there are quite noticeable differences, mainly within
the amount of space allocated. Basically, the difference
depends upon your budget.
* Halls provide options for most budgets, but there are
common factors that are included for everyone. The
basics often include: your own toilet, shower and internet
connection.

5. * House sharing is a great option for your second year and
beyond, normally within first year you will have
established your peer groups and friends to which become
future housemates. Within densely - student populated
areas, naturally, there is large demand for student
housing.
* Select an option that works best for you and your
flatmates, and remember, start looking A.S.A.P. There
are varying standards of housing accommodation;
therefore it is a wise choice to start the search early to
secure the cream of the crop.

6. * Private halls are a relatively recent phenomenon within the
world of student accommodation. Increasing numbers of
students attending universities, due to the lack of employment
and other variable factors, have inevitably increased the
demand for housing. Private sector companies identified a gap,
and are now providing private accommodation at highly
competitive prices.
* The benefits are similar to other forms of student
accommodation in many respects, and are very comparable to
the university owned accommodation. The main distinction is
that students from any stage within their education are able to
reside within the private halls, not just first year students.

7. * Large volumes of properties were snapped up within university
town and cities due to the housing market crash. Primarily
these properties have been used for renting to student and
children who are attending universities within the area. There
are many benefits to this approach, albeit for the students.
Landlords tend to be the parents of the tenants and often the
rent is slightly more affordable than other options.
* Although this method does sounds too good to be true, it does
not go without its downfalls. Often the son/daughter
occupying the property takes on the role of landlord;
therefore this often causes tensions within the property. As
understandably the lead tenant fells a certain responsibility to
ensure the cleanliness and enforce the rules of the house.

8. * Ross Moffat, the author of this article is a
professional writer for Nido provider of
student accommodation London.