Student residence type accomodation for non-students

onthewayout

Does something like a student residence for working people exist anywhere in this country?

I'm thinking of high rise blocks with concierges, near city centres, containing lots of ensuite rooms, each with a shower, sink, toilet, double bed, desk, fridge and microwave. Utilities and broadband included in the rent. There could be a shared proper kitchen and lounge on each floor, and coin-op laundry & bike sheds on the ground floor. Ideally on a more flexible tenancy than the usual 12 months.

I've never been able to find anything like this, and I'd have thought most cities would have enormous demand. The economies of scale would allow for lower rents, attracting young people who are currently stuck in crappy rentals sharing all their facilities with strangers.

The closest I've come is Lucy Properties, who rent out studios in their converted factory buildings near central Oxford. The company (Lucy Switchgear) is actually an electronics manufacturer, but they've moved the factory out of town and converted its old site. Their contracts are 6 months to start with and then a monthly rolling notice period, without the usual fees-for-nothing and general abuse from letting agencies. Absolutely massive demand as you'd imagine, and they had nothing available at the right time for me.

Anyone fancy a guess why nothing like this ever gets built from scratch? Surely it would turn a profit...

t0rt0ise

They are called hostels!

onthewayout

That's what I mean, but for residents not tourists. Rented by the month, not by the night.

t0rt0ise wrote: »

They are called hostels!

southoftheriver

Serviced apartments?

onthewayout

Not really, because that's a super-premium option from what I've seen. I mean something where the rental units are small and fairly cheap, to attract people currently sharing a normal house with a group of strangers.

southoftheriver wrote: »

Serviced apartments?

Soot2006

I've lived in bedsits like this ... 10 rooms each with functional cuisinette + shared bathrooms and a nice shared common room with big TV. Was very nice for me in my early 20s having moved to new city on my own. Was supposed to be for a few months but I ended up staying nearly a year. Many of the tenants had been there for years and years.

flea72

DD currently pays £115/wk for an ensuite bedroom, with shared kitchen in halls. Coin-op laundry is charged on top.

An ensuite room in a house-share is nearer £90/wk, with washing machine included

So no, student style accommodation is not necessarily cheaper.

Also why would you prefer a block of flats, to a house? You are still sharing with people, you just dont have floors of noisy neighbours above/below

onthewayout

Where was it, if you don't mind me asking? And was it hard to get a room there, or expensive?

Soot2006 wrote: »

I've lived in bedsits like this ... 10 rooms each with functional cuisinette + shared bathrooms and a nice shared common room with big TV. Was very nice for me in my early 20s having moved to new city on my own. Was supposed to be for a few months but I ended up staying nearly a year. Many of the tenants had been there for years and years.

Soot2006

Was about £80/wk 10 years ago, so same cost as student housing was at the time, including all bills. This was in Edinburgh, but also stayed for a couple months in a bedsit in Brighton for £90/wk for couples room for OH and myself when we first arrived there. I don't think it's uncommon.

student halls are very expensive these days, so can't imagine bedsits would be much different in price?

onthewayout

In the place I'm thinking of, the rooms would be self-contained with a fridge and microwave, and as secure as a normal flat.

I think that would be good for friendly social types too, because it would be easier to find a replacement tenant if you got a new job and needed to move in a hurry. Sharing a normal house means you're living in other people's pockets. Not that I really mind, but I know from experience it makes moving out more complicated.

Aren't the relatively high rents in actual student residences down to the universties themselves funneling first years into them as a default option? You're right though, they are expensive (albeit bright, shiny and safe looking) and I don't know what the margins are like for the owners. I just assumed there would be economies of scale because they pack a lot of tenants into each site.

flea72 wrote: »

DD currently pays £115/wk for an ensuite bedroom, with shared kitchen in halls. Coin-op laundry is charged on top.

An ensuite room in a house-share is nearer £90/wk, with washing machine included

So no, student style accommodation is not necessarily cheaper.

Also why would you prefer a block of flats, to a house? You are still sharing with people, you just dont have floors of noisy neighbours above/below

onthewayout

Bills included is a significant point for me. Especially phone and broadband are a pain to set up even for 12 months, and might be impossible for shorter periods. I can well imagine short term tenants paying a reasonable premium to walk into a clean, safe no-hassle place where everything just works from the first day.

Soot2006 wrote: »

Was about £80/wk 10 years ago, so same cost as student housing was at the time, including all bills. This was in Edinburgh, but also stayed for a couple months in a bedsit in Brighton for £90/wk for couples room for OH and myself when we first arrived there. I don't think it's uncommon.

student halls are very expensive these days, so can't imagine bedsits would be much different in price?