Private rental accommodation

On this page, you will find useful information and guidance to assist with your search for accommodation in the local area. 

Starting your search

Letting agents

There are lots of letting agents in the Bournemouth & Poole who provide private housing options. Many of our students live in this type of accommodation in groups. If you conduct an internet search for "Bournemouth student letting agents", or similar, then lists of these private agents will come up for you to contact to see what they might have available. 

If you are unable to find accommodation from student letting agents close to either of the university's campuses then you can widen your search to areas a bit further away and still get in to university easily. BU is very well served by the UNIBUS and, for the academic year 2022/23, an annual bus pass will cost you £273. This will then allow you to look at the UNIBUS route maps to see the different areas they run through. You can then search for accommodation options along these routes and in these areas.

Looking for other BU students to share a house with?

We have set up a home-finders Facebook page to help students find housemates. You can go here and advertise what you are looking for. It's a great way to speed up your search and exchange information with other students who are also looking.

Looking for or advertising spare rooms?

You can also use the home-finders Facebook page to look for other students who are advertising spare rooms in their current student houses.

Have a family or dependents?

If you require accommodation with your family or dependent then you will need to find this via a local letting agent. If you conduct an internet search stating what size house or flat you require (i.e. how many beds) then you will get a list of all available properties in the local area. For more information go to our Accommodation for Families and Couples webpage.

Always ensure you are dealing with a legitimate agent; we recommend you read the SUBU Advice on what to think about to avoid rogue landlords and agents. 

Private halls of residences

There are a number of private halls of residence in Bournemouth who rent out rooms to students. Some options to try are: Belaton House, Mercury House, Winton Halls, The Artisan, Lulworth Student Co., and Skyline and Oxford Point.

Homestay

Local families who have rooms available to rent in their homes. You can contact Residential Services for our list of local host options and also search the Homestay.com website.

Temporary or short stay options

There are many hotels, B&Bs and guest houses in Bournemouth. You will find a comprehensive list on the Bournemouth Tourist Board website.

If your stay is for several weeks up to a few months, then you can search for rooms that might be available in the local area through the following online services:

• Gumtree
• AirB&B
• Spareroom

What to look for in your search

There are several key things you should be aware of when you are thinking of renting a property privately, including:

• References – usually your landlord will ask for UK references; they may accept overseas references but this will be at the landlord’s discretion. If you are struggling to find a suitable referee then there are providers who you can approach that might be able to help; ukguarantor.com and Housinghand are both organisations that offer help to students in need of a referee (please note: BU is in no way affiliated with these external companies and therefore is unable to formally recommend either).
• Rent – expect to pay between £375 to £460 per room per month. In some cases, your landlord or letting agent may ask for rent to be paid in advance. Again, this will be at the discretion of the landlord. Do not hand over any money if you are unsure about the agent or landlord. 
• Deposit – this will normally be one month to five weeks' rent and payable at the time of booking. Make sure you have money set aside to pay for your deposit. This should go into a secure deposit scheme to protect you and your landlord when your tenancy ends.
• Bills – these will not be included in your rent. Budget around £70 to £80 each per month (based on 4 sharing).
• Signing a contract – get someone who knows about private renting to check your contract before you sign it. Contact the Student Advice Centre, which is run by the Students’ Union, to find someone who can help you.
• Guarantors – you might need to provide a named person to act as a legal guarantor. A guarantor is a person who agrees to secure or ‘guarantee’ your accommodation contract. The guarantor effectively takes on many (or all) of the commitments of the contract. In other words, if you sign a tenancy agreement, the guarantor will be responsible for fulfilling many of the terms of the agreement if you do not. The main obligation that the guarantor is taking on is rent. What this means is, if you don’t pay your rent, the guarantor will be required to pay it. Depending on the tenancy agreement, it can also mean that the guarantor is liable for other costs, such as damages. Many private landlords require a guarantor who lives in the UK. If you are travelling from overseas and do not have access to a UK based guarantor then you can use one of the companies who offer guarantor schemes. However, BU is unable to recommend or endorse any of these schemes and you will need to conduct your own reseach into the validity of the scheme and at your own risk. 

For a comprehensive list of things to consider when looking for a property in the private sector you can read our home-finders checklist (pdf 154kb)

You can also download the local Council's Student Guide to Renting (pdf 3.74MB)

SUBU Advice are not a letting agent and have no access to accommodation options but they do have a lot of useful housing advice and staff in the Student Advice Team who can provide you with assistance on a range of issues relating to renting if you need it, including checking over your accommodation contract. 

Found your student house? What to do before you move in...

We recommend that you watch our series of videos that provide helpful advice and guidance on what to consider before you arrive, how to set up your new student home, and tips for living in the wider Bournemouth community.