Before You Sign a Student Tenancy

Signing your first privately rented student house is a big commitment. This checklist covers the contract, the guarantor, deposit protection and what to inspect before you commit.

Moving out of halls into a privately rented house usually happens fast. Adverts for the next academic year often appear from October or November, and good houses go quickly. Work through this checklist before you sign so you know what you are taking on.

Check the contract type and how long it locks you in

• Insist on a written tenancy agreement. A spoken agreement is legally possible, but if there is no written contract the landlord must give you the key terms in writing anyway, so get everything on paper.
• Know that fixed end dates no longer apply. In England, assured tenancies became rolling tenancies on 1 May 2026. They run weekly or monthly until you or your landlord end them, so an end date in an agreement has no effect.
• Understand joint liability. If you and your housemates sign one agreement, every tenant is responsible for the whole rent, not just their share. If one person stops paying, the others can be chased for the shortfall.
• Expect the How to Rent guide. Your landlord must give you this government guide at the start of the tenancy, so ask for it if it does not appear.

Understand the guarantor requirement and your alternatives

• Know what a guarantor takes on. A guarantor agrees to pay your rent if you do not, and may also have to cover damage you cause. Landlords usually check their income and credit history, and many want a UK resident, often a homeowner.
• Check whether the guarantee covers the whole house. On a joint tenancy, a guarantor can be asked to pay if any tenant falls behind, not only you. Ask for an agreement that makes this clear before anyone signs.
• Give your guarantor the paperwork. The agreement must be in writing and signed, and your guarantor should read both the guarantee and the tenancy agreement before committing.
• Ask about alternatives. Some universities run guarantor schemes for students without a UK-based guarantor, so ask student services. Private guarantor companies charge a fee, and a company that pays your landlord will try to recover the money from you.

Confirm where your deposit will be protected

• Ask which scheme will be used. Your deposit must go into a government-approved scheme within 30 days of the landlord or agent receiving it. Three schemes operate in England and Wales, including the Deposit Protection Service and MyDeposits.
• Get the certificate. The landlord must also give you the scheme’s details within 30 days. If they fail to protect the deposit or provide this information, they lose the right to evict you with a section 21 notice.
• Watch the holding deposit rules. It cannot exceed one week’s rent. It is not protected while you negotiate, but once you become a tenant it must be protected like any other deposit money.
• Know the refund position. You should get a holding deposit back if the landlord decides not to rent to you, though you may lose it if you change your mind.
• Remember third-party deposits count. If a parent pays, it must still be protected. At the end of the tenancy, the deposit must be returned within 10 days of you and the landlord agreeing the amount.

What to look for on the viewing

• Visit in person. Photographs hide problems. If tenants are living there, ask what their experience with the landlord or agent has been.
• Check the safety paperwork. Ask to see the gas safety certificate. Landlords must install a smoke alarm on each floor, and carbon monoxide alarms where needed; testing them regularly becomes your job once you move in.
• Look for damp and disrepair. Landlords must arrange prompt, certifiable repairs when gas, water or electricity fail, and must maintain the appliances and furniture they supply. Raise concerns straight away.
• Check the bedrooms and bins. Bedrooms smaller than 6.51 square metres for one adult are banned, and landlords must provide adequate waste facilities and follow council refuse schemes.
• Take meter readings on move-in day to establish who is responsible for the water, electricity and gas bills from the start.
• Expect a free right to rent check. Landlords and agents in England must check you have the right to live in the UK and cannot charge you for it.

Two questions worth asking before you leave:

• Which government-approved redress scheme does the letting agent belong to? All letting agents and property managers in England must belong to one.
• Does the landlord belong to a university or student union accreditation scheme? These check that landlords and properties meet certain standards.

Work out the true cost beyond the rent

• Price up the bills. Confirm who pays for water, electricity and gas, and how the costs will be split across the house.
• Budget for upfront payments. Between the deposit and a holding deposit of up to one week’s rent, the money needed before moving in adds up quickly.
• Plan for the full rent, not just your share, because joint liability means a housemate dropping out affects everyone.
• Plan around your funding. If rent depends on a maintenance loan, our guide to Student Finance in England explains what support is available and how repayment works.

Red flags that should stop you signing

• Charges you should not pay. Agents cannot charge for right to rent checks, and there can be no extra fees for guarantor checks or a guarantor agreement.
• Evasion about the deposit. If an agent will not name the scheme or produce a certificate, do not hand money over.
• Missing certificates or alarms. No gas safety certificate, or no smoke alarms on each floor, means the basics are not being met.
• No redress scheme. Every letting agent in England must belong to one; refusing to say which is a warning sign.
• Pressure to sign on the spot. Do not feel pushed into a tenancy that is not right for you. A landlord who rushes you before you have read the agreement is telling you something.

Related guides

• Can I Claim Universal Credit as a Full-Time Student? explains how study affects a benefits claim, which matters when you are budgeting for rent.
• How to Choose a Degree Course in the UK is useful if you are still weighing up courses, or helping a friend or sibling through the decision.

Questions students ask

What does it mean if we sign a joint tenancy?

All tenants named on the same agreement are responsible for the whole rent, not just their share. If one housemate stops paying, the landlord can pursue the others, and a guarantor may also be asked to cover the shortfall.

How much can a landlord ask for as a holding deposit?

No more than one week’s rent. You should get it back if the landlord decides not to rent to you, though you may lose it if you pull out, so only pay once you are serious.

My parents are paying my deposit. Does it still need protecting?

Yes. Your landlord must use a government-approved scheme even if someone else, such as a parent, paid the deposit. It must be protected within 30 days of being received.

Can a landlord charge me for a guarantor?

No. A landlord or agent cannot charge extra fees for carrying out guarantor checks or for drawing up a guarantor agreement.

This guide is general information for students in the UK. Dates, fees and rules change, so always check the latest details with UCAS, GOV.UK, Student Finance England or your university or college before making decisions.