Trying to find accommodation can be an incredibly stressful experience at the best of times, but when you add in trying to prepare for a new academic year into the mix too it can all prove to be a bit much.
Many first-year students choose to stay in halls of residence, and here at the University of Plymouth there are plenty to pick from. They can prove popular, so you don’t want to be leaving it late and missing out. To apply for a room, you simply have to do so through the accommodation portal. You can read more about the different rooms and how it works here: https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/services/accommodation/halls
If halls aren’t for you, you can choose to look at private rented housing, which is often more common for second- or third-year students.
Whilst we at the University of Plymouth Student Union cannot magic up a property for you, we can offer you some advice of what to do and where to look.
It can be a bit dauting to understand some of the basics, including what is meant by private sector accommodation for students.
The below link to a page on the University website gives you a bit of help in trying to get your head around that: https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/student-life/services/accommodation/private-sector
When looking for a property we would always suggest that you undertake an internet search of accommodation providers/letting agents within the Plymouth area. Rightmove and Zoopla are two such examples of places to go to search for student accommodation.
Social media can also proof to be a useful tool in hunting a room, often for single occupancy. Spareroom is once such site but there also pages on Facebook that are ran by us at UPSU, which allows students to advertise rooms they no longer need, or put out posts asking if anybody knows of one going free.
You can find them at:
Initially you may wish to consider contacting the Student Services Hub if you are experiencing issues with sourcing accommodation.
You could consider obtaining short term accommodation whilst waiting for something more permanent, but you need to be aware that could prove far more costly if it takes longer than you would hope to find that place you are looking for.
If short-term accommodation is a route you would like to go down, you may wish to look over the following link detailing guesthouses and B&B’s in Plymouth, many of which are within walking distance of the university: https://www.visitplymouth.co.uk/accommodation/bed-and-breakfasts/?p=1
Airbnb is another popular app that offers more short-term accommodation. If you are considering booking through a site such as Amber Student, we would recommend that you ensure that you read reviews on a verified site, such as Trust Pilot: https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/amberstudent.com
It is important that you also know that as a Student Union Advice Team, we do offer a free contract checking service. If that is something you would like to take advantage of, then please forward us a copy of your tenancy agreement to advice@su.plymouth.ac.uk and we will be happy to read it and offer comment.
We would always say that it is best to view somewhere in person, if possible, to ensure you are happy with the property and the location. Photographs of properties posted on the internet may not be accurate.
We hope that helps. If you have any further queries, please do get in touch using the email address previously provided.