See the types of property available to rent and the best places to search for landlords and letting agents in Brighton & Hove.
Types of property
See the private housing options available if you’re looking to live in Brighton & Hove.
Living in shared properties
You may decide to rent a whole house with other students in a residential area of the city. These are called house shares and can vary in size, the most common consisting of four to six bedrooms.
When renting a house with other students, you usually sign up to a ‘joint and severally liable’ tenancy. This means that although you will have your own bedroom, all people renting the property will be jointly responsible for all terms of the tenancy agreement for the whole property.
Shared whole properties are normally let directly from the landlord, or the landlord may choose to rent the property via a letting agency.
Living with a resident landlord
You might prefer to live with a resident landlord during your time at Sussex. These options mean you would rent a room in a house in which your landlord also lives.
If you’re living with a resident landlord you’ll usually rent a room and share kitchen and bathroom facilities.
This option may be for you if you would like the experience of living with a family in the local area.
Sussex Studentpad has a list of resident landlord rooms that are inspected by housing officers at the University to ensure they are comfortable and safe for you to live in.
Living in private halls of residence
You may decide to live in private halls of residence that are managed by private companies for students. This accommodation is similar to the types of housing on campus, but is not owned or managed by the University.
They usually contain studio rooms or rooms with a private bathroom and tend to be higher in price than shared houses.
Where to search
Find out where to search for private housing.
Search online
You can search online for properties in and around Brighton & Hove. You can refine your search by area, price and number of bedrooms.
Once you have found a property you are interested in, you should contact the agent or landlord by calling (as emails are often responded to more slowly) to arrange a viewing.
To be alerted when properties become available, register your search criteria directly on Rightmove.
Try looking at:
You can also use Spare Room to look for available rooms to rent in existing house shares or with a resident landlord.
Important: When completing online searches for properties, always use websites that complete checks to ensure advertisers and properties are real. Avoid websites where anyone can create a listing, as there is no way of verifying the advert is genuine.
Use Sussex Studentpad
If you’re looking for a reputable list of student landlords, visit Sussex Studentpad. The website highlights properties and rooms listed by landlords who rent to Sussex students.
You can search for:
- whole properties – you can look for a property for your group – all properties have been inspected by a member of the housing team and are located across Brighton & Hove
- individual rooms – you can look for an individual room or find an individual room in a whole property (sharing with other students) – this is ideal for students who have not found housemates, or those who would prefer sole liability on individual tenancies
- resident landlord rooms – you can search for a housing with a resident landlord or a family – they are located across the city and surrounding areas, and are ideal for students who do not have a guarantor, have a set budget or for those who would prefer flexible tenancies.
All whole properties registered on Sussex Studentpad are eligible for the guarantor scheme.
The University housing team administers the site and carries out checks on all rooms and properties to make sure they are:
- compliant with our Code of Standards
- legally compliant to national housing legislation
- comfortable homes for you during your studies.
Only Sussex students are granted access to the site. When you move into a Studentpad property, you deal directly with the landlord throughout your tenancy.
Visit letting agents
If you are in the Brighton & Hove area, you may want to visit some letting agents – there’s a good selection of student letting agents in the Lewes Road area of the city.
During your visit to a letting agent you could:
- discuss the terms of letting with them (terms can vary from agent to agent)
- ask for a list of the properties each agent has available, or ask them to email you when properties become available.
Check out agent reviews
When thinking about renting a property, particularly from a letting agent, it is useful to read as many reviews as possible on the service and management of the property. This helps you make an informed decision.
Speaking to other students who have rented in the city can also give you a good idea of first-hand experiences with agents.
You can also browse review websites such as All Agents, which lists students experiences with particular letting agents.
Viewing properties
When you’ve found a property you are interested in, it’s best to arrange a viewing. See our advice for things to look out for when viewing a property and the right questions to ask.
Staying safe and avoiding scams
There are steps you can take to protect yourself from potential scams when finding a property in the private rented sector.
If you are unsure about a property you have found, seek advice from our Housing Team before transferring any money or signing a contract.
You can also follow our top tips:
- ask additional questions – sometimes a property advert seems too good to be true, such as the price the property is advertised for. For example, a two-bedroom flat in the centre of town advertised for £600 per month (a third of the price of market value) may not be what it seems
- do not use sites such as Western Union or Moneygram to transfer money and make payments. Landlords and agents will not ask for these as methods of payment and the money is untraceable once you have paid it
- do not send payment or sign anything before viewing a property – a Land Registry search will cost you £3 and will tell you who owns the property, so you can verify the identity of the landlord.
If you are unsure whether a property advert is a scam, contact us at: housing@sussex.ac.uk and we will be able to offer additional advice and guidance.