Band 6+: Your friend has been offered a place on a course at the university where you studied. He/ She would like your advice about finding a place to live. Write an email to your friend. In your email, describe where you lived when you were a student at the university. Recommend the best way for him/her to look for accommodation. Warn him/her of mistakes students make when choosing accommodation.

Dear Nishma,

I was over the moon to hear from you, I’d be happy to help with anything I can and thank you for asking for my input, I really appreciate it.

when I was in the university, I mostly stayed outside in the neighbourhood. The house I lived in was on Dunsmore Street, it was a shared home with 4 roommates but it had 4 furnished bedrooms with attached washrooms and shared living and kitchen areas. The best place to hunt for such accommodation is the Facebook marketplace, there are tons of posts from students and landlords subleasing and leasing the rental property. You can also visit the housing assistance facility of the university but it is a time-consuming process. Lastly, I’d like to warn you of fraudulent and scams that happen to new students; therefore, always verify the landlord, location, address, and authenticity of the advertisement before paying. I hope this helps, let me know of anything and I am happy to help.

With love,

Sarina