Welcome to Braw’s new column, where mature student Ali answers the questions you have about life, relationships, friendships, and anything in between.
I am a first-year student and thinking about moving into private accomm next year with my friends but I don’t know where to start looking or what to look for in a flat – what advice do you have?
Don’t Delay
November might seem like a weird time to post advice about flat hunting for next year, but my first piece of advice on this is: don’t leave it til last minute. If you know the group you want to move in with is fixed, you can start scouting around as early as January. Student accommodation can be very competitive, so being on the ball can save a ton of stress.
Landlords who rent to students know that their properties will likely change hands in the summer, and it can be a hassle for them to find new tenants, so I’d recommend asking your friends in later years (especially fourth years about to graduate) if they’re going to be moving at the end of the year. If they are, ask them to put you in touch with their landlord and enquire directly instead of waiting to find a place on the market.
The best websites to find student accommodation are S1 Homes and Rightmove’s student accommodation hub. I’d suggest setting an email alert so you know as soon as a new property matching your criteria is uploaded.
Know Your Rights
If this is your first time moving into private accommodation, it’s well worth taking a bit of time to familiarise yourself with your rights as a student tenant.
Previous Stirling union president Justine Pedussel was part of a national campaign to improve the rights of renters everywhere, especially students. As of May 2026, your rights are stronger than ever.
For example, did you know a landlord can no longer lock you into a fixed-term tenancy agreement? Contracts are now set on a rolling basis, making it much easier to move if you need to.
They can only ask you for one month’s rent in advance before you move in, and your deposit must be protected in a verifiable scheme, making it harder for landlords to take a chance on your money when you move out. We once had a landlord try to charge us for a loose baseboard in the kitchen, an issue we reported multiple times throughout the tenancy. Having our deposit protected meant we got all our money back.
The NUS has a great information page about your rights as a student renter. Don’t forget that if you run into a housing issue, you can go to the Students’ Union advice service for help. You can also book an appointment with the Citizens Advice Bureau via Student Services to discuss any housing problems.
Setting Expectations
While you’re going through the practical flat-hunting side of things, it’s a good opportunity to set out expectations and boundaries with the friends you’re going to be moving in with. Getting these details hashed out in advance can make the friends-to-housemates transition way simpler and less fraught with peril, so it’s worth meeting up with a coffee and a list of ground rules to establish. Make sure everyone knows the purpose of the meeting so nobody feels blindsided and folks have time to consider their non-negotiables.
This isn’t an exhaustive list, and some won’t matter to you, but this is a good starting point for stuff to decide on before move-in day.
- Who’s going to be the ‘lead tenant’? This person will take the lead on admin. You might not want a lead tenant and have everyone take on a share of responsibility, which is fairer but can be harder to manage – have a good spreadsheet for tracking flat admin.
- Do you want to set up any rules about overnight guests, or make sure everyone checks in if they’re bringing someone home? Now’s the time to establish these boundaries.
- Does anyone have any allergies? Not like dogs make them sneeze, but like eating peanuts will put them in the hospital. If you’re living with someone who has a food allergy, you need to be prepared to make sacrifices and make sure your guests abide by the same rules.
- Other things to consider: are you all keeping separate pots and pans? Are you going to share your streaming logins so you don’t all have to pay for your own Netflix accounts? Are you going to implement quiet hours or study weeks around exams?
Basically, the more you discuss and decide beforehand, the more likely it is that your friendships will survive the stresses of living together. Some of my best friends to this day in my 30s are people I lived with when I was a student the first time around and talking everything over and making decisions as a group was a huge part of that.
Featured image credit: Brig Newspaper
Student journalist & freelance writer. Check out Quick Play, where I review video games that are 10 hours or less.
