This is part 1 of our housing guide!

In this housing guide we've broken it down into three sections; housing hunting (which is this story), finalising and administration, and living in Bath. 

If you have anymore questions check out our FAQ guide or book in to speak with our friendly team. 

House Hunting

1. When to search

Here is a step by step of what is recommended during each month:

Nov - Jan: Planning phase

• Budget - discuss your budget for rent (remember you will need to pay bills on top of this)
• Decide on suitable options
• Read guides 
• Research using search sites
• Find housemates

Dec - Apr: Search phase

• Start enquiring about properties
• Attend viewings
• Read through the contract
• Reserve the property

Apr - Jun: Search expansion phase

• Less availability
• Expand your search - you will need to be flexible
• Compromise on wants 

2. Types of accommodation

Shared student houses
This is shared housing with your peers. This is the most common option and you will usually sign a 12 month contract. You will have to pay rent and bills. 

Purpose built student accommodation (PBSA)
These are managed by a private company, and are most similar to University accommodation. These usually have bills included in the rent, but they can be more expensive. 

Homestay/lodging
This is where you will live with a landlord and usually just rent a room. You will have less rights, but this can be more affordable and a good option if you are on placement for half of the year. 

3. Location, location, location

We would recommend checking that the properties you are looking at are on a good bus route - you want your commute to University to be as easy as possible. 

Some popular areas to look for accommodation in Bath include:

• Combe Down
• City Centre
• Newbridge Road
• Odd Down
• Oldfield Park
• Southdown
• Twerton
• Widcombe

If you are looking for properties a bit later in the phase, then be prepared to live further out. 

4. Where to find houses

From the 1st December we will be advertising properties on Studentpad. We would recommend using Studentpad because we check landlords to make sure they are appropriate and legal. 

Other search sites include: Rightmove, Zoopla, Onthemarket, UniHomes.

Predominately house hunting is done online, however there are high street letting agents where you can just walk into and speak to someone. 

Always check on Marks out of Tenancy to see student reviews on landlords. 

Avoid social media for house hunting! Watch out for scams... warning signs could be as simple as poor spelling in the ad, lack of detail/ photos, and prime location at an affordable price (too good to be true).

If you're not sure on an advert you can always reach out to us. 

5. Housemates

Here is the data from Studentpad last year to show how properties we advertised along with the house size.

We would suggest looking with a group of around 4-5 students as there are more properties available, and these tend to be cheaper. 

Our estimate for rent in 2025/26 is around £650 - £700 per person per month (pppm). 

Where can I look to find housemates?
The ResLife team and SU host housemate finder events, keep an eye on their events pages for the next ones. 

What should my housemates be compatible on?
Things like budgets, cleaning expectations, noises and guests. 

What are the most common issues for housemate disagreements?
These include; heating wars, not paying bills on time, noise, cleaning, food theft and relationship breakdowns. 

Tip tips for when choosing your housemates include...

• Avoid living with anyone who doesnt match your lifestyle
• Housemates don't need to be your best friends or partner
• Socialise outside of your house group too
• Try to spend quality time together

6. What to look for...

When using search platforms like Studentpad, agencies or other external searches, you should always check to see...

• Is it a student property?
• Location, size and rent
• Is it furnished/ part-furnished?
• Are white goods included? (washing machine, fridge etc)
• How long is the contract?
• What is the Energy Performance rating? (D is the average)

Top tip: Look for accreditation, these aren't mandatory but it will show that they undergo continual professional development. Consider this a bonus if they are Accredited. 

7. Viewings

When you are viewing a property, consider this may be the only time you see/ are in the property until you move in, so make sure you take a good look around. 

Because of this, we would recommend everyone attending, be on-time and look around the surrounding area. 

What to look out for?

• Is it warm? Drafty?
• Check for condensation, damp, mould
• Is there enough ventilation?
• What furniture is include?
• What white goods are included?
• Are you all happy with the bedroom sizes?
• What's the decor like?
• Check water pressure
• Ask questions tot he landlord or current tenants
• Do you like the house? Can you see yourself living there?

Remember, you shouldn't be paying anything before you attend a viewing.

Whats next?

On the day, the letting agent or landlord will ask if you want to reserve/take the property. There may be some pressure applied but stay calm and smart. 

Contracts are legally binding so you will need to check all of your housemates are happy before signing, it's not something you can easily get out of. 

If you are promised something at the viewings like a new washing machine, or a re-decoration, then get it in writing to prove what you've been sold. 

You don't need to take the first property you see. 

This is the end of part 1 of our housing guide, head over to part 2 to learn all about the administration side of things including contracts, guarantors and deposits.