Student Accommodation Rules Every Parent Should Know

Once A level results land, the scramble for a place to live begins. This time round it is a little more complicated, because the Renters’ Rights Act, implemented on 1 May 2026, treats different kinds of student homes differently. Getting to grips with the student accommodation rules before results day can save a lot of stress for you and your child.

Student accommodation rules start with the type of home

Students will mainly choose between university halls, purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA), and other private rentals such as houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) and Build to Rent apartments. The rights they get depend on which one they pick. Early research really helps, particularly as many families will also be weighing up guarantors and deposit-free schemes.

Rent in advance and tenancy type

Dani Smith, Sales Manager at UK rental services provider Housing Hand, points to two big differences.

• Rent in advance: halls and PBSA are exempt under the Act, so they can ask for several months of rent upfront. Other providers cannot.
• Tenancy type: halls and PBSA can offer a fixed term that matches the academic year. Every other type of rental must now be an assured periodic tenancy, which runs on until the tenant gives notice or the landlord gains possession on statutory grounds. One example is an HMO landlord using a Ground 4A notice to free the property for a new group of students.

Students in an HMO, Build to Rent flat or other private rental can give two months’ notice at any point. There is a catch for sharers: if one tenant gives notice, the tenancy ends for everyone in the house at the same time. The others would then need to ask the landlord whether they can take a fresh tenancy and stay put.

This option does not exist in halls or PBSA, because those contracts are for a fixed term.

Guarantors

Many landlords want a guarantor, someone who legally commits to paying the rent if the student cannot. Some parents are happy to take that on. Others would rather their child used a professional guarantor service.

Housing Hand offers one for a £20 onboarding fee, which covers ID checks for the student and the co-signer, with nothing more to pay until the student moves in. Its Guarantor Passport lets students show landlords that the company could stand as guarantor, subject to completing the full process, even before they know the address. That takes some of the last-minute rush out of results week.

Depositless schemes

Finding a deposit is not always easy, so depositless options exist. They usually ask for a small upfront payment, £25 for those using Housing Hand as guarantor, then small monthly payments alongside the rent. The upside is that a deposit does not stand between a student and the home they want.

If the rent can’t be paid

Talking early matters most. Make sure your child knows to raise any difficulty as soon as it appears so a sensible solution can be found. Housing Hand’s research found that only 52% of student tenants would know what to do if they could not pay rent, so this is a conversation worth having before they leave home.

Take the time now to understand each type of accommodation and the rights that come with it, and you will be in a far better position to help your child secure a place they will enjoy living in.