Private Accommodation
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If College accommodation is not suitable, the city of Bradford has a wide range of private rented accommodation for students.
This includes small flats for single people or couples, houses suitable for groups of students wishing to live together and family accommodation. This accommodation is owned by private individuals and letting agents. Bradford College cannot arrange it for you or guarantee its quality. However we can give you information on choosing the best private accommodation to suit your needs.
Usually each student will have their own study bedroom and share a kitchen, toilet, bathroom and living room with the other students. Good quality houses will normally have gas central heating. Students living in this type of accommodation will usually share the responsibility for cleaning the property and the payment of the utility bills.
Most privately rented student accommodation is within walking distance of or a short bus ride away from the College.
Unipol Student Homes
If you are looking for private accommodation, it is recommended that you use the services of Unipol Student Homes. They are a national charity who help students find good quality rented housing. They run two main services for Bradford students:
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An online database where you can search for accommodation.
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The Unipol Code - a scheme especially for student properties. Landlords who are members agree to meet higher standards.
For more information visit the Unipol website:
The Unipol Code
Unipol runs a voluntary scheme for landlords called the Unipol Code. If you rent from a landlord who is part of the scheme you can be reassured that they have agreed to meet higher property and management standards. When you search for properties on the Unipol website, prioritise adverts that have a blue background and display the 'thumbs up' logo, as these are covered by the Code.
Making your Decision
If you think private accommodation is for you, we recommend that you read the important information about renting in the Information for Students section on the Unipol website. The contracts most owners or agents will ask you to sign will commit you to paying rent for a full academic year including vacations. For this reason, it is very important to be cautious and think carefully before renting privately.
The Unipol website gives you all the important information you need before you rent including:
Search for Accommodation
The quality and price of private accommodation in Bradford varies widely. Once you have read the information on the Unipol website, you can search for accommodation by doing a online Property Search.
Before you Arrive
If you decide to proceed with renting privately, it is important that you do not sign a contract for accommodation before you have viewed the property. It normally takes a few days to find a house and finalise a contract, so you will need to arrange for somewhere to stay for the first few days. Bradford College has some Short Term accommodation, subject to availability.
Alternatively you can find other types of accommodation such as Bed and Breakfast (B&B) or hotels. You can do this by contacting Bradford Tourist Information Centre.
Bradford Tourist Information Centre
City Hall
Bradford
BD1 1HY
UK
Tel: +44 (0)1274 433678
Fax: +44 (0)1274 739067