Accommodation
Leeds Conservatoire offers advice and support to current students seeking accommodation.
This page contains information for current enrolled students; if you are an applicant please see the information on the conservatoire website.
How to get Accommodation Advice
If you need help finding somewhere to live or are struggling with any aspect of living in student accommodation, we can help!
You can refer yourself into our service by completing the Student Services Referral Form, or sending us an email.
Email: accommodation@leedsconservatoire.ac.uk
Phone: 0113 222 3411
Applicant Information
This page contains information for current enrolled students; if you are an applicant please see the information on the conservatoire website.
The Accommodation team will be able to advise you on the during the application process.
Finding Somewhere to Live
This section contains guidance on house hunting, and the steps you will need to take to enter into a new tenancy.
House Hunting
House hunting officially starts on 1st November. This is when accredited landlords advertise their properties and you’ll have the widest selection to choose from. We recommend conservatoire students search for housing on the Unipol website.
Unipol Contact Details
Telephone: 0113 2430169
Email: info@unipol.org.uk
Visit the Housing Hub in person at;
155-157 Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, LS2 3ED
Open 9am-4.45pm, Monday-Friday
House Hunting Links
Boost
Watch a recent talk about house hunting with Leeds Conservatoire’s accommodation advisers, Dawn and Steph. They are joined by Unipol staff, Judith and Sam. They cover how to find a good landlord, the cost of renting and what you need to know before signing a contract. Sam graduated from Leeds Conservatoire and has some useful insight into different areas that are convenient for music and performing arts students.
Student Living Responsibilities
When you move into your first house, you will have responsibilities to take care of. In this section is support and guidance on those obligations.
Council Tax Exemption For Full Time Students
If you live in accommodation which is solely occupied by full-time students, you are exempt from paying council tax. You can read about council tax exemption for students and apply online at the Leeds City Council website.
If you need to provide evidence of you student status, you can request a letter on myPortal
If You Live in Leeds
If you are living in student halls (such as Joseph Stones House or One Mill Street) the Council already has a list of all the students and has stated that the whole building is exempt (it is classed as ‘M’ – designated Halls of Residence’). They do not require an exemption form and have assured us they will not send demands for payment!
If you are a student living in property other than student halls, Registry has already supplied Leeds City Council with a list of current students for Council Tax exemption purposes but in addition to this, you must complete a declaration yourself and submit it to the Council. In order to do this you can complete this online declaration available on the Council’s website.
If you need proof of your student status, you can generate a ‘Confirmation of Student Status’ letter by logging into ‘My Portal’. Under ‘Communications’, select ‘Request a Letter’ and this will be automatically generated and emailed to your conservatoire account.
If at any point you receive a demand for payment or other correspondence from Leeds City Council regarding your Council Tax, please do not ignore it. You must contact the Council on the number provided on the correspondence. Failure to complete your declaration could result in the threat of legal action so please do not forget to do so!!
If you live outside Leeds
If you live outside of the Leeds City Council Tax area please check your own local council website to find out what to do. If you need proof of your student status, you can generate a ‘Confirmation of Student Status’ letter by logging into My Portal. Under ‘Communications’, select ‘Request a Letter’ and this will be automatically generated and emailed to your conservatoire account.
If You Have a Parent who is Applying for a Reduction
If you have a parent who is applying for a reduction in Council Tax and needs evidence that you are a student, please generate your own ‘Confirmation of Student Status’ letter on My Portal.
Insuring Your Valuables
If you live in Joseph Stones House and any of the other private halls, you will generally get a basic insurance as part of the deal. This will only cover your belongings whilst they are in your room or flat.
We strongly advise that you insure your personal belongings, particularly if you will be bringing musical instruments, equipment, a laptop, etc. and taking them out and about.
StudentGuard is a good place to start for an insurance quote. You may get cover through your parent’s house insurance. Please check with your parents first; don’t assume!
Allianz also offer specialist policies for musical instruments.
Don’t just rely on insurance; you may get your laptop replaced, but you won’t get your assignment or dissertation back. Make sure you back-up your course work regularly.
You should also consider registering anything electrical such as phones or laptops (in fact anything that has a serial number) with Immobilise. This is the National Property Database and it’s free to use. Police check this database in the event stolen goods are recovered, and reuinte them with their rightful owner.
Useful Links
Living Together and Getting Along
There are many ways in which tensions can arise in shared accommodation. Below is useful advice on how to keep everything running smoothly.
Resolving fall-outs between flat mates
For many students, moving away to the conservatoire is their first experience of communal living.
As first years, it’s common to be sharing with someone who has a very different lifestyle, culture, attitude and personality to yourself. It’s usual for a household to start out being very good friends, but very occasionally this deteriorates over time into uncomfortable atmospheres and fall-outs. Learning how to get along involves compromise and good negotiation skills.
Fall-outs happen for many reasons but the most common disputes tend to start out very small (such as someone drinking your milk) but cause much irritation. As communication breaks down, it can become harder to discuss what has infuriated you. Whatever the reason, it can be extremely upsetting but fortunately can usually be resolved. It is important to focus on resolving disputes at an early stage so they don’t escalate into bigger problems.
This involves compromise on both sides and talking to find common ground. Sometimes ‘agreeing to disagree’ is the common ground and is a very positive starting point. If you find it difficult to speak to the other person directly, consider putting your feelings into a letter.
Useful Tips
Useful Tips
- Avoid talking about problems when you or your flat mates have been drinking alcohol. It’s much better to wait until the next day and talk calmly and politely.
- Fall-outs often involve other people. Try to focus on how the situation feels for you and do not speak on behalf of others.
- Avoid getting into groups or making other people feel isolated. Ganging up on people can make a situation far worse
- Vicious and angry note writing (on paper or online) should be avoided. It’s not helpful to be offensive or negative and you may deeply regret this later.
- Stay focused on the future. Concentrate on how the situation can be improved rather dwelling on ‘who has done what’.
You may find it useful to speak to accommodation provider, who can work with you to find solutions and offer practical advice, such as mediation.
How to get help if you feel unsafe in your accommodation
Everyone should feel safe in their home.
If you are having disagreements with people in your accommodation, try talking to them in the first instance. Start by asking questions to try to understand the other person’s perspective. If you feel comfortable to do so, explain any vulnerabilities or worries that are personal to you. Keep these conversations face to face; they will be more effective than impersonal online chats, which can easily escalate and be misunderstood.
If you feel overwhelmed by other people’s behaviour in your accommodation building, try to focus specifically on the behaviour which directly affects you in your flat. Otherwise, you could find a lot of your energy is taken up with issues that you can’t control and that could distract you from your studies and enjoying your life in Leeds.
If you have any worries or concerns about incidents that happen in your accommodation, the following may help:
For Unite Students tenants (Joseph Stones House, The Plaza, White Rose View or Concept Place): Speak to the staff at your reception. For out of hours help, use the MyUnite App to report a problem or call 0300 303 1611 (24 hours).
For Unipol tenants (One Mill Street, New York Street, Alexander Court and some shared houses):
Contact Toria Thomas;
Email: tenancysupport@unipol.org.uk
Phone: 0113 243 0169
For students living in shared houses: Report anti-social behaviour to Leeds City Council online. Also speak to your Landlord if you are having persistent problems. Report criminal behaviour to West Yorkshire Police.
To report an incident to the conservatoire: We encourage our students and staff to report bullying, harassment, sexual misconduct, hate crime, assault or discrimination by using the reporting tool.
Dealing with Noisy Neighbours
Noise is an issue which causes deep upset between neighbours, housemates and whole communities.
Noise is sometimes unavoidable, but there are lots of ways to minimise the noise you make to avoid disturbing others and causing conflict with the people around you.
Useful Tips
- When organising a party make sure you know who you’re expecting. Don’t advertise your party on social media unless it’s set as a private event or you may be at risk from gate-crashers and your house swamped with people who are not as friendly as they appear.
- As a matter of courtesy, call around to your neighbours in advance to let them know about your party and negotiate a time which the party will continue till. Consider inviting your neighbours as this will show that you are friendly and approachable if there are any problems.
- If you can hear your music from outside your room, there’s a good chance your housemates and everyone else living around you can too. Consider using headphones and the time in which you are playing your music.
- Where your equipment is located in a room can make a huge difference to the sound transferred to your neighbours and house-mates. Try and keep your TV and stereo away from adjoining walls and raised off the floor.
- Try and keep the volume down and set your bass control to a low level, as a bass beat can be particularly irritating.
- If you play a musical instrument, speak to your neighbours and house-mates and agree a time and certain days that you can practice.
- Ask any taxi’s collecting from your house to ring back and not wake everyone in your street by beeping their horns.
- When you have a friendly get-together remember that raised voices and talking can also be heard some distance.
- When you return home late after an evening out close doors quietly, remove shoes and keep any conversations until you enter your house
When students repeatedly cause upset for their neighbours, Leeds City Council have legal powers to take action against perpetrators of noise pollution, which could ultimately result in a criminal conviction, the confiscation of equipment and a fine of up to £5000.
Sources of Help
Excessive noise and anti-social noise can be reported to Leeds City Council.
If you are experiencing noise issues within your halls of residence, speak to the staff on duty in the first instance. For Unite Student residents, call the emergency number whilst the noise is occurring 0300 303 1611 and security staff will deal with the problem. You can also report noise using the MyUnite App.
Useful Links
Moving Out
This section contains guidance on what needs to be done when your tenancy is up.
Leaving Your Accommodation Early
It is extremely difficult to be released from a tenancy agreement, whether in halls or a shared housed. You are liable to pay rent until the end of your tenancy, whether you continue to live in your property or not, unless:
- You find a replacement tenant to take over your contract
- Your landlord agrees to release you from your tenancy agreement.
In the first instance contact your Landlord or accommodation provider to ask their advice. If you are leaving your course due to medical reasons or a bereavement, it may be necessary to get a letter from your GP or other medical professional as evidence. Staff in Student Support may be able to help provide a letter of support in some circumstances.
If you are a tenant in Joseph Stones House and decide to withdraw from your studies at the conservatoire, you will not be allowed to continue living there (even if you continue to pay rent). This may also be case for other Halls of Residence, and you will need to check with them directly.
If you would like to try to get another student to take over your room, check with your Landlord to ensure you are not breaking the terms of your contract by sub-letting.
You can advertise for a replacement tenant on Life, under the ‘To Let’ section and use the Students’ Union Facebook Group. You can also use this noticeboard on the Unipol website to reach other students in Leeds.
If you need further advice, please contact the accommodation adviser.
Useful Links
Getting your deposit back
When arranging rented accommodation you will be expected to sign a contract, in most cases for twelve months, and to pay a deposit which can be no more than 5 week’s rent. This is refunded at the end of the rental period unless you have caused any damage or loss to fixtures or furnishings.
As part of the Housing Act, deposits paid on Assured Shorthold Tenancies signed after April 2007 will be protected. The scheme will ensure good practice in deposit handling so that when a tenant pays a deposit, and is entitled to it back, they can be assured this will happen. See further details on the Deposit Protection Scheme and how it works.
Ask your landlord to confirm where your deposit is protected and you and they will have peace of mind that the money is safe and there is a free impartial adjudication service if the tenancy ends in dispute.
If you are having problems getting your deposit back at the end of the year Unipol has some useful information, including sample letters for you to use when writing to your landlord.