Student Accommodation Comparison Sheet

Who this is for

Halls and private lets compared on the same terms. Weekly rent, extra bills and contract length are turned into a total contract cost and a monthly equivalent, so a cheaper weekly rent on a longer contract shows what it really costs.

Students choosing between halls, private student blocks and shared houses, and parents helping them weigh the options.

What this helps you track

• Rent, extra bills and contract length for each option
• The whole contract cost, not just the weekly figure
• A monthly equivalent to set against your budget
• Deposit, distance to campus and room size side by side
• The questions to ask at every viewing

How to use it

1. Fill in your name, the city, when term starts and your own weekly budget.
2. Give each place a row: type, weekly rent, any bills not included per week, weeks in the contract, deposit, distance to campus and room size.
3. Total contract cost and the monthly equivalent are worked out in the browser and the workbook; on paper, multiply across.
4. Take the viewing questions to every visit and note the answers so the options are compared on the same points.
5. Use the summary to shortlist, then read each contract in full before signing anything.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser
• Excel / Google Sheets workbook

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The workbook uses plain formulas only — SUM, IF, COUNTIF and the like — so it opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets without anything breaking, and every calculated cell is grey so you can see which figures it worked out.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

How is the total contract cost worked out?

Weekly rent plus any bills not included, multiplied by the number of weeks in the contract. The deposit is shown separately because it is normally returned, less any deductions, at the end.

How is the monthly equivalent calculated?

The weekly total multiplied by 52 and divided by 12, the same figure a monthly rent would be over a full year. It makes a weekly rent easier to set against monthly income such as a loan split into months.

What if bills are included?

Enter 0 in the extra bills column. Where only some bills are included, estimate the weekly cost of the rest from what the landlord or current tenants tell you, and note what is covered.

Does it say what is a fair rent?

No. It supplies no rents, bills or typical prices. It only lines up the figures you collect so the options can be compared on the same basis.