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House hunting information

Guidance on finding student accommodation, costs and guarantors, financial support, and applying to return to university accommodation.

Three students chat together at Spark in York city centre.

After your first year at York St John University, you will have a good idea of the different areas of York, the kind of properties that are on offer and who you would like to live with, so you will be in a strong position to start house-hunting.

On this page you can find guidance on:

You can also download the Students' Union guide to housing for more tips and advice: Students' Union Housing Guide (PDF, 0.5 MB)

Looking for student accommodation

The city of York has 2 universities, so there are plenty of ways to find student accommodation in the area. York city centre has a variety of local property agents, local papers and online forums to find accommodation.

Local agents include:

National services have part of their website dedicated to finding accommodation for students including Rightmove, Zoopla, and Accommodation for Students.

York St John Students' Union (YSJSU) have helpful resources for students to use when looking for accommodation. For more information visit the YSJSU website.

Finding people to live with

The Accommodation team run workshops and events to help you find other students to live with or fill gaps in your current household. These events are usually held at the beginning of the calendar year. Check the accommodation social media pages or email accommodation@yorksj.ac.uk.

The team also run a Find a YSJ Housemate Facebook group where you can meet fellow students looking for housemates.

Rent costs

Prices vary throughout different areas of York. Students can expect to pay around £100 to £180 per person, per week. You may be asked to pay your rent monthly or quarterly (every 3 months) depending on the conditions outlined in your tenancy agreement. Make sure to consider your budget before signing an agreement.

Check what is covered in your rent payments and if things like utility bills and parking charges are included.

Paying council tax

Full time students are exempt from paying council tax while they are living in private or university managed accommodation.

Email SID@yorksj.ac.uk if you need information on council tax exemption, or visit the 'Letters' section on your E:vision account.

You can apply for a council tax exemption on the City of York council website.

Finding a guarantor

Most landlords or agents will ask for you to provide details of a guarantor when applying for a private let. This can often be a parent or guardian who would be responsible for paying your rent, in the event of you being unable to make the payment yourself.

If you are unable to find a guarantor, there are some resources online that may be able to help. For more details, please see the Citizens advice page, Housing Hand or Rent Guarantor. Please note that not all letting agencies will accept online guarantor services.

Financial support

Each student's financial situation is different. You can contact the Student Funding Advice team on fundingadvice@yorksj.ac.uk for information on the financial support you are eligible for, or any other advice regarding your finances.

Applying to return to university accommodation

Some students may be eligible to return to University accommodation. Allocations will only be offered to those with a significant reason for requiring it. More details about applying to return to university managed accommodation can be found on our dedicated page.

Returning to university accommodation

If you are approved to return to University accommodation, you will be allocated a room in a University Managed House. When you apply on the accommodation hub, you will only see these options available. If you need an alternative accommodation due to additional requirements, you will need to fill out the additional requirements form and provide evidence.

University support

The Accommodation team have little control over the terms and conditions you agree to when signing a contract with a private provider. You can still contact the Accommodation team for advice when living in private housing at accommodation@yorksj.ac.uk.

Our Welfare team can advise you on how to deal with any problems you have with a private landlord or agent. More information about the rights you have as a student in a private rental can be found on the Citizens advice page.

Private halls of residence

There are a number of purpose built halls of residence which are very similar to University owned accommodation. Student flats are available at:

This option can be a good middle ground between University owned accommodation and typical private housing.

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