Student Guide to Renting

Start your search early. The best student houses go quickly, especially for the following academic year. Browse our student listings online, filter by area, price, and number of bedrooms, and use the enquiry form on any property page to arrange a viewing.

• Filter by area, price, bedrooms, and furnishing to narrow the list quickly.
• Looking for a whole house with friends, or a room in an existing share? Tell us and we’ll match you with the right option.
• Viewings are booked through us, accompanied, and usually take 15 to 20 minutes.
• Register your details and we’ll email you when new matching properties come on.

Not finding what you're after? Register with us. We often know about student properties before they're listed.

Most student tenancies run from July or September and last for 12 months, regardless of university term dates. This means you'll be paying rent over the summer even if you're not living in the property, so factor this into your budget from the start.

Under the Renters' Rights Act all new tenancies are periodic from day one. Even if the property is let on a 12 month academic cycle, you have the flexibility to leave with two months' notice at any time.

In most shared student houses, all tenants sign a single joint tenancy agreement. This means you are collectively responsible for the full rent and the condition of the property. If one housemate doesn't pay their share, the others may be liable.

• Rent: all named tenants are jointly and severally liable for the whole rent, not just your share.
• Deposit: one deposit is taken for the property. Deductions at the end come out of the pot, so take shared care of communal areas.
• Bills: agree upfront how you’ll split gas, electricity, water, broadband and TV licence.
• House rules: sort guests, cleaning, and quiet hours between yourselves before you sign.

Make sure you're comfortable with your housemates before signing. Once the agreement is in place, it's very hard to remove someone from a joint tenancy mid-term.

As a student, you'll almost certainly need a guarantor. Usually a parent or guardian who agrees to cover the rent if you can't pay. Your guarantor will need to provide proof of income and identification as part of the referencing process.

On joint student tenancies, guarantors are often asked to underwrite the whole property rent, not just their student's share. Make sure the person acting as your guarantor understands this before they sign.

Don't have a suitable UK-based guarantor? Ask us about guarantor services and alternative arrangements. It's very common, particularly for international students.

Before a tenancy can begin we carry out referencing on all tenants and guarantors. This is standard across the industry, every reputable letting agent does the same checks.

• Identity verification (passport or driving licence).
• Proof of student status such as a university enrolment letter or UCAS confirmation.
• Credit check on your guarantor, looking for affordability, not perfection.
• Right to Rent identity verification (a statutory requirement for everyone, UK and international).

Once referencing is complete and everyone has agreed terms, we prepare the tenancy agreement for signing. Read it carefully, it sets out your rights, responsibilities, and the rules of the property.

• Guests and overnight stays.
• Noise and quiet hours.
• Use of communal areas and gardens.
• What happens if a housemate wants to leave early.

Don't be afraid to ask us if anything is unclear. Better to raise it now than discover a surprise at the end of the tenancy.

A detailed inventory recording the contents and condition of the property is prepared before you move in. This is especially important in shared houses where multiple tenants are jointly responsible. Check it carefully, take your own photos, and report any discrepancies straight away.

You'll normally have a week after check-in to add notes or photos to the inventory if anything has been missed. After that it's assumed accepted. Photos taken on move-in day are the best protection for your deposit at the end.

Before the tenancy starts you'll need to pay a security deposit and the first month's rent (or the first instalment if your rent is paid termly or weekly). Your deposit is protected in a government-approved tenancy deposit scheme and cannot be used to cover rent payments during the tenancy.

• Deposit capped at five weeks' rent by law (for annual rents under £50,000).
• Protected in DPS, TDS or MyDeposits. You'll get the scheme reference in writing.
• Returned within 10 days of tenancy end once both parties agree any deductions.
• Student loans often arrive after tenancy start dates, so plan your finances carefully.

Once the agreement is signed and all payments have cleared, you can collect your keys and move in. We'll walk you through meter readings, alarm codes, bin collection days, and any property-specific information you need to get settled.

• Meter readings taken and logged (gas, electricity, water).
• A full set of keys for every named tenant.
• Alarm codes, wi-fi boxes, appliance manuals pointed out.
• Bin day, parking, and any quirks of the property explained.

Full-time students are exempt from council tax. You'll need to apply for an exemption through your local council and provide a council tax exemption certificate from your university.

If everyone in the property is a full-time student, the household is fully exempt. If any occupant is not a full-time student, council tax will apply to the household, so check this before agreeing to live with non-students.

Unless your tenancy is bills-inclusive, you'll be responsible for gas, electricity, water, broadband, and a TV licence (if applicable). In a shared house, agree upfront how you'll split the bills.

• Set up accounts with suppliers on your move-in date. They'll ask for meter readings.
• A joint account or a bill-splitting service (Split the Bills, Bunch, acasa) can save arguments.
• Water is often billed every six months, budget for it.
• Ask us about bills-inclusive properties if you'd prefer a fixed monthly cost with no surprises.

If anything breaks or needs fixing, report it to us as soon as possible. Don't leave it or try to fix it yourself. We'll liaise with the landlord and arrange for repairs promptly.

• Emergencies (gas leak, burst pipe, no heat in winter): call our emergency line straight away.
• Non-urgent repairs: report via email or the tenant portal, photos are helpful.
• Your part: keep the property ventilated, deal with condensation, and agree a rota for keeping communal areas clean.

Landlords are legally required to keep the property in good repair and meet the Decent Homes Standard. If something breaks that's not your fault, it's our job to sort it.

Under the Renters' Rights Act you have the right to request to keep a pet, and the landlord cannot unreasonably refuse. In a shared house, all housemates should agree before making a request. Let us know and we'll put the request to the landlord.

If consent is given, you may be asked to take out pet damage insurance covering the landlord's risk.

Any changes to the property, including painting walls, putting up shelves, or replacing fixtures, require written consent from the landlord via us. This applies to all tenants in the property, so make sure everyone is on the same page before requesting any changes.

Consent is often given for sensible things (neutral repainting, picture hooks, garden tidying). Unapproved changes may mean the property needs to be returned to its original state at your cost, which comes out of the deposit.

The landlord insures the building but not your personal belongings. Student houses can be targets for burglary, so we strongly recommend taking out contents insurance to cover laptops, bikes, phones, and other valuables.

Before you buy a new policy, check whether your parents' home insurance covers you while you're away at university. Many policies do, so it's worth a phone call before paying for extra cover.

In short: look after the place, pay on time, be a decent neighbour, and talk to us if anything goes wrong. Anti-social behaviour, excessive noise, and poorly maintained gardens are common complaints about student houses. Being a good neighbour helps everyone and protects your deposit.

• Pay rent on time, by standing order or direct debit.
• Keep the property clean and in reasonable condition.
• Report damage or repair issues promptly, don't leave small problems to worsen.
• Pay your share of household bills (gas, electricity, water, broadband, TV licence).
• Be considerate to your neighbours, especially noise levels at night.
• Give proper written notice when you want to leave (two months under the Renters' Rights Act).