Who to live with?

Living with friends can be lots of fun, but you will all have to clean up and pay bills, so try to share with friends who are responsible and considerate too.

Before you sign a contract, double check with your friends that you still want to live together and that no one is having second thoughts!

If you're unsure who to live with, you can find flatmates using our student messageboard.

What type of property?

Decide what is most important to you.

Is it Location? Price? Size? House, Flat or Private Hall? 

Make a ‘wish list’ and work out what your priorities are before you start house hunting - it is important to make sure that you and your furture housemates are on the same page here!

Budgets! Rent, bills and living cost

Work out a budget and decide how much you can afford to pay in rent and living costs.

Safety

Try to go to property viewings as a group and be aware of your own personal safety. Make sure someone knows where you are and take your phone with you. Think about how safe the area feels - would you feel safe night walking alone?

For added security, download the WalkSafe app to share your route and location with a friend!

You can also pop into our office to pick up freebies such as light timers, safety information, personal alarms and much more.

If you want to know how many crimes have been reported in a particular area, you can put the postcode into the Police Crime Map.

Holding Deposits

If you are interested in a property and wish to reserve it so you may be required to pay a holding deposit, sometimes call a holding fee. After you have paid the holding deposit, the landlord/agent should provide you with a copy of your contract, guarantor forms, and ask for any other relevant information you have not yet provided. For more information, please visit our Deposits Page.

Some points to consider when paying your holding deposit:

• Holding deposits can be a maximum of 1 weeks' rent in accordance with the Tenant Fees Act 2019.
• Payment should be made via bank transfer where possible.
• The payment should be sent to the landlord or agent.
• You should always ask for a receipt as proof of payment - this should include information such as date of payment, amount paid and the property address.
• The holding fee will reserve the property for 14 days.
• If you decide not to rent the property without a good reason, you might lose your holding depsoit.
• If the landlord decides not to rent to you, the deposit must be returned to you within 7 days, as long as you provided accurate information when you paid it.