Private rental accommodation

BU Accommodation

If you are searching for accommodation for January 2025 entry, first check what options BU has available by viewing our accommodation options. All rooms are fully inclusive of bills, internet and come with 24/7 staff support, which makes it easy to manage your budget and get any help you need when you need it.

If you are not able to to live in BU's accommodation, you can search for private accommodation in the local area. If you are looking for this type of accommodation remember that you will probbaly need a UK based guarantor. If you do not have a UK based guarantor then you should consider our accommodation as we have options that do not require a guarantor and other options that will accept non-UK based guarantors. Check what options BU has available by viewing our Accommodation Options. 

Private Accommodation 

Letting agents

There are lots of letting agents in the Bournemouth & Poole who provide private housing options. 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 using the UNIBUS service. To see what areas are served you can view the UNIBUS route maps. 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. You can search the internet for these options. 

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.

Before booking a hotel for either a short or longer-term stay, please do your own research and think carefully about the following:

• Check online reviews to see how other guests rate the hotel (for example, look up the hotel's Google Review or via Trip Advisor), don’t just rely on word-of-mouth recommendations
• Have you seen photos of the type of room that you are booking? How do you know that the photos are recent and genuine? You can visit the hotel and ask to be given a tour before you book.
• Does the hotel have a website and will they issue you with a receipt and confirmation of booking? (Avoid hotels that do not have formal and secure booking processes).
• Be very wary of hotels insisting on cash payment – this is not usual in the UK.

If your stay is for several weeks up to a few months, then a hotel might not be the most cost-effective or suitable accommodation option. You can search for rooms that might be available on a medium term and flexible basis through the following online services:

• Gumtree
• Airbnb
• 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 (also see Guarantors below)
• Rent – in a shared student house, expect to pay between £450 to £650 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 £100 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. 

BU is unable to act as your guarantor. If you are struggling to find a suitable guarantor then there are private companies who, for a fee, offer services for students in need or a guarantor (and/or referee); Housinghand and RentGuarantor are both organisations that offer these services (please note: BU is in no way affiliated with these companies and students who choose to use these services do so at their 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.