When you sign a tenancy agreement, you will usually be asked to provide a guarantor. A guarantor is someone who agrees to cover your rent if you are unable to pay it yourself. This is often a parent, guardian or other family member. 

If you do not have anyone who can act as your guarantor, we recommend that conservatoire students consider renting directly from Unipol, as they do not require a guarantor. 

Another option is to use Housing Hand, a guarantor service that can act as your guarantor for a fee. We have negotiated a special discount for conservatoire students. Use this link to get a quote and check your eligibility. 

If you are a care leaver or do not have family support, please contact the Accommodation Team. We can talk you through the different options available and help you find a solution. 

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

Basic contents insurance is often included in your rent if you live in student halls, but it may only cover belongings kept in your room or flat. 

Consider insuring valuable items such as instruments, equipment and laptops, especially if you take them outside your accommodation. Check whether you’re covered by a parent’s home insurance policy first. StudentGuard and Lark Music offer student and music insurance. 

Back up your coursework regularly—insurance can replace a laptop, but not your work. 

You can also register valuables with Immobilise, the free National Property Register, to help the police return recovered stolen items. 

For many students, moving away to the conservatoire is their first experience of communal living.

It’s a great way to make friends but occasionally there can be disputes between flatmates. 

 Students come from a variety of backgrounds and can have differing expectations about how they wish to live. Learning how to get along involves communication, compromise and good negotiation skills.  

Fall-outs happen for many reasons, but the most common disputes tend to start out very small.  Whatever the reason, it can be extremely upsetting.   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.  This may sound a bit daunting, but most people will change their behaviour once they know they are upsetting others.

Useful Tips

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. 

Everyone should feel safe in their home.

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: 

If you are living in student accommodation report any issues or incidents to staff in your building.  There will be a manager or dedicated tenancy support team who will be able to support you. 

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.