Looking for student accommodation or private halls? Beware!

Apart from private residential halls for students being an excellent choice with lots of mod cons, security and comfort levels, they also help avoid the problems of being scammed by unscrupulous people.

It’s at this time of year when students are looking to return to university, or even start their first year, when warnings are issued about the problems caused by scamming landlords.

This year, the National Landlords’ Association has issued a warning that potential tenants should be vigilant when looking for student accommodation.

Indeed, the organisation receives scores of complaints every year about fraudsters who generally operate online and cash in on students looking for available properties when their academic year is about to start.

Sadly, many people are taken in by the scams which trick students into paying out advance fees for a rental property.

To make matters worse they also use fake letterheads and branding, even from the NLA to help lure their victims into a financial trap.

Looking to rent quality student accommodation in the UK

The worst part of this growing problem is that the scammers tend to target people coming from overseas who are looking to rent quality student accommodation in the UK and who do so by searching online before they arrive.

However, once they find their student accommodation and pay their deposit, the landlord then disappears along with their cash.

Now the NLA has issued some guidance on how to avoid these student accommodation frauds and are working with the National Union of Students as well as the National Crime Agency.

Essentially, the NLA is urging everyone who is responding to an online advert to ensure that they are responding to someone who is genuine and that they should view the property before parting with any money.

It’s also important to appreciate that the student should not have to do wire cash beforehand or use a money transfer service which means a criminal can withdraw the money from a different location.

Students looking for accommodation

Many universities provide help and advice for students looking for accommodation coming from abroad, as does the students’ union.

The chairman of the NLA, Carolyn Uphill, said: “It’s an ugly aspect of private renting which rears up as students, particularly those from abroad, who are looking to secure their rental accommodation.

“Tenant should not send payment to an advertiser before they come and ensure the property offer is genuine and they should really contact the university who will provide a list of reputable letting agents and landlords.”

She urged students to avoid adverts written in poor English and check whether the landlord is a member of the NLA.

Approach a provider of private residential student halls

One other way to avoid being scammed for student accommodation is to approach a provider of private residential student halls; these are top quality student halls with lots of facilities, security and areas to mix with other student tenants.

Many also come with other attractive features including games and TV rooms, small cinemas, coffee shops and even bowling alleys!

There are lots of quality providers of such private halls for students and we would urge anyone looking for an excellent place to live while they undertake their studies to contact them or use websites such as PrivateHalls.co.uk to find the latest and best offers.