• Shared houses - owned by private landlords within popular student areas and within easy travelling distance of both our campuses. We maintain an extensive register of shared housing.
• Bedsits - a furnished room with cooking facilities either in the room or in a separate kitchen. Visit our register of available bedsits
• Homestay - living in a family home usually with part board (breakfast and a light meal or dinner). Visit our register of available properties.
• Self-contained flats - flats with their own kitchen, living and bathroom facilities. If you require this type of accommodation we recommend that you contact local estate agents.
• Family accommodation - if you require accommodation for you and your family, allow extra time as there are more factors to consider such as local schools and amenities. We recommend that you contact local estate agents for this type of property.
• Home ownership - we recommend that you seek the professional advice of local estate agents if you are considering buying a house.

Detailed advice on finding this type of accommodation is provided in our Rough Guide to Househunting (PDF, 740KB)

The guide includes

• hints and tips for finding accommodation
• the legal requirements of signing a contract and the types of tenancy agreements
• gas, electrical and fire safety
• dealing with repairs and other problems

The amount of time needed to find a place to live in the private sector varies considerably and depends on your requirements and the time of year. August and September are particularly busy.

Our specialist accommodation staff can advise on any accommodation problem. All advice is free and in complete confidence.

A fun way to find private sector housing is to join househunting week which we run before the start of the academic year. Helped along by our team of student ambassadors, we provide transport to view properties, give out maps and advice, and we can organise cheap overnight accommodation if required.

Househunting gives you the chance to see some of the student areas in Sheffield and make a few friends in the process. It's not uncommon to find a housemate or two along the way.

For more information on househunting, contact Accommodation Services.