UKCISA - international student advice and guidance

What types of accommodation are available?

Last modified: 25 October 2024

There are a number of accommodation options available for international students. Before you make a decision, it may be helpful to understand the different types of housing on offer.

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Private halls or student villages

Differences between student housing and other private housing

Even if your first instinct is to choose student housing, do look at all your options before making a commitment. Living in private accommodation can be rewarding and give you a real sense of life in the UK. Any contract you sign for student housing will likely be for the full academic year with limited opportunity for changing your mind once you arrive.

This is a summary of the differences between student housing and living in a shared house or flat in the private sector.

	Student housing (based on a single room in a shared flat of four/five)	Shared house or flat (based on a single room in a shared house of four/five)
Rent	May look more expensive but is likely to include some or all utility bills and possibly some other services	May look cheaper but is likely not to include some or all utility bills
Gas, water, electricity	Nearly always included	Variable cost depending on the provider
Internet	Usually included	Variable cost depending on the provider
Payment methods	Flexible - often a number of ways to pay	Often negotiable (eg monthly or quarterly payment terms on request)
Insurance (basic cover)	Usually included	Variable cost depending on the provider
Contract length	Standard contract until June or September	Standard contract until June or September
Opportunity to move	May be possible to move to other managed housing if there are vacancies	Generally not possible to change accommodation (unless you find a replacement)
Pastoral Care	May have wardens or a reception desk	Usually no pastoral care
Flatmates	May be possible to choose the people you share with	Possible to choose housemates
Cleaning	Often there is a service to remove rubbish and clean communal areas	Usually no cleaning service provided
Waste disposal	Often there is a service to remove rubbish and clean communal areas. Bins will be provided on site, normally in a central location	Your rubbish will be collected either weekly or fortnightly by the local authority. Ask your landlord for details
Accessibility of landlord	Usually management office on site. University housing will have a Housing Office on campus	Varies
Security	Usually a security presence and regular security patrols, sometimes 24-hrs a day	Generally not available
Repairs and maintenance	There may be a formal commitment to getting repairs and maintenance done within specified timescales	Varies, but if your landlord is part of a recognised accreditation scheme it is likely they will be working to agreed timescales

Choosing your accommodation

Last modified: 24 October 2024

Choosing what accommodation to live in is a big decision. There are lots of factors to think about. Do you want to share your living space? Do you want an en-suite bathroom? What location do you want? Here are some suggestions to think about:

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Communal living space

En suite bathroom

Kitchen

Mix of people

Location

Management and security

Vacations

Your contract

How do I book my accommodation?

Last modified: 24 October 2024

If you’re planning to live in student housing, you must apply for your accommodation before you come to the UK. If you’re looking at private housing, it is usually recommended to arrange it once you’re here.

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Student Housing

Private housing

Stay safe from rental fraud

Last modified: 24 October 2024

Before booking your accommodation, it is important to check that a property, landlord or institution is part of a reputable accreditation scheme. An accreditation scheme is normally run by a local authority working together with institutions or professional landlord associations. Speak to your institution who may be able to provide you with further details in this area.

Landlords in schemes are committed to offering housing and services which meet specific professional standards. This includes how the contract is written, how properties are marketed and managed, how quickly any repairs are done, health and safety, how deposits and any disputes are handled.

Under accreditation schemes members’ properties are checked to ensure they meet these standards. If they do not, they can be removed from the scheme. If you move into housing which is part of an accreditation scheme, you know that the housing will be of an acceptable standard and that you will receive a fair and professional service. All schemes have a robust complaints procedure that you can use if there are any problems.

The National Codes are schemes for larger-scale student developments. There is one scheme for properties managed and controlled by education institutions, and another for privately rented properties.

Fake landlords operate in the private student housing market, preying on vulnerable (often international) students, for example by pretending to offer housing online, for example, through Facebook or Gumtree. Victims are asked to pay for a deposit for a house or flat that does not exist. Action Fraud has some useful tips on protecting yourself from rental fraud.

Remember that estate agencies cannot charge you a fee just for registering with them, and you should not pay for details of places they have to rent.

What immigration checks are there?

Last modified: 25 October 2024

Private landlords must check that you are allowed to rent in England. These checks are called ‘right to rent’ checks.

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‘Right to rent’ checks

Exemptions from ‘right to rent’ checks

The evidence needed of your right to be in the UK

Manual check

Online checking service

If you fall into one of the following categories below, your landlord will be able to rely on the online service on the Check a tenant’s right to rent page in order to complete an online check:

you have a current biometric resident permit or card
you have either settled or pre-settled status granted under the EU Settlement Scheme
you applied for a visa using the "UK Immigration: ID Check" app to scan your identity document on your phone

You will first need to view your own status electronically and then provide your landlord with a ‘share code’. Your landlord will need to enter this code along with your date of birth in order to access your right to rent profile page.

Your landlord will need to be satisfied that the image that appears in your right to rent profile page is you. This can be done in person or via video link.

As your landlord will be able to access your right to rent status in ‘real time’, they will not need to see a copy of your original documents unlike with the manual document-based check.

From 1 July 2021, you can evidence your right to rent in the UK as follows:

EEA / Swiss nationals	From 1 July 2021: If you have made a successful application under the EU Settlement Scheme you can prove your status by using the online checking service and providing your landlord with your share code (see above). If you made an application under the EU Settlement Scheme by 30 June 2021 and this remains pending, or have a pending appeal, you may have been issued with a Certificate of Application or an email confirming the receipt of your application. If this was issued digitally, you can provide your landlord with your share code in order for them to use the online checking service. If this was issued to you in a paper format, your landlord will need to contact the Landlord Checking Service in order to carry out your right to rent check. If you have made a late application under the EU Settlement Scheme that has been accepted and a Certificate of Application issued your rights will be protected until your application is decided. Your landlord should use the online checking service if you have been issued with a digital Certificate of Application, and the Landlord Checking Service if your Certificate of Application was issued in a paper format.
Family members of EEA / Swiss nationals	From 1 July 2021: EEA family permit and passport. Non-EEA family members of EEA citizens can provide landlords with their share code. The landlord can then conduct a right to rent check using the online checking service (see above). If you are still in receipt of a Biometric Residence card, your landlord will also be required to carry out a right to rent check using the online checking service. See Landlord’s guide to right to rent checks for further details. Joining family members of EEA and Swiss nationals who hold a EEA family permit will either receive a vignette endorsement in their passport, or be issued with a digital status. If issued with a vignette, your landlord will need to complete a manual right to study check, and if issued with a digital status, your landlord will need to complete an online right to study check. Joining family members who apply for further permission under the EU Settlement Scheme once in the UK, will receive a Certificate of Application. Your right to rent with a Certificate of Application in this instance can either be met through the online process or the digital process as described above. This also applies to proving your right to rent pending the outcome of any application under the EU Settlement Scheme or any appeal.
Visitor EEA nationals	EEA nationals with a biometric passport are permitted to use the eGates in order to enter the UK as a visitor for up to 6 months. Those without a biometric passport, are permitted to enter the UK as a visitor for up to 6 months following admission by a Border Force Officer. In either case, you will not receive a stamp endorsed in your passport. Acceptable evidence includes a passport plus evidence of your travel to the UK. Evidence of your travel to the UK can include a boarding pass, airline ticket or another type of booking confirmation that you may have. Given that evidence of your travel to the UK may be in a digital format, an original or copy is acceptable here.
Irish citizens	Irish passport/Irish passport card. Alternatively you can produce an Irish birth or adoption certificate together with a document outlined in List A, Document Group 2 of the Landlord’s guide to right to rent checks.
People with immigration permission to be in the UK	Physical documents Passport containing a valid visa, or a valid biometric residence permit (BRP). If these documents are with the Home Office as part of an ongoing immigration application (or you have a pending appeal or administrative review) then your landlord should request a right to rent check from the Landlord Checking Service. The Home Office's Right to rent document checks: user guide confirms that your visa must be in a current passport if you have a time limit on your immigration permission. The Home Office's Code of practice also states that your visa must be in a current passport if you have a time limit on your immigration permission. If your visa is in an expired passport and the landlord will not accept it, you can apply for a transfer of conditions whilst this is still available in order to have your immigration permission transferred onto a biometric residence permit (BRP). Digital immigration permission If you have an eVisa, you will need to prove your right to rent by using the online process as outlined above. If your immigration permission is in an expired passport and you have a time limit on your immigration permission, you may be required to register for a UKVI account to prove your immigration status via the online process instead of applying for a transfer of conditions.

If you have limited immigration permission to be in the UK

If you sub-let your accommodation

Can my family live with me?

Last modified: 24 October 2024

Few institutions provide housing for families. When they do, there is often high demand and short supply, both for long-term and short-term temporary housing.

Check before you arrive whether and how your institution can help you in your search for suitable housing. It takes several weeks for newly-arrived students to find suitable family housing.

It may be easier for you to initially come to the UK alone, and stay in temporary, single housing while you look for a family home. Once you have found longer-term housing for yourself and your family, your family can travel to the UK.

If you do all travel to the UK together, make sure you have enough money to cover the high costs of temporary family housing. Your institution can advise what this may be.

Requirements for students with families will vary, but, as a guide, these are the kinds of factors that you may wish to consider:

housing made safe for children

a location close to healthcare services, childcare provision, schools, parks/play areas, bus routes, supermarkets, car parking, parent and toddler groups, antenatal classes to support family life and reduce the risk of isolation for non-studying parents

a quieter location, removed from undergraduate residences

a stronger emphasis on the quantity and quality of social space

a stronger emphasis on the quality of study space

longer-term housing contracts

affordability

Accommodation for students with a disability

Last modified: 24 October 2024

UK institutions are legally required not to discriminate against disabled students, and not to treat them less favourably than other students. Institutions are also required to make adjustments to services for disabled students so that they are not disadvantaged in comparison with non-disabled students. These laws apply to international students as well as to students who are UK citizens.

Because UK law is strong on disability rights, you should find your institution helpful in supporting you in your search for suitable housing. Some institutions have housing which is designed or adapted for students with specific disabilities. Your institution may also make changes to housing to support your particular disability. In some institutions it may even be possible to secure housing for the full duration of your course.

There may, however, be no suitable housing available at your institution and no housing which can be reasonably adjusted to support your needs. In this case, it is important you review the options carefully and seek your institution’s support in helping you find housing in the private sector which is suitable for you.

The most important thing is to let your institution know as early as possible that you have a disability which means you have particular housing needs. Although you might declare this as part of your application for a place on a course, it is also a good idea to contact your institution’s housing office and disability officer to raise and discuss the matter directly with them. In this way you are likely to receive the best service that your institution can offer you. If you do not raise it early, you may be disappointed and struggle to find anything appropriate.

International students with a disability do not have access to funding from UK authorities to support their living costs, although funding may be available from your institution to assist with direct study-related costs.

How much will student accommodation cost?

Last modified: 24 October 2024

There are many associated costs with housing, not just the rent. Try to calculate how much money you will have, and how much you will need to spend on other things, including food, rent, study materials, bills (every day and utilities), clothes, a social life and transport. Try to get an idea of what proportion of the total money that you have, you can (or want to) use for rent.

Here are some factors to consider.

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Insurance

Council Tax

Parking

Deposit

Protecting your deposit money

By law, private landlords and suppliers must protect your deposit money by signing up to a Tenancy Deposit Scheme. Education institutions and those in shared rooms are exempt from this requirement. The Tenancy Deposit Schemes are designed to make sure money is not unfairly deducted or kept from you at the end of your tenancy. They provide a dispute resolution service, so that if you believe your landlord has acted unfairly in keeping some or all of your deposit when you move out, you can use the service to argue that you should get your money back.

There are three schemes for lettings in England and Wales that are registered with the government for these purposes:

Deposit Protection Service

My Deposits

Tenancy Deposit Scheme

For lettings in Scotland, there are also three schemes that are registered with the government for these purposes:

Letting Protection Service Scotland

Safe Deposits Scotland

My Deposits Scotland

In Northern Ireland, there are two approved schemes as follows:

Tenancy Deposit Scheme Northern Ireland

My Deposits Northern Ireland

Your landlord must tell you which existing scheme they have signed up to. If you have not received this information, you can check directly with the schemes to see if your deposit is protected.

How to help ensure you get your full deposit back when you move out:

when you move into a property, check for damage, uncleanliness and missing items

report any problems to the landlord in writing, keeping copies of all correspondence and, if appropriate, taking and keeping labelled and dated photos

keep a detailed list of contents

ensure the property is thoroughly cleaned before you move out

ensure you remove all your possessions

respect the property and treat it well

make sure you understand what the contract makes you responsible for

ensure you do not have any rent owing at the end of your contract

dispose of rubbish properly to minimise the risk of pest infestations, which are costly to get rid of

report any damage to the landlord as soon as it happens – repair/replacement may be cheaper than leaving it to the landlord to put right after you have left

If you feel your deposit has been wrongfully withheld, you should seek advice from Housing Services or the students’ union at your institution, the Citizen’s Advice Bureau, Shelter, or another housing advice agency or local law centre.

Accommodation

What types of accommodation are available?

Student housing

Private halls or student villages

Private rental housing

Differences between student housing and other private housing

Choosing your accommodation

Communal living space

En suite bathroom

Kitchen

Mix of people

Location

Management and security

Vacations

Your contract

How do I book my accommodation?

Student Housing

Private housing

Stay safe from rental fraud

What immigration checks are there?

‘Right to rent’ checks

Exemptions from ‘right to rent’ checks

The evidence needed of your right to be in the UK

Manual check

Online checking service

If you have limited immigration permission to be in the UK

If you sub-let your accommodation

Can my family live with me?

Accommodation for students with a disability

How much will student accommodation cost?

Insurance

Council Tax

Parking

Deposit

Protecting your deposit money

Do you need a guarantor?

About UKCISA

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