UK Student Accommodation Renting Guide for Nepali Students

UK student accommodation renting works differently from Nepal: in England your deposit must be protected in a government-approved scheme within 30 days, it is usually capped at 5 weeks’ rent, and your landlord must check your right to rent, which you prove with a share code. Since 1 May 2026, most private student lets in England are assured periodic tenancies with no fixed end date, while university and National Code halls still run for a fixed academic-year term. Full-time student households also do not pay council tax.

Last checked: 20 October 2026. Rules below are for England unless we say otherwise. Rupee amounts use the NRB selling rate, 17 Oct 2026 (GBP 1 = Rs 202.99).

UK student accommodation renting: key facts

Halls, private halls or a shared house?

GOV.UK’s guide to renting as a university student says your rights depend on the type of housing:

• University halls or private halls (purpose-built student accommodation). You usually have a common law tenancy or licence. For privately run halls, this applies when the landlord has signed up to the National Code of practice, which you can check on the National Code website. The tenancy usually runs for a fixed period, normally to the end of the academic year, and you are liable for rent for that whole period. Some landlords let you leave early in certain circumstances; check your agreement.
• A room or house from a private landlord. You are likely to have an assured periodic tenancy. If private halls are not signed up to the National Code, you will likely have an APT too.
• Living with your landlord. You may have an excluded tenancy or licence, with fewer protections.

An APT has no end date. GOV.UK’s tenant guide says it continues until you and the landlord agree to end it, you decide to end it, or the landlord regains possession. For tenancies that started before 1 May 2026, any end date in the agreement no longer applies. To leave, give notice in writing (letter, email or text), timed to end on a rent due day or the day before; the most notice a landlord can ask for is 2 months. That flexibility is useful if your course ends in September but your plans change.

Deposits, rent in advance and deposit protection

For APTs, GOV.UK sets clear limits:

• Holding deposit: up to one week’s rent, while checks are done.
• Tenancy deposit: up to 5 weeks’ rent if the annual rent is under £50,000. On a £700-a-month room, 5 weeks is about £807 (around Rs 1.64 lakh).
• Rent in advance: landlords and agents must not accept, ask for or encourage rent before you both sign, and usually cannot ask for more than one month’s rent before the tenancy starts.

Then the deposit must be protected. GOV.UK’s tenancy deposit protection page says your landlord or letting agent must put it in the Deposit Protection Service, MyDeposits or the Tenancy Deposit Scheme within 30 days of receiving it, and must return it within 10 days of you both agreeing how much you get back.

Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own deposit schemes. In Scotland, mygov.scot says a landlord can ask for a deposit of up to 2 months’ rent, and in most cases it must be protected in one of 3 approved schemes.

Right to Rent checks

Before you can rent in England, you must prove your right to rent. GOV.UK says non-British and non-Irish citizens can use a share code, which you get online, or eligible immigration documents. Landlords must check every adult living in the property, may keep copies of documents for one year after you leave, and must not discriminate against you, for example because of your nationality. You do not need to prove your right to rent in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.

Your immigration status is held as an eVisa in your UKVI account. Our UK eVisa and UKVI account guide explains how to set it up before you start flat-hunting.

Council tax exemption for students

GOV.UK says households where everyone is a full-time student do not have to pay council tax. For most courses, full-time means a course lasting at least 1 year and involving at least 21 hours of study a week. If someone in the house is not a full-time student, the household gets a bill, though it may qualify for a discount. GOV.UK links to an online service to apply for the exemption through your local council.

What about a UK guarantor?

A guarantor is someone who agrees to pay your rent if you don’t. Some private landlords or agents may ask international students for a UK-based guarantor, which most Nepali students do not have. GOV.UK’s tenant guidance does not set rules on guarantors, so ask the landlord in writing what they will accept instead, before paying anything. Remember the legal limits above: for an APT in England, no more than a one-week holding deposit, a 5-week deposit and usually one month’s rent before the tenancy starts. Your university’s accommodation office can also tell you what options exist locally, and university halls are often the simplest choice in your first year.

Avoiding rental scams

Report Fraud, the police’s national fraud reporting service for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, describes rental fraud as fraudsters tricking would-be tenants into paying an upfront fee for a property that does not exist or is not available. It notes that fraudsters often copy details from real listings. Its advice:

• You, or someone you trust, should view the property in person before you sign anything or pay.
• Where possible, avoid bank transfers; credit or debit cards give better protection against fraud.
• If you are renting from overseas, ask your university for guidance on arranging accommodation.
• If you are unsure about anything a landlord asks you to do, talk to someone you trust or get independent advice.
• Search the address and photos online to see whether the same listing appears elsewhere.

Report fraud online at reportfraud.police.uk or by phone on 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, report via Police Scotland on 101. A legal warning sign in England: a landlord asking for rent before you both sign an APT agreement, or a deposit above 5 weeks’ rent, is breaking the rules.

Renting step by step

1. Decide halls or private. For a first year from Nepal, halls avoid viewing and guarantor problems.
2. Set a rent budget using our UK cost of living by city guide.
3. Check the landlord. For private halls, check the National Code website.
4. Get your share code ready for the Right to Rent check.
5. Read the agreement before paying. Check the rent, notice terms and who pays bills.
6. Pay safely and keep receipts. Avoid bank transfers to people you have never met.
7. Confirm deposit protection within 30 days, and keep the scheme details.
8. Apply for the council tax exemption once you move in.
9. Take dated photos of the room on move-in day to help with any deposit dispute later.

For Nepali students

Many families in Nepal are used to paying a big advance to a known landlord. In England that is restricted for most private lets, so do not let anyone push you into sending several months’ rent from Nepal. Once you arrive, our first weeks in the UK guide covers opening a bank account, which makes paying rent by card easier. For the bigger picture, see studying in the UK from Nepal.

Common mistakes

• Paying a deposit by bank transfer for a room you have never seen.
• Not checking that the deposit was protected within 30 days.
• Signing for halls without realising you owe rent to the end of the academic year.
• Living with a non-student and assuming the council tax exemption still applies.
• Assuming England’s rules apply in Scotland or Wales.

Frequently asked questions

How much deposit can a UK landlord ask from a student?
In England, for an assured periodic tenancy, up to 5 weeks’ rent if the annual rent is under £50,000, plus a holding deposit of up to one week’s rent. In Scotland the maximum is 2 months’ rent.

Do international students have to pay council tax in the UK?
Not if everyone in the household is a full-time student. For most courses that means a course of at least 1 year with at least 21 hours of study a week.

How do I prove my right to rent as an international student?
With a share code from GOV.UK or with eligible immigration documents. Checks are only required in England.

Are assured shorthold tenancies still used in England?
No. GOV.UK says assured periodic tenancies replaced assured shorthold tenancies on 1 May 2026. Purpose-built student accommodation run by National Code members is not an APT.

How do I avoid student accommodation scams in the UK?
View the property in person (or have someone you trust do it), avoid bank transfers, check the listing online, and report fraud to Report Fraud on 0300 123 2040.

Related guides

• UK Dependant Visa for PhD and Research Students: 2026 Rules
• UK Foundation Year and Top-Up Degree Guide for Nepali Students
• UK Cost of Living for Students: London vs Outside London
• How to Apply for a UK Student Visa from Nepal (Step by Step)

Sources

• Renting as a university student – GOV.UK
• Assured periodic tenancies: a guide for tenants – GOV.UK
• Rent in advance and deposits (APTs) – GOV.UK
• How to end your tenancy (APTs) – GOV.UK
• Tenancy deposit protection – GOV.UK
• Prove your right to rent in England – GOV.UK
• Document checks by landlords – GOV.UK
• Council Tax discounts for full-time students – GOV.UK
• Tenancy deposits in Scotland – mygov.scot
• Rental fraud – Report Fraud (police)
• Useful contacts for fraud advice – Police.uk

Last checked: 20 October 2026. This is general information, not legal advice. Housing law differs across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.