When should you start looking?

When you should start looking for private accommodation will depend largely on your circumstances, but bear in mind that we first publish our SASSH housing lists in February of each year.

New students

If we cannot offer you a place in University accommodation or you would prefer to live in private rented accommodation, you can start looking whenever you feel comfortable. If you are able to visit Southampton in May or June this will give you time to look at a range of different properties before making your decision.

Many students begin looking for accommodation in August and September. Please don't worry about this being too late as there is always plenty of private accommodation available, even throughout the summer. However, please remember that the more time you can spend looking for accommodation, the better the result is likely to be.

Current students

If you are currently at the University and are looking for accommodation for the following year, you can start your search for private accommodation in February. We publish the SASSH housing lists online at this time to coincide with Housing Awareness Week, which we run in conjunction with the Students' Union to give you advice on how to go about finding a house.

Students sometimes worry that waiting until February is too late, but years of experience show that this is not the case. Looking for a house in December can be a little hasty when you have only known your prospective housemates for a few months - remember that signing a contract legally binds you to a property, so you can't pull out if you change your mind about your friends at a later date! Housing Awareness Week is set for February so you can concentrate on your exams before beginning to look for a house.