There are lots of different resources you can use to try and find private accommodation, such as:

Letting Agents – you can find letting agents on searching websites such as Zoopla and Right Move, Right Move has a section specifically for student accommodation.

Gumtree and Spareroom - whilst there are some excellent landlords on these sites, there can also be a few bad ones. Exercise caution and never send any personal ID info or transfer money before seeing the property or before meeting a landlord or estate agent.

You can also find people to live with through the University of Brighton Facebook groups: www.facebook.com/groups/UoB.Housemates and www.facebook.com/groups/UoB.EastbourneHousemates

If your landlord or estate agent requires you to provide a guarantor but you do not have one, then there are some options.

If you can afford to then you could offer to pay some of your rent up front to the landlord, not all landlords may accept this but you could open a discussion with them to see if there is an agreement you can reach.

You could also consider using an external guarantor service such as Housing Hand and Rent Guarantor, however please be aware that using these services can incur additional cost to you, and remember to read through any contract you sign with them carefully.

When you move in you will often be notified of who you should contact regarding maintenance issues, or this may be direct with your landlord. It is always a good idea to take photos and if you are calling to report issues, follow this up with an email so you will have a paper trail should there be any ongoing issues.

We can talk through general advice regarding housing, i.e., where to look, moving advice, general questions. Please find out how to access the service here.

We can read through your tenancy agreements and clarify anything if you do not understand it.

If you have any issues with private landlords, estate agents or your property then we can advise you on your options.

If you have any issues with University accommodation then we can advise you on where to go for help, or how to lodge a complaint.

Whilst we can provide you with general advice, we can’t provide legal advice.

We can read through any drafts you may write if you are putting together a complaint but we cannot write it for you, however if you would like some advice on putting it together we would be happy to talk to you about this.