I’m Just a Girl; Holylands, House-hunting, Help?!
By Katie McShane
“I’m a capable responsible adult” I say to myself in the mirror, “They will take me seriously, I deserve respect”. What great event requires these intense personal affirmations you may be asking? Only the right of passage for every Belfast student – finding second year (and beyond) accommodation.
Where do I start?
When I started looking for a house, I had no idea what to do, so naturally I turned to google and searched ‘houses to rent in Belfast’. This will take you to a series or web pages advertising houses, I would recommend Property Pal or Property news. From here it really is simple, you can filter searches by area (see BT9 and BT7 for near Queens), by number of bedrooms, and by price. What you’re looking for is a HMO rental, this means you and your friends can rent it together without being from the same household. You can enquire through the websites directly about a house, or ring the agent directly. From here you may have to fill out forms, listing your guarantees and your information if you’re a student. This just means you are ensured to pay rent like a parent or guardian. Once you have all that sorted you are good to go!! Get ready for weeks of house viewing arrangements, email conversations, and getting to know your friends’ timetables (and when they’re free) very well!
To Holylands or not to Holylands
East of the Lagan there is a chaotic lawless place, might this be the result (or appeal!) of students living here in their droves. Rumors tell of car-flipping, partying till dawn, and drug raids. This is of course the Holylands, the infamous area of student rentals. For the fans of Instagram page ‘Holylands spotted’, this is a second-year rite of passage and the opportunity to go totally wild, for others it’s an area where they could never see themselves living.
A quick google search enlightens us to the ‘problem’ of the Holylands, the anti-social behaviour, the conditions, and of course the councils’ solutions for fixing the issues. But are the students really the problem? The media likes to paint a picture of unruly students but what about the sub-standard conditions they’re living in. Students need cheap housing, and the landlords are taking advantage. The council has allowed an extreme number of HMO houses that they’ve created a ghetto of cheap student housing. they’re packed into second-rate housing like sardines. The lands currently are made up of 68% HMO rentals. In an effort to fix this problem Belfast city council aims to have no more than 30% of an area be HMO [1]. However, this then begs the question – where else will students live?
House Showings: what to expect and what to look for
Student house showings are not the peaceful process they look like on tv. You arrive early before the agent and join the queue of other groups of students, sizing up your competition. You’re allowed into the house in groups one at a time and are rushed through before another group can enter. Oftentimes you’re only allowed to glance into the rooms. Sometimes you can’t even take photos, I’ve been told to keep my hands in my pockets to prevent this. As you leave, the other groups are already ringing to send in forms in a desperate frenzy.
When you’re inside the house it’s important to make the most of your limited time. Watch out for any sign of mould or damp spots that could turn into mould. Look for any sign of mice like traps, droppings, or holes. Make sure you’re all happy enough with the place, you don’t have to take the first house you view. Also ask around if you know anyone who has rented before, they’re full of tips and useful information. Somebody told me to check if it’s a single or a double glaze on the window, this is something I never would have considered but it will really affect how the house retains heat!
Decisions and deliberations
The everlasting march of time goes on. Students move in and out of houses, mold grows and is covered up, issues are raised yet nothing ever changes. Maybe this is a trial every student must go through before becoming a so-called ‘real adult’. Or is this the idea sold to us; are we being taken advantage of in our vulnerable states? Young people independently in search of housing for the first time. All are things to consider in house-hunting. Ask yourself where do you draw the line? Don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself. Good luck!
Sources:
Holyland: How do you solve Belfast’s perennial problem area? – BBC News
