How to find a second-year uni house in Sheffield

After first year, most second-year students choose to move out of halls and privately rent for the first time. If you haven’t done it before, finding a second-year uni house might seem overwhelming but there are a few steps you can take to make the process easier.

What is a uni house?

A uni house is a shared property that you will live in with other students. Unlike your first-year halls, it won’t be owned by your university but by a private landlord instead. You’ll enter into a tenancy agreement directly with the landlord or property manager. However, if you’re struggling, your university’s housing office may be able to help you find second-year housing. 

When to look for a second-year uni house in Sheffield 

In general, most students start looking for uni houses in Sheffield for the following academic year between October and December. The student accommodation market is quite competitive and moves quickly. As a Fresher, this doesn’t give you much time to settle in to university life before you need to start thinking about housing for the next year. This might seem a bit scary but as long as you’re organised and know what to expect, you’ll be fine. 

5 steps to finding a second-year uni house in Sheffield

If you’ve never rented before, it can be difficult to know where to start. Follow these five tips to make finding a second-year uni house a breeze.

1. Choose your housemates 

Choosing who to live with at university is a big decision. Sharing the same space can cause unexpected tensions to arise. You don’t want to end up having unnecessary arguments over who’s turn it is to take the bins out or who’s left their washing up sitting in the sink for too long. 

It’s important to not rush the decision, but you also need to be aware of the seasonality of house hunting in the student accommodation sector. Start thinking about your options early so you can make the most informed decision. 

Choosing your group will also determine the kind of uni house you look for in Sheffield. If you’re a big group, you’ll need a bigger house with more bedrooms and there might be fewer of these on the market. This is something to consider when deciding who to live with.  

2. Work out your budget 

Before you can start looking for uni houses, you need to consider how much you can realistically spend on student accommodation. Try and work out a rough weekly budget based on your maintenance loan and any other forms of income you might have. Remember, you’ll also need to think about the cost of household bills too.

When you’re living in a shared house, you need to also consider the budgets of your housemates too. It’s highly unlikely that everyone will be in the same financial situation. If someone has a higher or lower budget than the rest of the group, you could consider trying a tiered rent system. In most uni houses there is a smaller bedroom (some might know it as the box room). Whoever gets this room could pay the least rent and the person with the biggest room could pay the most. This helps make everything fair.

If you’re still struggling, check out our guide to the cost of living in Sheffield for more useful tips.

3. Decide on location 

There are lots of different neighbourhoods to choose from in Sheffield. Where you live will depend on your specific preferences, including your budget, and how close you want to be to your university campus. If you’re not too fussed about living close to uni, you might be able to secure a cheaper option.

If you need help deciding where to live, check out our recommendations for the top five student areas in Sheffield.

4. Search online 

When you’re trying to find a second-year uni house, the best place to start looking is online. You’ll find lots of housing on accommodation listing sites. However, be aware that not all landlords or property managers are willing to let to students. You can usually filter by ‘student accommodation’ to make sure you’re looking at relevant properties. Or, if you want to simplify the whole process, you can search on StuRents, the UK’s leading student accommodation search platform. We only show student housing options, so there’s no need to filter out inapplicable listings. Instead you can focus on filtering by the things that actually matter like location budget, number of bedrooms, and specific facilities.

5. Organise viewings 

It’s not a good idea to sign a tenancy agreement if you haven’t seen the property in person yet. Once you’ve found a uni house you’re interested in, you should call, email or message the landlord or letting agent to organise a viewing. Usually, the fastest way to get a response is to call. 

Alternatively, if you’re searching on StuRents, you can organise viewings by selecting a time the landlord or letting agent is available directly from the listing. 

Find a second-year uni house in Sheffield with StuRents

Want to get your housing search started? Find the perfect second-year uni house in Sheffield by searching on StuRents. We list over 750,000 rooms every year, so you’ll be sure to find something that suits your needs.