By Ross Moffat

*Halls of residence are one of the most common forms of student accommodation amongst students within the first year of university. Halls are normally owned by the university, and, or work in conjunction with a third party to provide the accommodation.

*Typically halls are reserved for first year (entry students), but there are, on occasion, options for progressive students entering into second year or above.

*Halls are a great place to meet and integrate into the university, they provide a secure, and cost effective communal space to meet and greet future friends class mates and colleagues.

*Unlike rented accommodation, often halls provide cleaners for the various communal areas and utilise communal washing and drying areas. The communal nature of student accommodation offers cost saving benefits.

*Halls of residence vary between accommodation options and there are quite noticeable differences, mainly within the amount of space allocated. Basically, the difference depends upon your budget.

*Halls provide options for most budgets, but there are common factors that are included for everyone. The basics often include: your own toilet, shower and internet connection.

*House sharing is a great option for your second year and beyond, normally within first year you will have established your peer groups and friends to which become future housemates. Within densely - student populated areas, naturally, there is large demand for student housing.

*Select an option that works best for you and your flatmates, and remember, start looking A.S.A.P. There are varying standards of housing accommodation; therefore it is a wise choice to start the search early to secure the cream of the crop.

*Private halls are a relatively recent phenomenon within the world of student accommodation. Increasing numbers of students attending universities, due to the lack of employment and other variable factors, have inevitably increased the demand for housing. Private sector companies identified a gap, and are now providing private accommodation at highly competitive prices.

*The benefits are similar to other forms of student accommodation in many respects, and are very comparable to the university owned accommodation. The main distinction is that students from any stage within their education are able to reside within the private halls, not just first year students.

*Large volumes of properties were snapped up within university town and cities due to the housing market crash. Primarily these properties have been used for renting to student and children who are attending universities within the area. There are many benefits to this approach, albeit for the students. Landlords tend to be the parents of the tenants and often the rent is slightly more affordable than other options.*Although this method does sounds too good to be true,

it does not go without its downfalls. Often the son/daughter occupying the property takes on the role of landlord; therefore this often causes tensions within the property. As understandably the lead tenant fells a certain responsibility to ensure the cleanliness and enforce the rules of the house.

*Ross Moffat, the author of this article is a professional writer for Nido provider of student accommodation London.