January is that time of the year where we all finally attempt to overcome our Christmas hangovers, begin to maintain our New Year resolutions and generally make a fresh, clean start towards the rest of the year.

However, as university students, this is also the important time on the calendar when first and possibly second year students should be deciding on and finalising private accommodation lets for the years that follow. However, the turn of the New Year also brings with it numerous coursework deadlines and endless exam preparation, and there is no question that this time of the year is stressful as it is; without the unwanted hassle of selecting your fellow housemates eight months before you potentially move in and signing a tenancy contract as soon as possible.

Yet, as a second year student who has unfortunately been through this tough process last January, I do not think that anything can prepare us for what the private lets have in store. My friends and I visited several lets without joy: landlords were too pushy, rooms were too dingy and one house was just purely unacceptable to be on the market. Fortunately, we were lucky enough to hunt down a property just in time that suited what we thought would tend to all of our basic needs. And yet, since moving into our somewhat humble abode, we have experienced cracked and leaking windows which took our landlord months to repair, a vacuum cleaner that simply doesn’t vacuum and worn down furniture that has most probably been living there for years. However, the icing on the cake has to be the infestation of mice within our wall structures, keeping us awake at night by scattering amongst the foundations.

Moreover, from speaking to others, our experiences that we have endured for the majority of our second year shockingly appear to be commonplace amongst students living outside of the Parham Road or Lanfranc sheltered bubble. Thankfully, the security wardens amongst the university accommodation were only ever two minutes away and were always around to fix minor glitches like faulty showers or unpredictable washing machines. However, when progressing into private housing, the household appliances appear far more unreliable and are harder to fix as there are more possibilities of a fault.

One student I spoke to told me of their harsh experiences, “I was the first to move into our second year house and with no hot water; I was left literally in the cold for two days. We have also had rotting window panels, inevitably making the house cold as well as two non-working showers and a broken washing machine. Luckily all of these problems have been eventually solved after lots of complaining!” The question that needs answering is ultimately, should we come to expect this standard of living? Should we pay out a ridiculous amount of money every month to withstand such living conditions?

Yet despite questions surrounding this stressful time and some of the unfortunate consequences that may be experienced along your student accommodation journey, Christ Church offers brilliant accommodation services, help and advice about second and third year lets to all students, regardless of your situation. Check if your landlord is accredited too, as this demands a certain standard.

Please visit: http://www.canterbury.ac.uk/support/accommodation/ for online support services or telephone: 01227 782286 to talk directly to someone about student residence.

Happy house hunting!

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