The Iglu Guide | Blog
Got student accommodation FOMO? How to beat the competition and secure your new home
Once you’ve decided where you want to study, it’s all about locking down the right student accommodation. And if you don’t want to get left travelling hours to get to uni and missing out on the best bits of student life, that needs to happen fast. Student accommodation in Australia is facing increasing pressure, with extremely high demand in all major cities. But all is not lost. Knowing what to avoid, and armed with the right strategies, student accommodation FOMO is simply not an option. Here’s how to get your head in the game and beat that competition hands down.
1. Know what you’re looking for
There are many different types of student accommodation options that cater to the needs of all different students. In order to beat the rush, know what you’re looking for upfront so that you can isolate the best options more quickly, and get your application in early. Consider aspects such as:
- The type of accommodation that suits you best: The options range from on-campus student accommodation through to independent rentals and purpose-built student accommodation buildings like Iglu. Think about how you want to live, how secure you will feel, the facilities you would like and what sort of environment will suit you best before you commit. Consider your budget constraints, and whether it will benefit you to have an all-inclusive living cost.
- Location: Many students prefer the convenience of living close by to university, with limited travel time. This enables students to optimise university life and really get involved with everything the university has to offer without the concerns of late night travel alone.
- How you live: Consider whether you will enjoy living alone or would prefer to be part of a share house, and whether it’s important to have access to a built-in community as opposed to operating completely independently. Many students prefer the security of a like-minded environment – particularly in the first year.
- What’s most important: Prioritise your needs and think about what’s most important to you. That might be community and people, safety and security or proximity to uni.
2. Be organised
It really does pay to start your search early. As soon as you have your uni place confirmed, jump online and start doing your research – even if your move-in date seems far away. This will help you get on top of all the options and get your accommodation application submitted well in advance. Faced with steep competition, make sure you apply to multiple places so that your hopes don’t rely on one single option. This approach also forces you to explore different opportunities. To help with your search:
- Know which campus your uni course is located on.
- Understand the travel options available – and what you are prepared to do to get in and out of college.
- Use all your uni resources such as listings, partnership recommendations and notice boards to get a full understanding of the accommodation options and availability.
- Use the dedicated websites and accommodation portals available to find options. Student forums and social media are useful ways to track of this fast-moving market.
- Set up alerts and notifications so that any new listings that match your criteria go straight to your inbox.
- If you are unable to visit in-person, use personal recommendations and reviews as a guide.
3. Be flexible
By all means start out with your wish list, but make sure you factor in a degree of flexibility. Think about the number of other students that are going to have exactly the same list as you. The trick is to prioritise your needs, and know where you’re prepared to take a bit of compromise. The one sure thing about student accommodation is that whatever you end up with, it all tends to work out in the end.
- Expand your search radius to include locations slightly further afield – these will definitely be cheaper and ultimately may not significantly affect your travel times.
- Consider sharing with others, whether that’s in supported purpose-built accommodation or in independent rentals – this will have the added benefit of bringing the cost down.
- Be prepared to move in earlier – having this type of flexibility could make the difference between your application and another.
- Think about what facilities you can live without, such as a gym, private bathroom facilities or proximity to transport.
- Flex the budget – perhaps you can afford to spend slightly more to have the security of knowing you are going to get exactly what you want.
4. Have your application documents ready to go
Once you have found the right place, the next step is to make sure you get it secured asap. Create a comprehensive rental application that includes all requirements such as proof of enrolment, personal and academic references and a well-written cover letter. References should demonstrate that you will be a responsible and reliable tenant. Submit your application as early as possible and make sure you have the funds on hand when needed. Students that demonstrate organisation and initiative will definitely head to the top of the queue, as landlords want reliability and surety for the duration of the tenancy agreement.
5. Check the lease
Always read any lease agreement carefully and make sure you fully understand what you are signing – particularly if you are managing this from overseas. On arrival, there should be a full inspection report that you can use to avoid any issues with the bond on check out. Be mindful of potential scams and fraudulent listings, and always prioritise your safety when communicating with potential landlords or roommates.
If you don’t end up with your first-choice student accommodation, try to stay open minded and embrace the new opportunity. Avoid FOMO by taking a bit of extra time to plan out your schedule so that you don’t miss out on any important social or academic experiences. Fortunately, Australian cities all benefit from an excellent network of public transport options which keeps students incredibly well connected, all around the country.
