Postcode and rent in, straight answers out: how the price compares with official figures for the area, how far campus really is on foot and by bike, last month's crime within a mile, and where the nearest supermarket, station and gym are. Built from public records, free because it costs us nothing to run.
There is no single number, but the official ONS average rent for the same size of home in the same district is the honest starting point. Student streets usually price above the city-wide average; the useful question is how far above, and what you get for the gap. Our free check shows both.
No official statistics track room rents in shared houses, so treat any tool that grades a room rent with suspicion. Compare your room with other rooms on the same streets, and check the whole-market average and rent direction for the district, which we show free.
In a fixed-term joint tenancy the rent is fixed until the term ends unless the contract says otherwise. On a periodic tenancy a landlord must follow the proper process, and you can challenge an above-market increase. Our free rent rise checker compares any proposed rise against official figures for your area.
A shared house of five or more people from more than one household needs a mandatory HMO licence in England and Wales, and many councils licence smaller shares too. An unlicensed HMO can owe tenants a rent repayment order, which for students can mean a year's rent back.