Accommodation
First things first, you need to think about is your accommodation - where are you going to live? There are many different options you can look into, so let's explore these!
Halls of residence
This basically means university-owned accommodation. This is where most students choose to live during their first year of university, but second, third and post-graduation students can also live here too.
Halls of residence will typically have students from different places across the UK and the world, and studying a wide variety of courses so you will get the chance to meet so many unique people!
Bills are included in the rent too when opting for halls of residence as your accommodation. The bookable rooms are single occupancy, so you have your own space. Some come with an en-suite bathroom, some have shared bathrooms. All have a shared kitchen and living space.
List of Solent University Accommodation
- Chantry
- David Moxon
- Deanery
- Hamwic
- Kimber
Private rented accommodation
An alternative option to university-owned accommodation (halls of residence) is renting privately-owned accommodation. If you chose this option, you will be able to live with a group of friends or other students in a house or flat.
This type of accommodation will give you your own bedroom, shared lounge, kitchen and bathroom. If you are renting privately, you will need to consider and factor in that bills, such as gas/water/electricity, internet connection/TV Licence etc, are not included in your rent and will need to be paid seperatly, which is often split between you and the people you are living with.*
*This is different for each location - please contact your landlord or the estate agent you plan to use for full pricing breakdown.
Guarantor
If you are going down the private accommodation route, you will need a guarantor to co-sign your tenancy agreement.
A guarantor is someone who agrees to be responsible for your rent and your other legal obligations in a tenancy agreement if you fail to do so. They may also be responsible for the rent and legal obligations of any co-tenants you share with.*
For example, if you or any of your co-tenants don’t pay your rent, the landlord can ask your guarantor to pay. If your guarantor doesn't pay, the landlord can take your guarantor to court.
*This is different for each location - please contact your landlord or the estate agent you plan to use for full pricing breakdown.
A guarantee agreement is a contract that sets out the guarantor's responsibilities. It must be in writing. The contract is a legally binding agreement so the person signing it as the guarantor must be prepared to do what they promise to do in the agreement.
Letting agents and referencing companies have different requirements they will want guarantors to meet. Generally, they will want someone who:
- Lives in the UK, and
- Is over 18 years old, and
- Is a homeowner, and
- Has a good credit history, and
- Has a steady job that gives them enough income to pay any debts that the tenant owes the landlord if needed.
If you don’t have a guarantor or are struggling to get a guarantor, speak to the landlord as they may be willing to negotiate. For example, some landlords may be willing to accept rent in advance instead. There are also private guarantor companies (such as Housing Hand and UK Guarantor) who offer to act as guarantor for working professionals and students in return for a fee.
Council Tax
Living in a private rented accommodation requires you to pay council tax, unless you are a full-time student living with other full-time students.
Council Tax is a property-based tax for public services provided by the council. There is one charge per property: a house, flat or caravan.
The tenants of the property are responsible for paying the council tax. If you are a full-time student living with other full-time students, you do NOT have to pay council tax. You will need to submit a Council Tax Exemption Certificate to the council to be exempted from being billed – you can collect the exemption certificate from the Student Hub.
For further advice on accommodation or housing, contact the university’s private housing adviser by email: private.housing@solent.ac.uk. For more general questions, please email accommodation@solent.ac.uk.
Right to Rent Check
Private accommodation providers, landlords and agents are legally required to check the immigration status of all tenants, residents, and any adults over the age of 18 who will be living in the property. This is called a right to rent check.
Right to rent checks also apply to lodgers, so all households or ‘host families’ offering a room to rent also have to carry out the checks.
The checks have to be carried out on adults before the start of the housing contract or tenancy agreement. The landlord is also required to make a copy of the documents and keep them on file for a year after the tenancy ends.
Sub-letting
Please note that the tenants in the contract are the only people allowed to live in the accommodation and not allowed to rent it to other people. This is called sub-letting, which is illegal in the UK. Landlords and host families are subject to penalties if they break the law.