Things Students Need to Know When Renting a Home
Are you a student living in private rented accommodation? If so, there’s plenty to understand, from tenancy agreements and deposits to HMOs, bills and your rights as a renter.
The rules differ across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The more you know before signing an agreement, the easier it will be to avoid expensive surprises later.
Here’s our essential advice for students renting a home.
Advice for students renting a property: 11 top tips
- Read your tenancy agreement closely
- Make sure your deposit is protected in an approved scheme
- Understand what you and your housemates are responsible for
- Check the inventory carefully
- Speak to previous tenants if you can
- Check whether the property needs an HMO licence
- Check your insurance
- Make sure the property is safe and secure
- Set a realistic budget
- Use a reputable letting agent or landlord
- Research the property and surrounding area
House hunting tips for students
You might decide to go it alone and search for student accommodation online or through recommendations from friends.
Alternatively, you could use a letting agent or your university’s accommodation service. An agent can search their listings for landlords who are happy to rent to students.
If you use a letting agent, check that they follow the legal requirements where you live. Membership of a professional organisation such as Propertymark can provide additional reassurance.
Always view the property before handing over money where possible. Check that the landlord or agent is genuine, confirm who will receive your payment and ask for a receipt.
Compare the total cost of each property rather than looking only at the rent. A cheaper house can quickly become expensive if it is difficult to heat or a long way from campus.
The different types of student tenancy
It’s important to understand what type of agreement you are signing.
Joint tenancy
With a joint tenancy, everyone signs the same agreement. You will usually be jointly responsible for the rent and any damage covered by the agreement.
This is often described as being “jointly and severally liable”. In plain English, it means the landlord may be able to ask any one tenant to cover all the money owed, not just their individual share.
Check what happens if somebody drops out, stops paying or wants to be replaced.
Sole or individual tenancy
With a sole tenancy, only one tenant signs the agreement for the whole property.
In a shared house, each student may instead have an individual agreement for their own room. This will usually make you responsible for your own rent, although you should check what the agreement says about bills and damage to shared areas.
Living with your landlord
If you rent a room in your landlord’s home and share living space with them, you may be a lodger rather than a tenant.
Lodgers usually have fewer protections than tenants, particularly when it comes to notice and eviction. Read the agreement and house rules carefully.
Purpose-built student accommodation
University halls and privately managed student blocks often use licences or specialist agreements.
Check the cancellation terms, summer access, guest rules, complaints process and what happens if you need to leave your course or move rooms.
What has the Renters’ Rights Act changed for students?
The Renters’ Rights Act changed most private tenancies in England from 1 May 2026. It does not apply to Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, which have their own renting systems.
Most students renting a house or flat from a private landlord in England now have an assured periodic tenancy. This is a rolling tenancy without a fixed end date.
Key changes include:
- Section 21 “no-fault” evictions have been abolished
- Most assured tenancies no longer have a fixed end date
- Tenants can usually leave by giving no more than two months’ notice, although their agreement may allow less
- Landlords and agents cannot encourage or accept offers above the advertised rent
- Rent cannot be taken before the tenancy agreement is signed
- For tenants paying monthly, a landlord can usually ask for no more than one month’s rent during the period between signing and moving in
- Rent cannot normally be increased during the first year or more than once a year
- A landlord must usually give at least two months’ notice of a rent increase using the correct process
One important point for students sharing a home is that a single joint tenant can usually give notice that ends the whole joint tenancy. Housemates should therefore speak to each other before anyone serves notice.
Landlords of qualifying student HMOs can use a possession ground known as ground 4A to regain the property for the next academic year. They must meet specific conditions, including giving students written warning before the tenancy starts and following the correct notice process.
Some purpose-built student accommodation that follows an approved National Code is treated differently. University halls, lodgers and students with other types of agreement may also have different rights.
What is a HMO?
An HMO is a House in Multiple Occupation. In everyday terms, it is usually a property shared by people from more than one household who use facilities such as a kitchen or bathroom.
Most groups of unrelated students sharing a private house will be living in an HMO. However, licensing rules differ across the UK.
- In England, mandatory licensing generally applies when five or more people from two or more households share facilities. Some councils also license smaller HMOs.
- In Wales, mandatory licensing generally applies to HMOs with three or more storeys and at least five occupants from more than one household. Councils can introduce additional licensing schemes.
- In Scotland, a licence is generally required when three or more unrelated people share facilities such as a kitchen or bathroom.
- In Northern Ireland, a property occupied by three or more people who are not all from the same family will generally need an HMO licence.
Contact the local council to check whether the property needs a licence, whether it has one and how many people it can legally house.
What’s different about an HMO?
HMO landlords have extra management and safety responsibilities. These can include providing suitable shared facilities, maintaining escape routes and installing additional fire-safety measures.
If you think your home should be licensed but is not, contact the local council or seek independent housing advice.
Understanding student deposits
At the beginning of your tenancy, you’re likely to be asked for a deposit. This can cover unpaid rent or damage beyond fair wear and tear.
For most private tenancies, the money must be placed in an approved deposit protection scheme. The scheme can also help if you and the landlord disagree about deductions.
The deadlines differ depending on where you rent:
- In England, the deposit must normally be protected within 30 days of payment. It is usually capped at five weeks’ rent where the annual rent is below £50,000 or six weeks’ rent where it is £50,000 or more.
- In Wales, a deposit paid under an occupation contract must normally be protected within 30 days.
- In Scotland, the deposit can be no more than two months’ rent. It must normally be protected within 30 working days of the tenancy starting.
- In Northern Ireland, the deposit must normally be protected within 28 days of the landlord receiving it.
Your landlord or agent should give you information about the scheme. Keep the receipt, protection certificate and reference number somewhere safe.
If you disagree with deductions at the end of the tenancy, read our guide to deposit deductions and disputes.
Check the inventory carefully
An inventory records the fixtures, fittings and condition of the property when you move in.
Check it room by room. Look for stains, chips, damp, damaged furniture and anything that is missing. If you disagree with the description of an item, raise it promptly in writing.
Take your own dated photos or videos when you move in and when you move out. This is particularly useful in a shared house, where it may be difficult to prove who caused damage.
If you are not given an inventory, ask for one and create your own record of the property’s condition.
Check the EPC
An EPC is important when renting because it gives you an idea of how energy efficient the property is.
Homes are rated from A, the most efficient, to G, the least efficient. A poorly rated home may cost more to heat, so look at the EPC alongside the monthly rent.
In England and Wales, most private rented homes covered by the rules must currently have a rating of at least E unless a valid exemption applies.
You should normally be able to see the EPC before signing the agreement.
Check that the property is safe and secure
Ask to see the safety information required for your type of property. Depending on where you live, this may include:
- A current gas safety record
- Evidence of required electrical inspections
- Working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
- Clear fire escape routes
- Additional fire precautions in an HMO
- An Energy Performance Certificate
Test external door and window locks and inspect any communal entrance. Ask who holds spare keys and report broken locks, alarms or fire doors immediately.
Council tax and household bills
If everyone in the property is a qualifying full-time student in England, Wales or Scotland, the household will normally be exempt from council tax.
You may still need to apply for the exemption and provide student certificates. Do not assume your university or the council will arrange everything automatically.
If somebody living in the property is not a full-time student, a council tax bill may be due. Students are normally disregarded when the amount is calculated, but responsibility for paying can depend on the household and tenancy arrangements.
Northern Ireland does not have council tax. It uses domestic rates instead. Check your agreement to see whether rates are included in the rent and who is responsible for paying them.
For utilities, broadband and any TV Licence you need, agree how the household will divide the costs. Apps can help you split the bills fairly.
Set a monthly budget
Even with student finance, it’s easy to let spending get out of control. Set a monthly budget so you can see where your money is going.
Remember to include:
- Rent
- Gas and electricity
- Water
- Broadband
- Food
- Travel
- Insurance
- Course costs
- Summer rent
- An emergency fund
Check when your rent is due against your student finance payment dates. Many students use student loans to pay rent, but maintenance support is different from the loan used for tuition fees.
If your budget does not add up, speak to your university’s student money or welfare team as early as possible.
Insurance
Your landlord’s buildings insurance will not normally cover your belongings.
Consider contents insurance for items such as laptops, phones, bikes and other valuables. Check whether the policy covers possessions kept in shared accommodation and whether there are exclusions for unlocked rooms or long periods away.
You may have some cover through your parents’ home insurance, but check the policy rather than assuming you are protected.
Can rent payments help your credit history?
Some rent-reporting services can add verified rent payments to your credit file.
Before signing up, check whether there is a fee, how your information will be used and which credit reference agencies will receive the data.
Reporting your rent may help you build a payment history, but it does not guarantee that you will be accepted for a mortgage or other credit in the future.
Tips for a happy tenancy
No one wants to fall out with their landlord or housemates, so here are some simple ways to help the tenancy run smoothly:
- Keep communication open and polite
- Put important requests and agreements in writing
- Pay rent and agreed bills on time
- Report repairs early and include photos
- Keep a record of what you have reported
- Take reasonable care of the property
- Tell the landlord about damage
- Ask permission before making changes where required
- Clean thoroughly when you leave
- Take final meter readings and photographs
A good relationship with your landlord can help, but friendly conversations are no substitute for proper records. Keep your agreement, deposit details, inventory, payment receipts and repair messages until your deposit has been returned.
Research the property and area
If you get the opportunity, speak to previous tenants. Ask how quickly repairs were dealt with, what the landlord was like and roughly how much they paid for energy.
Treat their answers as useful clues rather than the whole story.
Visit the area during the day and after dark if possible. Check the journey to campus, public transport, local shops, pharmacies and GP surgeries.
Student accommodation may be temporary, but where you live can make a big difference to your university experience.
Frequently asked questions
Can a landlord ask a student to pay the whole term’s rent upfront?
In England, most assured periodic tenants cannot be asked to pay rent before signing the agreement. When rent is paid monthly, the landlord can usually ask for no more than one month’s rent between signing the agreement and the tenancy beginning.
Different rules apply elsewhere in the UK and to some types of student accommodation.
Can one student leave a joint tenancy?
It depends on the agreement and where the property is located.
In England, one joint tenant can usually give notice that ends the entire assured periodic tenancy. The remaining tenants would need the landlord to agree to a new arrangement if they wanted to stay.
Do not replace a tenant without getting the landlord’s written agreement.
How do I check whether a student house has an HMO licence?
Contact the local council responsible for the property. Many councils publish an HMO register online.
Ask whether the property needs a licence, whether it currently has one and how many people it is licensed to accommodate.
What if my student deposit has not been protected?
Ask the landlord or agent in writing which approved scheme holds the deposit. You can also contact the approved schemes directly.
If the deposit should have been protected but was not, seek advice from your council, Citizens Advice, Shelter or the relevant housing service for your part of the UK.
Do full-time students pay council tax?
A household made up entirely of qualifying full-time students in England, Wales or Scotland will normally be exempt from council tax. You may still need to apply.
If a non-student lives in the property, a bill may be due, although the students will normally be disregarded when the amount is calculated.
Northern Ireland uses domestic rates rather than council tax.
What should I do if repairs are being ignored?
Report the problem in writing and include photographs. Explain if it is affecting your health or safety and keep a record of each follow-up.
If the landlord or agent does not respond, contact the local council’s private housing or environmental health team and seek independent housing advice. Do not withhold rent without getting specialist advice first.
Key takeaways
- Read the agreement carefully and understand what you and your housemates are responsible for.
- Most private student tenancies in England have been rolling tenancies since 1 May 2026.
- Deposit protection and HMO licensing rules differ across the UK.
- Check the property’s safety paperwork, EPC, inventory and security.
- Budget for the full cost of renting, including bills, travel, insurance and summer rent.
- Keep written records of payments, repairs and the property’s condition.
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Last Updated: September 10th, 2026
