Everything about Howard Street

• •Safety. Howard Street sits in a busy, CCTV covered part of the centre with constant footfall and police presence. It is safe by day, and standard city awareness applies late at night.
• •Green space. Limited on the doorstep. Glasgow Green is around twelve minutes east on foot, and the Clyde Walkway starts two minutes away for running and cycling routes.
• •Who is around. Shoppers, office workers, City of Glasgow College students and Merchant City residents. Genuinely mixed rather than student dominated, which some people prefer.
• •What is around. St Enoch Centre and Argyle Street shopping two minutes away, Merchant City restaurants five minutes, the Barras market ten, and the Clyde riverside immediately south.
• •Transport. This is one of the best connected addresses in the city. St Enoch subway two minutes, Argyle Street station three, Glasgow Central five, Buchanan Bus Station twelve.
• •Noise reality. You are next to a major shopping and nightlife zone, so expect delivery lorries early on weekdays and lively streets on Friday and Saturday nights.

Groceries

• •Marks and Spencer and Boots inside the St Enoch Centre, two minutes on foot
• •Sainsbury's Local and Tesco Express on Argyle Street for daily essentials and late top ups
• •The Barras market on weekends, around ten minutes east, for cheap fruit, vegetables and household basics

Cheap eats and cafés

• •Argyle Street and Union Street takeaways, open late and priced for students
• •Merchant City cafés and bistros around Candleriggs, five minutes away, good for study afternoons
• •Riverside pubs and Clyde Walkway cafés when you want somewhere quieter to sit

Study spaces

• •The Mitchell Library, around fifteen minutes on foot, with quiet reading rooms and free wifi
• •City of Glasgow College and Strathclyde libraries for enrolled students
• •Merchant City independent cafés with reliable wifi and plug sockets

Fitness and leisure

• •PureGym and other city centre chains within a five to ten minute walk
• •Clyde Walkway and Glasgow Green for free running and cycling routes
• •Cineworld Renfrew Street and the Glasgow Film Theatre for student priced screenings

Health

• •Boots pharmacies in the St Enoch Centre and along Argyle Street
• •City centre GP practices under NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, worth registering with early
• •Glasgow Royal Infirmary is around fifteen minutes away for emergency care

What the property provides A two bedroom, one bathroom apartment with a living area and fitted kitchen. Confirm the furnishing level in writing beforehand, since private lets vary between fully furnished and unfurnished.

Bring or buy on arrival Bedding, towels, kitchen equipment, cleaning supplies and possibly furniture. The St Enoch Centre and Argyle Street cover most basics within an afternoon of arriving.

Day one Collect keys, photograph the whole flat including existing damage, take gas and electricity meter readings, test heating and hot water, and confirm the broadband situation with your agent.

Day two Set up energy and broadband in your name, apply for council tax student exemption with your enrolment letter, register with a city centre GP, and walk your route to campus.

Small but useful Note your bin and recycling days, locate the stopcock and fuse box, save the letting agent's out of hours number, and check the buzzer entry system works.

• •Total cost. Rent starts from £1,100 per month. Across twelve months that is £13,200, or £550 each per month when the apartment is shared between two people.
• •What is included. Confirm this in writing. Private lets typically exclude energy, broadband, water and contents insurance, so budget an extra £150 to £250 monthly between two.
• •Council tax. Full time students are exempt, but the exemption must be applied for through Glasgow City Council using your enrolment certificate rather than granted automatically.
• •Instalments. Rent is normally paid monthly by standing order rather than in academic term instalments, which suits maintenance loan schedules less neatly than halls do.
• •Deposit. Expect one to two months rent as a deposit, which under Scottish law must be lodged with an approved tenancy deposit scheme within thirty working days.
• •Cooling off. Scottish private residential tenancies do not carry a standard cooling off period once signed, so read every clause carefully before you commit.
• •No Visa No Pay and No Place No Pay. These protections are standard in purpose built halls but not automatic in private lets. Request them explicitly and get any agreement in writing.
• •Notice. Private residential tenancies in Scotland are open ended, and tenants can normally give twenty eight days written notice after the initial period.

1. •City of Glasgow College
2. •University of Strathclyde
3. •Glasgow Caledonian University
4. •Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
5. •The Glasgow School of Art
6. •University of Glasgow
7. •University of the West of Scotland

What you should know before your child signs

• •This is a private residential let rather than managed student accommodation, so there is no on site team, reception desk or twenty four hour security.
• •Bills are not typically included. Budget an additional £150 to £250 monthly between two occupants for energy, broadband, water and contents insurance.
• •A deposit of one to two months rent is standard, and Scottish law requires it to be lodged with an approved tenancy deposit scheme.
• •Council tax exemption for full time students must be applied for with an enrolment certificate. If one occupant is not a student, only a discount applies.
• •The location is exceptionally well connected, with Glasgow Central five minutes away, which makes visits home and family trips straightforward.
• •Weekend nightlife and early deliveries mean noise is a genuine consideration, so ask which rooms face the street before accepting the flat.

• •Arrival. Glasgow Airport is around twenty minutes by taxi, and Glasgow Central station is five minutes on foot for onward travel. Arrange key collection with the letting agent well before you fly, since there is no round the clock reception.
• •No UK guarantor. Private landlords usually require a UK based guarantor. Without one, expect a request for several months rent in advance, or use a recognised third party guarantor service commonly accepted by Scottish letting agents.
• •Visa safety net. No Visa No Pay protection is standard in purpose built halls but not automatic in private lets. Ask the landlord to include a written visa refusal clause in the tenancy before you sign or transfer any deposit.
• •Setup. Register with a city centre GP, apply for council tax student exemption using your enrolment letter, open a UK bank account with your tenancy as proof of address, and set up energy and broadband in your own name.
• •Home food. Argyle Street, the Merchant City and the Barras hold South Asian, Chinese, Middle Eastern and Polish grocers within a ten minute walk, so halal meat, rice, spices and familiar brands are easy to source.