Private Renting Advice for a student and non student
I am looking to attend uwe in 2026, Ideally i will be able to live with my long term boyfriend, however he is not going to uni and would be getting a full time job so we won’t be able to live in student halls so if anyone has any information about the private renting sector or if there is any possibility of us in private uni accommodation that would be great! And do they require proof of income from both of us as i would be covering my part of the rent with my maintenance loan and part time job
Reply 1
Hi @fairylola,
It's great to hear you're hoping to join us in 2026!
I actually have recently been through a similar situation with my boyfriend, who also works full time. We have both managed to find a lovely flat together in central Bristol.
What our agent/landlord did for the referencing checks is check my boyfriends income from his full-time job, check any income I make from part-time work etc, but as they don't count student loan as income, you will probably need a UK resident guarantor (I did) who is happy to help for you to pass referencing.
Your joint income needs to be approximately 2.5x the annual rent, or your guarantor will need to earn 3x the annual rent.
E.g. if your combined income is £33000, you should be able to pass referencing check for a property priced at £1100PCM, and if some of this is being covered with student loan, that is where the guarantor will come in.
We also wrote a short cover letter about who we are, what we do (what he does for work and subject I study etc), hobbies, and so on.I disclosed how much student loan I got to reassure the Landlord of my reliability, although none of it is essential, it can just help give the Landlord and idea of what you're like as a person.
The last thing I will mention (you may already know), if your boyfriend works full-time, you both would still be responsible for paying council tax. As you would be a student, you should be entitled to a 25% discount on the council tax (which is what we have), which makes it reasonable especially if you're in the lower bands (e.g. band A).
It definitely is possible to do, but I will say persistence is needed initially as the rental market is quite fast-paced so properties can go off quickly. It took us about 3 applications before getting this one but it's 100% worth it for when you get to move in together.
You may find these links helpful:
https://smartmoneytools.co.uk/tools/rent-affordability-calculator/
https://www.cjhole.co.uk/guides/landlord/student-lets-should-you-ask-for-a-guarantor/
https://www.bristol.gov.uk/residents/council-tax/charges-and-bands
I hope this helped answer any questions you have have, and feel free to reach out if you have any more.
Kind regards,
Cara (2nd year Marketing student)
It's great to hear you're hoping to join us in 2026!
I actually have recently been through a similar situation with my boyfriend, who also works full time. We have both managed to find a lovely flat together in central Bristol.
What our agent/landlord did for the referencing checks is check my boyfriends income from his full-time job, check any income I make from part-time work etc, but as they don't count student loan as income, you will probably need a UK resident guarantor (I did) who is happy to help for you to pass referencing.
Your joint income needs to be approximately 2.5x the annual rent, or your guarantor will need to earn 3x the annual rent.
E.g. if your combined income is £33000, you should be able to pass referencing check for a property priced at £1100PCM, and if some of this is being covered with student loan, that is where the guarantor will come in.
We also wrote a short cover letter about who we are, what we do (what he does for work and subject I study etc), hobbies, and so on.I disclosed how much student loan I got to reassure the Landlord of my reliability, although none of it is essential, it can just help give the Landlord and idea of what you're like as a person.
The last thing I will mention (you may already know), if your boyfriend works full-time, you both would still be responsible for paying council tax. As you would be a student, you should be entitled to a 25% discount on the council tax (which is what we have), which makes it reasonable especially if you're in the lower bands (e.g. band A).
It definitely is possible to do, but I will say persistence is needed initially as the rental market is quite fast-paced so properties can go off quickly. It took us about 3 applications before getting this one but it's 100% worth it for when you get to move in together.
You may find these links helpful:
https://smartmoneytools.co.uk/tools/rent-affordability-calculator/
https://www.cjhole.co.uk/guides/landlord/student-lets-should-you-ask-for-a-guarantor/
https://www.bristol.gov.uk/residents/council-tax/charges-and-bands
I hope this helped answer any questions you have have, and feel free to reach out if you have any more.
Kind regards,
Cara (2nd year Marketing student)
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