There are thousands of bedspaces available to rent privately and near to the University’s sites – either by walking, cycling or public transport. You can search in different ways to find student accommodation.
There are restrictions on advertising boards in the city centre, so instead many landlords and agents will display a ‘window cling’ sticker identifying the property as a student let. However, it is not always possible to tell if a house is or is not a student let.
Many letting agents also have city centre offices and may have lists to view either in their office, or to take away.
Some students decide to door knock in person in areas where they specifically want to live. We discourage this practice because the disruption is disrespectful to the residents, who are often not students.
Many letting agents, and some landlords, have websites and / or social media feeds, and may also use one or more third-party search platforms to advertise their available properties.
If you’re looking for other people to share with then the Durham Uni Find a Housemate platform is a great place to go. You can find tenancy take-overs (for example from students going on a placement year), single rooms available in larger houses, small groups who want to make a bigger group, and more. It is operated, monitored and moderated by Durham Students’ Union.
Specific search engines exist to find ‘roommates’, but there can be costs associated with these and you should make your own checks as to what these might be.
Answers to some commonly asked questions about searching for accommodation while at Durham.
No. Durham University does not have an approved housing scheme.
The local authority, Durham County Council, manages a landlord assurance scheme: Student housing - landlord assurance scheme - Durham County Council.
Durham Students Union supports a ratings and review platform for student housing in conjunction with student housing charity, Unipol: Rate Your Landlord - Durham Rankings
Students will also soon be able to view more information about their landlord when new legislation, the Renters Rights Act, introduces a Landlord Database and Private Rented Sector Ombudsman. Students can read more about Phase 2 of the implementation of the Act here: Implementing the Renters' Rights Act 2025 - GOV.UK.
Durham University cannot recommend a single provider of an accommodation search portal.
We recognise that all our students have different housing needs, and this will influence how they house-hunt, when and what for. In addition to local events run by Colleges, Common Rooms and Durham Students Union, there is a wide range of third-party services students can choose to use to support their house-hunting, whether as an individual or group.
It’s helpful to understand the variety of services available when house-hunting because not all providers will list their available accommodation on every site. The following summarises the different search options available and gives examples of some of the sites / products available:
All our students should carry out their own checks on providers when using any of the sites / products advertising student accommodation in Durham. Specific external guidance exists to support students to avoid rental scams and understand what to look for in listings when house-hunting. The student housing charity Unipol has this guidance as a place to start: Avoid Housing Contract Scams.
Durham Students Union also supports students to check their contract once they have identified suitable accommodation that meets their needs (Contract Checking Tool : ASK SU) and provides many resources to help our students understand their housing rights (Housing Advice : ASK SU).
Yes, we have a partnership with Housing Hand to support current students who need a rent guarantor. You can read more about this at Rent Guarantor Scheme - Durham University
Durham Students' Union also supports students to check their contract once they have identified suitable accommodation that meets their needs (Contract Checking Tool : ASK SU) and provides many resources to help our students understand their housing rights (Housing Advice : ASK SU).
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