Accommodation
Advice on finding student housing in Aberdeen, moving in and out, and knowing your rights and responsibilities.
If you are planning to come to NESCol, it’s important to begin your search for accommodation as early as possible. Aberdeen has a large student population, and student accommodation in the city is in very high demand.
While NESCol does not have its own student accommodation, Aberdeen has a wide range of housing options available through dedicated providers and private rentals.
Finding accommodation
To get you started on finding housing in Aberdeen, we’ve listed a selection of student accommodation and private rental providers below. It’s also worth checking with friends and classmates to see if they know of an available property, as student housing often changes hands on an informal basis.
When you’re ready to view properties, Save the Student has a house viewing checklist that you may find useful.
Always stay safe when going to view a property by taking someone with you and letting others know where you’re going.
Student accommodation*
Private accommodation*
*Links on this page will take you to third party websites, which are owned and operated by independent organisations. These links are provided for your information and are not an endorsement by NESCol of the services provided by third parties or the content of third party websites.
Accommodation tips
As a tenant, you have a number of rights and responsibilities to be aware of.
Once you have found your accommodation, you will need to sign a tenancy agreement. This is a contract that should state your rights and responsibilities.
- It is important to read your tenancy agreement thoroughly before you sign.
- Private tenancies may charge up to two months’ rent as a deposit, which is usually paid into a deposit protection scheme.
Shelter Scotland has some useful advice about your rights as a tenant in student accommodation and deposits in private tenancies.
Before you settle in, it’s worth making sure you’ve:
- Signed and saved a copy of your tenancy agreement
- Confirmed your deposit is registered with the protection scheme
- Applied for student council tax exemption
- Checked your landlord has given you an inventory of items in the accommodation and that it’s correct (report any missing or damaged items)
- Taken photos of the property when you first move in
- Saved emergency contacts (landlord, repairs, utilities)
- Discussed shared house rules.
Save the Student has a moving house checklist that you may find helpful.
Repairs and maintenance
To formally request a fix, you can use Shelter Scotland’s repairs template letter.
Reporting problems
If something is wrong with your property, take photos and email your accommodation provider or landlord so there is record of it. Save copies of everything you send in case of future disputes.
When you’re ready to move out, you need to notify your landlord and give notice.
Before you move out:
- Deep clean your property
- Take final dated photos
- Check your inventory to make sure everything is present and in good condition.
Once you move out:
- Return your keys on the agreed date
- Keep a copy of the check-out report
- Claim your deposit back via the scheme portal.
Shelter Scotland has advice on moving out early, being evicted and your rights if you’re disabled.
Accommodation budget
As well as your rent, there are many costs to consider when budgeting for your accommodation. Money Helper has a budget planner for keeping track of your bills and spending.
Full-time students are exempt from paying council tax during the academic year. You need to apply online for the exemption.
The UK Government’s Council Tax page can help you find your local council if you don’t know.
If you need your NESCol confirmation letter, this can be found on MyNESCol.
There are some issues to be aware of:
- If there is a non-student living at the same address as you, you are still eligible for exemption and they are eligible for a 25% council tax discount;
- You will need to pay council tax during the summer holidays unless you are on a continuing course (i.e. you have just completed year one of a two-year HND course);
- If you withdraw from your course, your exemption will no longer apply.
A TV Licence covers you for:
- All TV channels, such as BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and international channels
- Pay TV services like Sky, Virgin Media and EE TV
- Live TV on streaming services such as Youtube, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video
- All content on BBC iPlayer.
You need one TV Licence per household – your parents’ licence will not cover you while you’re staying in student accommodation like halls, or a flat.
You can be fined up to £1000 if you are found watching, downloading or recording programmes illegally.
TV Licensing has useful information about when and where students need a licence and the different ways to pay it.
You should check whether your monthly/ weekly rent covers the cost of utilities too.
If not, you must find out who your supplier is and ensure your bills are paid on time. Energy costs can be considerable, so be sure to budget for this expense – nobody wants to be without hot water or heating during an Aberdeen winter!
The price comparison site Uswitch is great if you want to do some research and find out which energy supplier can offer the best deal. Bear in mind that you may have to check with your landlord before changing supplier.
It’s important to consider your belongings and what they mean to you. Student contents insurance protects your belongings against loss, theft or damage.
Save the Student has a useful student contents insurance guide with some suggestions of providers.
More information
Get in touch
If you would like to talk with a student adviser to discuss accommodation, you can contact the team directly by dropping into your local Student Advice Centre or by emailing studentadvice@nescol.ac.uk
Homelessness
If you are homeless, or worried about a student at College, visit the College’s Report and Support homelessness page. You can also contact Student Support by emailing studentsupport@nescol.ac.uk.
Financial hardship
A discretionary fund for students facing financial hardship is available, dependent on personal circumstances. Contact studentfunding@nescol.ac.uk for more information.
Resources
Shelter Scotland
Student housing advice covering tenancy rights, repairs, deposits and eviction.
Citizens Advice Scotland
Information about living in and moving out of student housing.