Continuing students

Find your new home for next year

All continuing students are strongly advised to search for their next home using the services of Liverpool Student Homes (LSH)

LSH is the only official service for private accommodation and is endorsed and funded by the local universities and the respective Students' Unions. LSH advertise the largest selection of private student accommodation in Liverpool, including shared houses and flats of all sizes plus most of the private halls.

The LSH accreditation scheme means that all hall providers, landlords and letting agents who wish to advertise properties must ensure that the accommodation meets the quality and safety criteria set out in the LSH Standards. The list of registered properties is available to view on the LSH website or by visiting the LSH office.

Key things to remember when searching for accommodation:

• Don't be pressurised into securing accommodation too early
  There is an oversupply of accommodation in Liverpool, so it is important NOT TO RUSH! The earlier you sign up for your accommodation, the more chance you have of experiencing problems.
• Don’t approach other housing agencies when looking for accommodation
  Don’t be fooled by other companies with “Student Homes” in the title – Liverpool Student Homes is the only official student housing agency in the city, and you will not receive the same level of support from other companies as you will from LSH.
• Remember that almost all halls have vacancies for next year
  All the reputable halls are registered with LSH and so residents are protected by the LSH Standards, even if they book with them directly. If you are unsure whether a hall is registered with LSH, check their website.
• Don’t settle for poor quality accommodation
  If there is any aspect of a property that you are not happy with, walk away and keep looking until you find the right one.
• Always ask ‘Is this property registered with LSH’?
  If the answer is ‘No’ then ask yourself ‘Why not?’ and walk away.

Living in halls

It is no longer the norm for LJMU students to move into a shared house after their first year and staying on in a city-centre hall has many advantages, including:

• individual tenancy agreements - as opposed to the joint tenancies offered in most houses
• convenient city-centre locations within walking distance of lectures
• helpful on-site staff to assist with repairs and receiving deliveries
• extended cancellation windows in many cases, offering reassurance at this uncertain time
• the opportunity to be placed with other current students in the same situation as you, giving you a ‘second chance’ to make a new group of friends.

LJMU partner halls

If you are a first year student living in a LJMU partner hall, you should first check to see what rebooking discounts are on offer. Almost all halls have rooms available for next year and the only major exception is Horizon Heights. You will probably need to choose a new flat because we use the same flats for each new intake - but you can choose where you live in the building and you can ask to share with students at the same stage of their university career. 

The following table highlights the LJMU partner providers and the halls they own. This list includes some halls that will not be used to house first years in 2021-22 and will therefore be a quieter studying environment, if that is what you are seeking.

(*) Indicates a hall not housing LJMU first years in academic year 2021-22

Come to the LSH Housing Fair

If you need inspiration or want more options, then why not attend the LSH Virtual Housing Fair on Wednesday, 3 March? The Fair will be a great opportunity to meet registered halls, private landlords and letting agents to find out more about what they offer and ask all the questions you want. All the LJMU partner hall providers listed above will be represented at the Housing Fair.

Find a Housemate events

LSH run virtual “Find a Housemate” meet-ups for current students throughout the year and the details of these events are listed on their website.

Money matters

When you are choosing accommodation, you need to be sure you are happy with your choice of course but you should also work out if you can afford to live there before you sign the tenancy agreement. You can use the online student budgeting platform Blackbullion and the Money Saving Expert website has some good guidance about how to work out a budget.  Remember when working out your budget to include travel costs if you plan to live outside the city centre, as this can add up over the year.

Don’t forget to reapply for your student finance for next year when you are asked to do it.  In order to get your money in September to pay your rent on time, you will need to do this by the end of June 2021.

Further information

If you have any further questions about finding your accommodation for next year, feel free to contact LSH or the LJMU Accommodation Office.