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Round the houses Ben Deaner Regent’s Park PPE
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o your cheap-ass college refuses to subsidise your upkeep for the full duration of your course and is fobbing you off to the real world for a year? Don’t fret. Whilst living out is admittedly pricier and generally less convenient than living in, it has some great advantages. For most people it’s their first stab at real independent living, a chance to pretend you’re an actual grown-up. You get your own personal space for the year with no requirement to move any stuff (or yourself) out during the vac. And most importantly, prepare for more freedom than you can shake a stick at. Or even a sword at: after all they’re perfectly legal in the UK and your college’s policy can no longer prevent you from keeping one lying around. But before you wander off dreaming about all the massive house parties, raves, orgies and satanic rituals you’re going to host, there are some important things to consider. First of all...
How the hell do I decide who to live with? If you want a decent choice of housing, and you do, then you’ll need to get a group together and start hunting early. Most people will have found a place to live by the end of Michaelmas, and this means choosing who to live with about five weeks into your first term. At this point you’ll likely still be getting to know people and it may not be at all obvious who you’d like to spend the entire following year with. But that’s too bad, because you have to choose. If you do fall out with your future housemates in between choosing a place and moving in, you should seriously consider m o v i n g around and/ or swapping with people: a little shortterm awkPERSONAL wardness is worth it to avoid long-
term oh-my-god-I-can’t-stand-livingwith-you-I-want-to-punch-you-in-theface ...-ness.
How the hell do I decide where to live? Jericho:
Much like a little chunk of Islington or Hackney stitched into the Oxford scenery, Jericho resembles a trendy, ex-industrial North London suburb, with the disadvantage of North London prices. Rows of tall, well furnished, terraced houses line clean, straight roads. At the heart of the area, on upper Walton Street, lies a mass of fashionable bars, great pubs, some posh restaurants (as well as some very not-posh ones) and an alternative cinema. Travel up past Walton Street and you’ll quickly be greeted by the vast expanse of beautiful flat grassland that is Port Meadow. Travel down past Worcester and you’re right at Oxford’s student clubbing district. Amongst students Jericho has a reputation for being a bit posh. And not entirely undeserved too. Houses in Jericho are the priciest in Oxford, and although there is a lot of variance, rents are generally quite high.
Cowley:
If Jericho is Islington then the area around the Cowley road is Shoreditch. Inhabited 24/7 it is a colourful mass of Chinese supermarkets, ethnic eateries, large graffiti-esque murals, and (usually drunk) students. It is as gritty as you can find in Oxford (which is to say not very gritty at all), and whilst it has a reputation for a greater risk of crime, this is only by contrast to the rest of the city, which is essentially a giant padded play area for students. All the cool kids live in Cowley. The area is host to some of Oxford’s best pubs which range from the posh and shiny, to the twee, to the let’sget-fucked-up-on-shots-til-4am variety. Swanky, middle-eastern themed bars serve tapas, shisha and moderately expensive cocktails. It is the home of Oxford’s O2 academy. Rent prices in the area vary. Generally, the further along the road you go the less you’ll be forced to cough up: such is (literally) the price of convenience.
Botley:
With easy access to the train station and the cheapest and best value student housing in Oxford, Botley has its advantages to the student on a budget. The downside however, is that there
is absolutely nothing to do in Botley. There is a Halfords and an Aldi. Which means you can spend a great night fixing your bookcase with some newly bought power tools whilst getting as mashed as a potato off a crate of Aldi own brand cider (94p a litre!) But that’s pretty much it. It is not far from the clubs (which are spread mostly around the station) but it isn’t all that near either. If you decide to live in Botley make extra sure you bring a bike, because you’ll spend a lot of time socialising elsewhere in the city.
How the hell do I go about finding a place? Unless you are either very rich or very well connected all your house hunting is done via a student letting agency. There are a number of these in Oxford. Most operate only in certain parts of the city. Do some googling based on the area in which you wish to live. Then look around for available houses on the letting agency’s website.
How the hell do I deal with my landlord? Your landlord hates you. Do not forget that. Read your contract. All of it. And do some googling about your letting agency to check out other people’s experiences (positive and negative) so you can work out how to stop anything bad happening to you. Some agencies can be tough to deal with - talk to people who’ve had previous experience. Remember that whilst getting some landlords to fix a problem can be as difficult as teaching the Sonata in C-sharp minor to a paraplegic gorilla who hates Beethoven, much like in the gorilla example, anything can be achieved with enough harassment. If you have a problem that needs fixing, keep calling until it gets fixed. It’s your right, so be insistent, but don’t be rude.