Housemates/Rooms Wanted

Are you looking for a place to live in Egham? Have you still not found a group you’re happy to live with? Do you want to see where everyone is advertising their spare rooms? Or maybe you need someone to take over your contract?

We appreciate there are all kinds of housing headaches at the moment so our Advisors at the Advice Centre have put together some guidance to help you out.

Many students spend their first year at university in halls, but as you progress to second year, you will have to move on to private accommodation, unless you’ve been told you qualify to continue staying in Halls. 

If you have not been assigned a guaranteed place in halls for your second year, you may feel disappointed or worried, but remember that there is advice available. You might be surprised to find that living in private housing can be a great option! It can be cheaper, you have more choices, there are rooms available throughout the academic year and you usually have more space.

Looking for accommodation?

Our Looking Guide is a great place to start. It has lots of useful information on where to search, how to search and what to expect when hunting for student accommodation.

Housemate dropped out?

If one of your housemates has dropped out of the tenancy, you should ask for an advice appointment, as this will impact all housemates. There are several issues to consider, including urgent ones like council tax. We can ensure you’re aware of your legal rights and responsibilities, as well as help you map out your next actions to minimise future problems. We can also give you tips for advertising the room and make sure the tenancy swap is done without endangering your security deposits. We strongly advise against doing this before getting advice and discussing it with all housemates.

Got a spare room?

Check out our RHSU Housemating Facebook group, where people are always looking for housemates.

Join the group

Tips for posting:

• State available dates at the top of your post, e.g. "Available May-September 2023"
• Use lots of good-quality photos
• Give some information about the housemates already signed up
• State rent price and if it’s negotiable
• State if bills are included in the rent price
• State what area the property is located, how far from the university and add any nearby amenities (e.g. supermarkets, train stations)
• Don't forget to take the post down when your new housemate is confirmed

Have you had your contract checked?

If you're viewing houses, we have a checklist you can use to make sure you’re keeping an eye on anything important to keep in mind when moving into a property. If you find a property you like, our Advice Centre offers a free contract checking service and we recommend you don’t sign/pay for anything before using it. Simply email us with the subject ‘contract check request,’ attaching the tenancy agreement. All good landlords and agents should give you a couple of days to look over the contract.

Signed a contract already?

We still recommend you send us your contract for checking. We can then send you feedback in plain English and offer guidance to help you when moving and getting your deposit back. Our feedback has thought of everything you haven’t, and we’re proud to boast that students keep telling us how helpful it is! We can even offer you a Zoom appointment where you can ask our Advisors about any other random bits still bothering you.

Continuing students and halls

Unfortunately, unlike previous years, this year continuing students are not able to apply to live in halls from September 2023. This is due to the temporary closure of Kingswood Hall for maintenance works. Some students with disabilities might still be guaranteed accommodation by the Disability and Neurodiversity team. For further information on this, you can contact the Advice Centre.

Looking for a place in London?

See what University of London Housing Services has to offer. They also offer a free contract checking service, which we recommend you use if you plan to rent in London.

Financial advice

Whilst private housing is usually cheaper than university accommodation if you do have any concerns about money or being able to afford housing, you can reach out to the Financial Wellbeing Team who will be happy to help. 

You can find more information on looking for housing on our website, but if you are still concerned, feel free to contact the Advice Centre and we can help to point you in the right direction.