16th August 2017
Parents Zone
The Parent’s Guide to Student Accommodation in Chester.
Having a child start university is a big moment in any parent’s life. With them leaving the family home to start a life in a new city, there’s plenty to consider and it’s only natural to worry, so we’ve compiled this guide to give you all the information you need about choosing the right student accommodation in Chester.
Safety
Chester is a very safe city overall, found to be the second safest university city in the North West in 2015 by the Complete University Guide. Student housing is of a good quality, with accommodation mixed in with professional and family housing so students become part of the local community.
All of the rooms and houseshares offered by Matthew’s of Chester have undergone our rigorous approval process to ensure they meet our standards of safety and security, as well as suitability, before we agree to list them. Our student lettings team are very experienced and we also employ recent graduates, who have first-hand experience of student accommodation and know exactly what to look for when picking a suitable place to live, so you can be sure we don’t list any properties that we wouldn’t be happy to live in ourselves.
We also take care to ensure that the students we rent rooms to are likely to get on with each other, so will put certain year groups in the same house or make sure friendship groups can stay together in one house.
The majority of our student accommodation is in the area close to the University, so students are able to share taxis home or walk back to their accommodation with fellow students in the evening, helping them to stay safe on nights out.
Affordability
Living in student halls can be very expensive, sometimes costing more than a student receives in total maintenance loans and grants. This means that the cost of living comes from parents or part-time jobs, which can have an adverse affect on academic performance. Private houseshares are much more cost-effective, and residents won’t miss out on any of the fun of student life.
The vast majority of the rooms Matthew’s let are located in prime areas near both the campus and the city centre, cutting down on transport costs. Everything you need is close by including local shops, café’s and bars, hairdressers and supermarkets.There are plenty of shops nearby for stocking up the kitchen, and the close proximity of other student properties makes it easy to socialise with the new friends you will make.
Financial security
Matthew’s is the only Student Letting Agent which is ARLA Propertymark protected. This means that all rents and deposits paid to Matthew’s are kept in a separate client account covered by Client Money Protection insurance and all deposits are protected with the Government Deposit Protection Service (DPS). This means no deductions can be made without your agreement. As long as there’s no damage to the property during their tenancy, you can be assured that it will be returned in full.
All students will need a guarantor. This will usually be a parent or close family member. The guarantor is liable to pay the rent in the event of the tenant defaulting on a payment. This is fairly common practice for student accommodation, and helps to protect the landlord from lost earnings should your child default on their payments.
Property management
We have a wealth of experience managing rental properties and pride ourselves on providing a first class service. Students who rent their student accommodation through us benefit from dedicated support from our student lettings team.
Students are welcome to call into our office at any time to discuss any problems or issues they may be concerned about and we will help them in any way we can. We have an excellent relationship with the University Staff, Student Union and Pastoral Staff and liaise with them when necessary. We also keep in touch across text, email, phone and Facebook. If they have any issues, we have a 24-hour maintenance service who can fix any problems. We also provide an out of hours telephone number in case of emergencies.
We work with both student and professional house shares, so we are well-practiced at placing tenants with like-minded people to create harmonious living arrangements. We’re also fully licensed by ARLA, so you can be sure that we are compliant with all relevant legislation and there is a clear route to redress if you are unhappy.
Finding a student property
We list student rooms throughout the year, so there’s plenty of choice available. Browse our latest student properties now, or get in touch to speak to our student lettings team and find out more.
