Accommodation
Accommodation advice for new students
If you have been offered a place to study at Leeds College of Music, you are probably thinking about where you are going to live.
The following information and advice is to assist you in your choices, but please remember that the only influence the college has is in allocating rooms in Joseph Stones House, not in arranging any other accommodation.
This will be your own responsibility.
Joseph Stones House
Joseph Stones House is owned and managed by UNITE (a private student accommodation provider) not by the college.
You can apply for a room by filling out and returning the Joseph Stones Application Form - please read the section How to apply for Joseph Stones House before doing so.
You may also contact the hospitality team at Joseph Stones House on 0113 2471722.
If you fail to get a place in Joseph Stones House then there are several alternatives you can try. UNITE also own and manage The Plaza which is a 15min walk away from college, is only a few years old and houses a number of our students. You can view it and apply direct through UNITE on www.unite-students.com
UNIPOL
Along with the two universities and other small colleges, the college helps to fund a reputable and well established accommodation bureau called UNIPOL. This is a non-profit making charitable trust rather than an estate agent. www.unipol.leeds.ac.uk
Many of our students use UNIPOL’s services to find somewhere to live and a number of places are available to our students with unconditional offers in the halls near to college i.e. Mill Street and New York Street. Students with conditional offers can live in halls that are in the city centre or a short bus ride away. UNIPOL does not deal with students under the age of 18.
Sharing a house
If you choose to share a house rather than live in halls, please do not sign a contract unless you are sure you want to share with the other occupants or you have checked that there actually are other people moving in to the house with you. This applies whether you go through UNIPOL or look by yourself. You could end up paying for the whole house! There are some landlords willing to issue individual contracts, but you need to check carefully.
It is very difficult to be released from a contract, whether in halls or shared houses, unless you can find someone to take over your room. If in doubt, don’t sign!
The main problem areas when sharing are smoking, tidying-up, noise and shared bills. Also dietary requirements because of choice or religious beliefs may lead to disagreements. Make sure you have a chat to your potential housemates before you make a decision. You will require a Council Tax Exemption Form if your house is solely occupied by students.
The average rent for 2009 in shared housing is £63 per week.
Overseas Students
For overseas students above 18 years of age who do not get a place or wish to live in Joseph Stones House, who don’t make use of UNIPOL or share a private house, there may be room in Mary Morris International Residence. This is a privately run halls of residence in Headingley, a couple of miles north of the city centre. There are 194 rooms divided into self-catering flats, occupied by students of many different nationalities who are studying in Leeds. Smaller houses are also available for couples and families. You can contact them by telephone on 0113 284 4600, fax 0113 293 0348 or email admin@marymorris.com www.marymorris.com
Under eighteen?
Students under eighteen (whether from the UK or abroad) have very little choice of where to live due to current British legislation. They can apply to Liberty Park or Headingley Halls, both run on similar lines to Mary Morris Halls. Again contact must be made directly to the halls, not through Leeds College of Music.
Liberty Park can be viewed and contacted on www.libertyliving.co.uk or telephone 0113 2433 618.
Headingley Halls can be contacted on 0113 2788 600
It is the responsibility of the parent or guardian of any student who is under 18 and living away from home, to ensure that the accommodation chosen is suitable, appropriate and safe.
Deposits
When arranging rented accommodation you will be expected to sign a contract in most cases for twelve months and to pay a deposit of between £75 and £250. This is refunded at the end of the rental period unless you have caused any damage or loss to fixtures or furnishings.
As part of the new Housing Act, deposits paid on Assured Shorthold Tenancies signed after April 2007 will be protected (this is the tenancy most students acquire) The scheme will ensure good practice in deposit handling so that when a tenant pays a deposit, and is entitled to it back, they can be assured this will happen. Further details on the Deposit Protection Scheme and how it works are available on the Government web page or UNIPOL site.
Insurance
We strongly advise that you insure your personal belongings, particularly if you will be bringing musical instruments, equipment, a computer, TV etc. Endsleigh have policies designed for students at a reasonable cost or you may get cover through you parent’s house insurance. Please check www.endsleigh.co.uk
For further accommodation advice please contact Anne Best on p.best@lcm.ac.uk tel: 0113 2223514 or write to Anne Best, Accommodation Advisor, Leeds College of Music, 3 Quarry Hill, Leeds LS2 7PD.
