Opinion Editor, Zahrah Santos-Califano, investigates the chaotic whirlwind of student housing in Durham, questioning why first-years are left to navigate the high-stakes housing market with minimal guidance and exploring how the system could be improved for all.
It is a universally acknowledged truth that a fresher in possession of a budget, which never seems enough, must be in want of a second-year house. I had the pleasure of going on the eternal pilgrimage of house viewings last week, looking for somewhere that would be decent enough to house a group of five students for a year. A roof, four dry walls and running water were the main standards we set, but even then, ‘dry’ seems to be a privilege in high demand and low supply. As I turned up unannounced to the houses of the unsuspecting current residents, I couldn’t help but wonder if there was a better system that could be used to house us all during our university education to avoid the stressful chaos that is the current nature of student house hunting in Durham.
In all seriousness, the housing market in Durham is not all that bad; there appears to be an adequate amount of housing available. Many students have already secured a house for next year (ten months in advance, no less) or are about to. According to research done by Durham University, there are around 2,530 private properties in the DH1 postcode area exclusively let to students, which, although in high demand, are an adequate number for student housing needs. Other university cities are not so fortunate; the BBC recently reported on some students from Oxford Brookes University queuing outside the letting agents for 24 hours. The stakes in Durham seem much less, with very few students physically going to an estate agent. Nevertheless, it is difficult to deny that we do not have somewhat of a housing hunger games hysteria; however much the university assures us that there is enough housing to go around, from the very first day of term, not a day goes by where the worry of not finding a house looms over students heads.
Students are largely left to their own devices; besides a short PowerPoint with some limited advice, as well as a ‘find a housemate’ event – which, for some, came too late in the year to be truly of value anymore – the college largely trusts that students will be able to navigate housing themselves. Thus, my unlucky housemates and I, armed with the little knowledge we had, embarked on a house-hunting adventure. From Claypath to the Viaduct, there is not one second or third-year student who we did not pester with our endless questions. Although admitting to the latter does make me feel somewhat guilty, it was that process that led me to wonder why it is left up to first-year students to figure it out almost entirely for themselves. Under the assumption that it’s better to see a house before you pay an extortionate deposit for it, my group called up several letting agents to request viewings; however, all except one told us just to turn up unannounced, which at the least felt awkward, and at the most, invasive.
I talked to Grace, a second-year Johns student living in Gilesgate (which, she emphasises, is an underrated place to live), about her experiences as someone on the receiving end of a bombardment of house viewings. For her, ‘It has mostly been a positive experience’, as her ‘landlord has been really good at communicating when we should expect house viewings’. It appears, therefore, that the communication between tenants and landlords makes all the difference and raises the question as to why this is not standard procedure for letting agents. Still, however, ‘it also feels at times like an invasion of privacy’. Grace explains another way that she thinks the process of looking for student housing could be improved: ‘I really think Durham housing agencies should not release houses for renting until January after the Christmas break. This would save students a lot of stress.’ This would also give students more time to look for housemates, as she advises that it is better to ‘decide further down the line’ who your housemates should be, as ‘it is so crucial for a good second-year experience.’
Who knows what my first year out of college housing will bring; it is only next year that we will be able to reap the house-hunting seeds that we’ve sown. Yet, mould or dry, heating or none, one thing remains certain; Durham’s housing system is overdue for renovation.
Image Credit: Seren Bell
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