Where to Live?

The University of Manchester

The uni has 9,200 places in 26 different halls for undergraduates (there are a further 8 halls for postgrads), with prices ranging from £78 a week for a single room with washbasin to £132 a week for a single en suite room. First year students are guaranteed a place in halls as long as they apply before the deadline. Choosing the best accommodation will depend on your needs and what you think you can live without. If you feel you can share a bathroom, this will help to save you money in the long run, so you will have more to spend on nights out and shopping. If you want to rent a house with your mates, prices will start at £55, this sounds a lot cheaper but remember that this will not include bills and there is no guarantee that your mates will pay their rent or bills on time, which will leave you having to help them. For first year students it is recommended that you don't stay in a house as it gives you more time to learn about the area, to make friends and it may be catered so it will save you time on having to cook. With such a wide range of halls to choose from, it may seem a like a difficult choice. Its probably best to find out where your building is and then choose a place to live that is located nearby, this will mean that you can wake up as late as possible to get to lectures and save you money on traveling to uni. If your building is in the North campus then it is wise to choose halls near Sackville St, such as Western Halls or Fairfield halls. The best uni halls for student life are probably the Owens Park halls, but these are located a mile or so from the main campus so you will probably have to catch a bus there, but it is possible to walk. For more information on all the halls click here.

An excellent alternative to university halls are private halls which cost practically the same and tend to be of better quality and give you the opportunity of living with students from different institutions. The only downside is that you will have to pay for extras such as the Internet. Good private halls that give the uni halls a run for their money include, Wilmslow Park, which is very conveniently located at the start of Wilmslow Road home to the curry mile and it is also above a Tesco and Lidl, with a post office and Varsity bar, so pretty much all the amenities you would need are nearby. Wilmslow Park is also just a 5 minute walk to the main site, another decent private halls is Q3 Apartments which is located just behind Oxford Road on Plymouth Road, so you can get away with sleeping in. Both these private halls cost around £4000 per year and offer en suite and spacious rooms. You can find out more information on these and others from the Manchester Student Homes website.

Manchester Metropolitan University

The MMU have a choice of 8 student halls in Manchester and a choice of en suite or catered halls at its Cheshire site. The university guarantees accommodation for all full-time first year students who apply before 31 August. On the whole MMU offer modern student accommodation which is close to their campuses in the city centre and the prices range from a reasonable £70 a week in Cavendish Hall for a standard room. At the other end of the scale for £100 a week you will get a Deluxe room in Wilmslow Park, which will give you a double size bed and spacious room. A good tip for people staying at Wilmslow Park is to become a member of the residents' committee, as you will be offered either a free gym membership or free car parking space (which is extortionate if you have to pay). There are a further 8 halls at the Cheshire site ranging in price from a cheap £63 a week for a standard self-catering room in Daisy Bank House to £80 a week in Booth Hall for an en suite room. More info on MMU's student accommodation can be found on their website. Again there is the option of living in private halls, for which you'll find details of on the Manchester Student Homes website, which is run by the University of Manchester and MMU.

Salford University

Salford has 7 halls of residences for undergrads, 2 of which, Constantine Court and Horlock Court are located on Campus. All other accommodation is a short distance away, but the uni offers a free bus service during term time. The prices range from a very cheap £56 a week for a standard room in Castle Irwell to £78.54 for an en suite in Constantine Court. All the residences require a £200 damage deposit which is payable when you accept an offer and is returned within 4 weeks of your contract ending.

Other Important Stuff to Remember

Another important thing for people who cannot live without a TV is to check whether you will need a TV license. Generally if you bring your own TV you will by law have to buy a TV license, which will set you back £135.50 for the year, you can buy this online or at the post office. Sometimes if there is a TV supplied it will be in the communal area and come with a TV license, the private Q3 apartments do this. It is also important to check whether your rent will include contents insurance, as living in a large city such as Manchester it is inevitable that there is crime and this can be prevented by making sure you keep your stuff out of sight and if the worse happens by having insurance it will be less of a financial burden. Endlseigh is one of the largest companies offering cheap insurance to students, they have a branch in the union of the University of Manchester. A good website to go on is immobilise, which is the UK National Property Register where you can add details of your property so if it does get lost or stolen, the police help you recover it.