Private accommodation as a student is an absolute minefield. To start with (usually) you have a very minimal budget and this attracts landlords who sometimes take advantage. I have rented as a student in the Bristol area and it's ok as long as you know what you are letting yourself in for but quite often the accommodation is not of the standard it would be for say a professional couple who are in their first jobs. The tendency is for the Landlord to treat students less favourably and to view them with suspicion (ie. why should I get secure locks fitted on the doors? They will probably trash my property with all night parties anyway). So it is worth shopping around. But most students are not too worried. As long as you are sharing with a bunch of decent house mates, this is what being a student is all about. The main pitfalls to watch out for are decent locks and security on front doors (I have been burgled once along with my other house mates as a student and this is not nice). If you can you should also try to get accommodation where bills are included and quiz your landlord about how quickly they will repair things. Also check the boiler isn't too old as the las thing you want is to be trying to study in a freezing cold house in the winter. You should also come to an agreement with house mates about bills and how they will be split prior to moving in together. The number of times I have lived somewhere during my 4 years at uni and then somebody didn't pay their share was unbelievable!