Accommodation considerations for non-students

Without a maintenance loan that you may have relied on throughout university, finances are an important factor for you to consider when searching for accommodation as a non-student. It’s important to have a monthly budget to understand how much you have to spend on your rent, as well as other bills and living costs. A general rule of thumb is to allocate one third of your monthly salary towards your rent. You may be able to stretch this to one half of your income if bills and council tax are accounted for. For example, if you take home £1,500 each month after tax you will be able to spend a generous £500 on rent each month and all-inclusive rent should not exceed £750 per month. By using this rule, you will have plenty of money leftover for enjoying your life and saving for the future.

Council tax

Outside of rent, you also have to consider council tax. This is a monthly tax you are required to pay towards the government services in your local area. The cost of council tax varies depending on your city, area and the value of the property. As a student, you will have been exempt from paying this bill, however since graduating, you will need to account for this payment into your monthly budget. Most single occupant lets will come under the cheapest council tax band (A), in which you will pay an average of £1,124 per year or £93 per month which can take a considerable chunk out of your monthly budget. However, if you choose to live on your own as a non-student, you will be eligible for a 25% council tax discount.

Bills

Some rental options include utilities and WiFi in your monthly rent which can be easier to budget for. Some landlords may even cover council tax, so make sure you clarify everything that’s included in your monthly rent prior to signing a lease. Managing your own bills can be cheaper, however, it can be confusing to have to pay your gas, electricity, water, Wi-Fi and council tax bills separately, especially if rates are variable each month.

Accommodation expectations

Consider your own needs, as well as manage your expectations when searching for accommodation as a non-student. By creating a realistic accommodation budget (the rule of thirds) you can identify accommodation you can realistically afford. If you are tightening your belt, it may be worth considering shared flats to reduce your outgoings. Purpose-built studio flats are also a great accommodation option for non-students looking for affordable private accommodation in the heart of the city.

The location of your accommodation is an important consideration when choosing your non-student accommodation. If you go into work, you will need to make sure, that you are living near your work, with good transport links or that there is adequate, secure parking nearby. You may also want to be located near supermarkets and entertainment venues and unlike when you were a student you may want to live away from a student village or university campus as you have moved away from the student life.

When you move into non-student accommodation always make sure to clarify the timing and the length of your tenancy. Typically for standard tenants, contract lengths are initially 6 months with the option to then extend to a 12 month contract. For student housing and university accommodation, this tends to follow the academic year (August to June/July) and January to December for non-students. As a non-student, you may either need a shorter, 26-week tenancy, or you might want to start your tenancy later than January. You may need a cross-over period between tenancies to move your belongings. Alternatively, you don’t want to pay rent while you are not living in the property. Make sure that your tenancy agreement, start and end dates work for you; non-student accommodation can often be more flexible than student tenancies.

When you are viewing a property, make the effort to talk to the current or previous tenants. Landlords may not be completely transparent so speak to the current tenants or check online reviews about their experience of the property. Equally importantly, find out about the accommodation service provided by your landlord and maintenance team. Ask why tenants moved out, or what either didn’t meet or exceeded their expectations.

In the circumstance that you are sharing accommodation, take this time to get to know your potential housemates – take their details or reach out on social media before moving in. This may make things less awkward and frightening on moving day, also, you will know what to expect when you move in.

Flat sharing isn’t for everyone, living with a number of other tenants can be challenging. However, socially, it can be extremely rewarding, and help you to build friendships that could last a lifetime. It can also save you a lot of money when you first leave university. When you share a flat with people you don’t or barely know, take careful consideration over things like splitting bills and sharing items – many people, understandably, prefer not to share any of their belongings. However, you may want to agree that you take turns buying things like toilet roll, washing up liquid and condiments Alternatively, you might share crockery to save on storage space.

Give thought to more personal aspects such as lifestyle, habits, hobbies and schedules. For example, if some of your housemates go to bed early, respect this by keeping noise to a minimum in the evening. Contrarily, respect the fact that your housemates may still be sleeping early in the morning. Good advice is to keep your shared bathroom, kitchen and living space clean and tidy, you may want to arrange a cleaning rota if necessary. When living with other people, you will need to respect their needs as highly as you expect your own to be respected.

Read more about flat shares here

Here at Mansion student, we have accommodation options for everyone wanting to step away from university halls, including, non-students! Check out the affordable and modern one-bed and studio apartment options in Newcastle offering a clean and comfortable living space with luxury in-building amenities. You can take advantage of laundry facilities, high-speed WiFi, 24hr CCTV, generous storage space, desk space and more.

All bills excluding council tax are incorporated into your monthly rent to make managing your finances easier. Council tax payments will be arranged at the beginning of the tenancy so you will not be billed unexpectedly. If you would like to inquire about what accommodation options Mansion Student has to offer or you are looking for accommodation advice get in touch today.