Photo courtesy of Carr Mills

Leeds is one of the most vibrant, diverse, student-friendly and fastest-growing cities in the UK. Northern School of Contemporary Dance does not own student accommodation but we do use the services of Unipol, a student housing charity, who accredit our recommended student housing. Together, we provide support and useful contacts for you to use when arranging your accommodation.

Please note: As NSCD accepts some 16 and 17 year olds (Home students) onto our undergraduate courses (16 for CertHE, 17 for BA) we advise contacting Unipol directly for support in securing accommodation for those under 18 if you have any questions or concerns about this. Some student accommodation providers do accept under 18s whilst others do not. One Unipol-accredited provider who will accept under 18s with a parent/guardian as guarantor is Octopus Residential who provide accommodation specific for NSCD students.

Students with Disabilities  

For students with disabilities and/or those who require access needs or any form of adapted living, please contact Unipol who can offer advice on which of their accredited properties might be best suited to your needs. Below are some possible options for disabled students, but please note it is important that you contact any provider to discuss specific, individual needs and requirements. The shared housing options are limited in terms of accessibility options but it is worth contacting the landlord or provider of a property you would be interested in to see if any adaptions can be made to suit your needs.  

The Refinery 

Bingley Street, Leeds, LS3 1BZ 

Each room has an en-suite and there is wheelchair access. This is not in close proximity to NSCD however, so travel arrangements and logistics would need to be considered.  

IQ Leeds Cross Chancellor Street  

Cross Chancellor Street, City Centre, Leeds, LS6 2TL 

En-suite and wheelchair access, a 15-minute walk to NSCD.  

 IQ Leeds Marsden House 

1-3 Burley Road, City Centre, Leeds, LS3 1JZ 

En-suite and wheelchair access. This is not in close proximity to NSCD however, so travel arrangements and logistics would need to be considered 

Phone: 0113 243 0169
Email: info@unipol.org.uk 

WHERE DO NSCD STUDENTS LIVE?

Due to the intensive nature of our courses we recommend that you carefully consider the distance you live from the School.

  • The majority of NSCD students choose to live in local rented properties within walking distance, shared by 4-8 students. The main area where NSCD students choose to live is Chapeltown, but also Harehills, Roundhay and Leeds City Centre.
  • Each property usually has a mix of year groups which encourages all our students to integrate and allows valuable local knowledge to be shared. Our new students often fill the places our graduates leave although there are usually some whole houses available too.
  • The average cost of rent paid by our current students is £115 – £130 per week. 90% of them have their utilities included.
  • Some students choose to live in halls of residence alongside students from other universities.
  • There is the option of living in a local ‘Home Stay’ with a family.
  • A few students who are local choose to live at home.

Shared Housing

Since the majority of our students live in shared housing, NSCD works with Unipol, a student housing charity, who accredits all our recommended student housing using the Unipol code. This code aims to ensure that landlords meet and go beyond their legal minimum requirements in providing good quality, safe and well-managed housing for students. NSCD recommends all students live in Unipol-coded accommodation. New NSCD students will be directed to Unipol to assist with finding shared accommodation. For further information, please visit www.unipol.org.uk.

Visit the Unipol pages below for tips on what to look for before signing a housing contract:

House hunting checklist

Viewing a property 

Halls of Residence

If you prefer to live in halls of residence there are many to choose from due to the large number of Universities and colleges in the city. Several NSCD students do take this route, though it is likely you will live alongside students from other Universities or colleges.

Carr Mills are halls of residence located just a 15-minute walk from NSCD. They arrange for NSCD students to be grouped together.  To find out more visit: http://www.carrmills-students.co.uk/. A flat within Carr Mills available for 2023 Entry can be found here: https://www.unipol.org.uk/accommodation/adverts/details/331789

Interested students need to make it clear on their application that they are an NSCD student in order to be placed with other NSCD students.

iQ Student Accommodation are also located very close to NSCD, just 20 minutes’ walk away and have a range of room options available at various prices.

accommodationforstudents.com lists many other private halls of residence which may be of interest to you. Be sure to check their distance from NSCD, as they may require a commute to the School via public transport. It is also important to note that not all of these halls of residence are Unipol-coded.

Some additional halls of residence websites that may of use are:

Homestays

Unipol can also coordinate homestays. There are several hosts in the area and Unipol can arrange introductions. If this is of interest, please get in contact with Unipol using the contact details on their website: www.unipol.org.uk

HOW CAN YOU FIND SOMEWHERE TO LIVE DURING YOUR COURSE AT NSCD?

Throughout May each year Unipol collate information from local landlords and current NSCD students to produce a list of properties and rooms that will be available from September for the new intake of NSCD students. They then provide details of these properties in late May/June* – on their website and via the NSCD New Starters Accommodation Facebook group (new students will be invited to join these). By this point in time you will have had opportunity to get to know the other new starters on the Facebook pages and begun to consider who you may wish to share a house with. We will be inviting 2024 Entry New Starters to this group from March 2024.

*There will be very few properties available on a search of the Unipol site for our area prior to this date; please do not worry as there will be a plentiful supply.

NSCD HOUSE HUNTING EVENT

Unipol and NSCD hold a ‘House Hunting Event’ for new students where they can find out more information about student living, meet local landlords and see properties that will be available.  This event usually takes place after all offers have been made and accepted. The House hunting event for 2024 Entry will take place via Zoom in April 2024, details of which will be provided in early 2024. If you are unable to make this event we can share information with you separately, and you can arrange to view properties at any time to suit you.

Need more information?

For further enquiries, please contact:
admissions@nscd.ac.uk