What every digs-hunter should know

Your child's room at university is more than just somewhere to sleep. It's a home away from home

So your little chick is about to leave the nest. Even after intensive coaching in how to make spaghetti bolognaise, how to use a washing machine and how to live on a budget you still feel anxious. The best thing you can do to help your offspring make a smooth transition from the protection of the family home to the challenges of the outside world is to assist them in finding as comfortable a place as possible to live in.

The end result

The value of space as well as support

Clear route through the darkness

New flexibility benefits all

A means to a more positive end

Answering the call of the wild

Happiness is... sorting out worries promptly

The assorted contents of a student's suitcase

An education with good and bad surprises

Back to intellectual riches

Give them room to be themselves

It is in the interest of the institution to support people

Parents help with cash

More loan mean more debt

Benefits of extra-curricular activities

So your little chick is about to leave the nest. Even after intensive coaching in how to make spaghetti bolognaise, how to use a washing machine and how to live on a budget you still feel anxious. The best thing you can do to help your offspring make a smooth transition from the protection of the family home to the challenges of the outside world is to assist them in finding as comfortable a place as possible to live in.

In the first year most universities will guarantee their students a room in a hall of residence, usually on campus. This is the best way for new students to get to know each other, make friends and learn their way around the university without the financial and emotional pressure of being responsible for their own house. As the Bolton Institute of residential services says: "You know you are guaranteed accommodation for a certain period of time at an agreed rent – you won't get ripped off or illegally evicted and the rent won't mysteriously rise."

Most halls of residence offer a variety of options and cater for every preference from small flats to large halls with single sex or mixed sex corridors and with or without meals. Depending on how much your child is willing to pay, they can share bathroom facilities or have their own en-suite washroom, and so on. It is a good idea to think about what type of accommodation will suit your child best. Living on a mixed sex corridor with a lot of rowdy lads may not be ideal for your shy, bookish daughter.

The university rooms usually include bills but it is worth checking out exactly what is paid for and what extras will be entailed. Discuss with your child whether they feel confident enough to do all their own cooking. Some students prefer to pay to have all their meals provided by the university while others will want to improve their culinary skills.

Another thing to check is whether there is internet access in the student halls. Most rooms should have phone sockets for students to plug their computers into.

In their second and third years, many students choose to move out to private rented accommodation in the town nearest to their university. This usually works very well because by then students will have made friends, know whom they want to live with and be ready to branch out and be responsible for looking after their own property. It is still a daunting task, however, and it can be tricky finding the right place.

The university accommodation office should have lists of properties available for students and some universities try to make things easier for students by setting up tenancy schemes whereby the university manages properties owned by private landlords. This means that the student deals with the university rather than landlords.

As a parent you can help your child by checking whether the property meets current safety standards. Inspect the house and check that there is adequate ventilation around gas heaters, a deadlock on the front door, locks on the windows and smoke alarms on all floors. Ask to see a current Gas Safety Certificate on every gas appliance and don't rent a place where the landlord does not have these certificates.

Check out the contract. Unfortunately there are dodgy landlords around so make sure you know where you stand in terms of your responsibilities. Most contracts are assured shorthold tenancies and they will outline how much deposit is expected and when payment is due for rent. And don't forget the bills – make sure you know what you are paying for. You will be expected to pay a deposit and make sure you know on what basis you will get it back; most contracts say reasonable wear and tear is acceptable but not malicious damage.

Some universities will help with looking over the contracts and explain all the clauses. If landlords do try to withhold your deposit unfairly then ask for help.

If, as a parent, you decide to be a guarantor for your child's property, check whether you will be responsible for just your son or daughter or the whole household. You don't want to be left paying out huge sums of money if someone in the house decides to leave.

Make sure your offspring gets their home contents insured. Unfortunately student houses are easy targets for burglars and new students need to get security conscious. You might be able to insure your child's property on your own policy because it is sometimes possible to extend a normal household policy to a student's possessions, but the cover is likely to be limited and you need to check how your no-claims bonus will be affected if you do have to make a claim.

Wherever your child chooses to live, they might get homesick; one of the nicest ways of cheering up a poverty-stricken student is to send or deliver a food parcel. A taste of home cooking is always appreciated and it makes a welcome change from endless meals of spaghetti bolognaise.