Housing

Starting Your Search

They say that you don’t know somebody until you live with them… and they couldn’t be more right. So, it’s really important to make an informed decision when it comes to deciding who you’ll be living with next year.

Think about people’s habits, hobbies, routines and personalities. And remember, there is no set rule to say that you must live with the same people you’re living with now. If you’re looking for a housemate, download the Housr app, where you can find potential housemates, explore private rented housing options, listed by University-approved landlords, and so much more.

Think about how many people you’d like to live with, then only search for properties with the correct number of rooms. It may be tempting to get a bigger house, but if you have no one to fill the extra rooms you’ll have to pay more in rent.

Finding Your Perfect House

Once you’ve found your new housemates, it’s time to find the perfect property to suit your needs.

Things to think about when arranging a viewing:

Location

Condition

Bedrooms

Security

Safety

Budget

Bills

Rating

You can use the Housr app to view property listings and access exclusive student perks and discounts. Housr also features Roomie, a tool designed to replace the previous message board, helping students connect with potential housemates and find replacement tenants.

Landlords who are part of the UOB Approved: Landlord Membership Scheme advertise their property portfolios on Housr, and their listings will be clearly marked with a dedicated badge.

You can then start arranging viewings for properties that you and your housemates like. It can be challenging to arrange a viewing with everyone present, so don’t forget to take photos and agree a list of questions to ask beforehand.

Viewing Checklist

Are bills included?
Is there a Gas Certificate?
What about the Energy Performance Certificate?
Is there a discount for renting during the summer?
What is the deposit and deposit scheme?
When does the deposit have to be paid?
How can we get our deposit back at the end of the tenancy?
Do you have an inventory list?
What furniture and appliances are included?
Is there a car park or bike storage available?
Do you have a sample tenancy agreement we could see?
Are there any agency/extra costs?

Agreeing a Budget

There are a few costs you will need to consider once you’ve agreed on your property.

Costs To Consider

Your household bills should be set out in your contract, but you might want to pay for extras like WIFI and extra TV channels. You will also need to set yourselves up with a TV licence (this applies to all devices that you may be live streaming on whether you have a TV, computer, tablet, or mobile phone). Work out how you plan on sharing the cost of these things and who will be setting up the direct debit.

Remember everyone has different financial circumstances and it is important that you are honest from the start about what you can afford. There are houses available for all budgets, so ensure you are taking into consideration everyone’s personal budget.

A "tenancy deposit" means money that is held (by the landlord or someone else) to ensure that a tenant:

1.follows their responsibilities, or
2.pays for any damage or debt related to the tenancy.

Your "tenancy deposit" cannot usually be more than 5 weeks rent. To calculate your maximum "tenancy deposit", you can do the following sum: monthly rent x 12 ÷ 52 x 5.

A holding deposit is money paid to a landlord or letting agent to reserve a property before signing a tenancy agreement. Only one holding deposit can be taken, and it cannot exceed the amount of one week's rent for the property.

If you need more information about these definitions, please contact Guild Advice.

Most tenancy-related fees are banned; however, you may be charged in certain situations.

The only payments you can be asked for are: rent, a refundable deposit (maximum 5 weeks' rent), a holding deposit (maximum 1 week's rent), utilities, council tax, and reasonable costs for things like late rent, lost keys or ending a tenancy early. Viewing fees, administration fees, referencing fees and check-out fees are all banned.

Rent ‘bidding wars’ will also be banned from 1st May 2026, meaning the landlord can only accept the advertised rent amount for a property. For example, if a property is advertised at £2,000 a month for the entire home, the landlord cannot accept £2,500 from prospective tenants who really want the house. This ensures everyone is competing on equal terms. Any landlords caught in breach of this will be subject to fines, starting at £7,000 for initial breaches and going up to £40,000 for repeated offences.

Upcoming Events

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Not found the answer you're looking for? Visit Shelter or Citizens Advice for all things housing.

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