Private Accommodation

If you would prefer not to live in campus accommodation, you can search for suitable private accommodation. Students can find accommodation through friends, other students, university staff, local advertisements and the internet. Older students and staff may know of suitable properties or reliable landlords: ask at the Students' Union or Accommodation Office.

Local estate agents, local housing associations and local newspapers typically list available properties and may be able to recommend landlords and living areas. You may also want to consider the advice of the Department for Social Development (DSD) which deals with privately rented accommodation in Northern Ireland.

Make sure that you consider your choice of private accommodation carefully. It is important to ensure that you will be living in a safe area, with good public transport connections, as well as considering the price you are willing and able to pay for your room.

Most students can afford to live in private accommodation if they share a house or apartment with their friends. This reduces the cost of living for everyone, but still entitles each housemate to privacy with their own bedroom.

Consider the total cost of living in private accommodation before you sign a rental contract. Most privately rented properties do not include extra living costs in the rent, such as water, electricity, gas, cleaning products, insurance, telephone, internet and TV licence. In addition, expenses such as food, transport, toiletries, laundry and bed clothes can make living in private accommodation expensive. Make sure that you agree a budget with your friends before looking for a property: it can be difficult to keep a cool head about money when you are faced with a nice place to live that you are not able to afford.

There are also many rental considerations, and rental contract considerations, for students. For detailed information on these issues, see the guide to Renting Property in the UK.