Student Accommodation
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STUDENT: How much would that cost?
MAN: Well, it depends for a standard room you’re looking at 3276 pounds for the year, that’s just for a room with wash basin, or Q1 3834 pounds if you want an ensuite that’s with your own small bathroom.
STUDENT: I see that’s more than I expected.
MAN: It does include heating. That’s quarter saving because energy costs can be high, especially in Winter.
STUDENT: Hmm, does it include meals as well?
MAN: No, all our rooms are self-catering now there’s a shared kitchen on each Corridor where you can cook if you want to or there are plenty of places to eat out on campus.
STUDENT: Okay, and you said that’s the price for the whole year?
MAN: Well, you pay annually, but actually it’s for 36 weeks it doesn’t include Q2 holidays you have to vacate the room then.
STUDENT: Oh um, I need somewhere to stay in the holidays I can’t afford to go home the flights are too expensive.
MAN: Well, there is another option, several families who either work at the college or have children studying here offer visiting students a room in their homes.
STUDENT: Oh.
MAN: We call this arrangement Q3 home welcome and we’ve still got a few places left at the moment. You pay 150 pounds per week and that includes breakfast, a packed lunch, and dinner as well as Heating.
STUDENT: Is there a contract? Do you have to stay for the whole year?
MAN: No, it’s Q4 flexible.
STUDENT: Um, it sounds really good but I’m not sure. I really want to be a little more independent.
STUDENT: What about finding somewhere to live off campus?
MAN: Yes, you can rent a property in town privately. You might want to rent a room in a shared house, you’d have a room of your own and share the kitchen and bathroom with other students.
STUDENT: What about if I don’t want to share?
MAN: You can get what we call a Q5 studio, they’re often quite small but they’ll have everything you need.
STUDENT: Right how much with those two options cost?
MAN: Well, prices vary depending on which part of town the property is in generally speaking the cheapest is around 275 pounds a month for each student.
STUDENT: Oh uh, that’s not too bad.
MAN: Yes, but it can also be as high as 490 pounds and then you’ll have to pay all your other bills.
STUDENT: What sort of amount would I be looking at for those well last year students were paying on average about 43 pounds per month each for gas and electricity this year it’ll probably be somewhere in the region of Q6 48 pounds.
MAN: That’s a lot.
STUDENT: Yes, they’ve gone up quite a bit and on top of that you have to pay for Q7 water and that’ll probably be around nine pounds.
MAN: That didn’t occur to me and I guess I’d have to pay for Q8 transportation too.
STUDENT: That’s right most of these properties are quite a long way from the college.
MAN: It just gets worse and worse. What’s the minimum contract on this type of accommodation?
STUDENT: 6 pounds and you have to pay Q9 a deposit but of course, you can stay there over the holidays.
MAN: That’s true and you’d have to provide Q10 references.
STUDENT: They want two from someone in this country.
MAN: I see that’s not a problem.
STUDENT: If you do choose this option we can’t find the property for you you’d have to go through the estate agent which manages the property for the owner.
MAN: Right thanks, well I think I’d like to see what’s available privately. Could you give me the estate agent details?