28 Questions to Ask When Viewing Student Accommodation

Photos show a room on a good day. A viewing shows everything else: the room's size, how much sunlight it gets, whether the storage is adequate, and who to call when the shower stops working.

Once a contract is signed, it's much harder to change anything. Most students ask some good questions before booking, but rarely enough. This article starts with what students ask amber most often, builds that into 28 questions to take to a viewing, then covers what to ask on a virtual tour, and how to compare the real cost of two places.

What students already ask amber, and what they skip

Most students do ask questions before booking. The table shows what they ask amber most often, and how often each comes up. It's a useful starting point for a viewing, and a quick way to spot what's missing.

These are the right questions to start with, but they mostly cover what a room is and what it costs. They say little about what living there will be like: how safe the building is, who fixes things when they break, and what happens if plans change. Here are questions which students should ask before finalising their next home!

A printable checklist of 28 questions

The questions work best in order, with each answer noted down. Bringing a friend to take notes helps, and it's polite to ask before photographing rooms where people live. Mark anything you can't check on the day for follow-up rather than assuming it's fine. The source behind each question is shown in brackets, with full links in Methodology & Sources. Questions marked amber listing insight draw on the policies providers publish on amber's own listings, and amber housing team insight comes from amber's housing team.

Questions about the room and its condition (1–5)

1. Is this the exact room in the listing, with the same size, layout, and room type (studio, ensuite, or non-ensuite)? (amber insight)
2. Are there any signs or smells of damp, mould, leaks, or pests? The places to check are under sinks, around windows, and behind furniture. (amber insight)
3. Do the heating, cooling, lights, taps, shower, and windows all work when turned on? (UConn)
4. Is the advertised furniture there and in good condition, with enough storage and working sockets near the desk and bed? (amber insight)
5. Are bedding kits & kitchen utensils included in the rent? What all in the kitchen would be there, and what needs to be brought? (amber insight)

Questions about safety and security (6–9)

6. Do the main entrance, the bedroom door, and the windows lock securely? (amber insight)
7. Are there working smoke alarms and clear fire exits, and are any safety certificates that local rules require available to see? (Acadia University)
8. Who else has keys or access cards, and is there staff or 24/7 security or just CCTV on site outside office hours? (amber insight)
9. Is the route from the nearest bus stop or station well lit, and is it safe to walk at night? (Shelter Cymru)

Questions about rent, bills and upfront costs (10–14)

10. What exactly is the rent, is it quoted per week, per month, or for the whole contract, and when is each payment due? (Western University)
11. Which bills are included, and is there a fair-usage cap on energy or water? (amber insight)
12. How much is the deposit, where is it held, and what can be deducted from it at the end of the tenancy? (GOV.UK)
13. Are there extra charges for laundry, the gym, parking, cleaning, admin, or late payment? (amber insight)
14. How much is due before move-in, and can any of it be paid in instalments? (amber insight)

Questions about the contract and its terms (15–19)

15. What type of agreement is it, how long does it last, and does it match term dates or charge rent through the holidays? (amber insight)

16. What happens if a visa is delayed, the course is deferred, or the student needs to leave early? (amber insight)
17. Is a guarantor required, and what are the options for students who don't have one in the country? (amber insight)
18. Can the rent go up during the contract, and with how much notice? (GOV.UK)
19. What are the rules on guests, overnight stays, parties, smoking, and pets? (amber insight)

Questions about repairs and maintenance (20–22)

20. How are repairs reported, and how quickly are routine ones usually fixed? (amber insight)
21. Is there a 24-hour emergency contact for a leak, a lockout, or a power cut? (amber insight)
22. Will any repairs mentioned during the viewing be done before move-in, and will that be confirmed in writing? (Trent University)

Questions about the location and commute (23–24)

23. How long is the trip to campus at 9 am, what does it cost, and are a supermarket and pharmacy close by? (amber insight)
24. How noisy is the area at night, with bars, a main road, or building work nearby? (Shelter Cymru)

Questions about shared spaces and housemates (25–26)

25. How many people share the kitchen and bathroom, and who cleans the shared areas? (amber insight)
26. Who are the other residents, and are there house rules or a cleaning rota already in place? (amber insight)

Questions to ask before signing or paying (27–28)

27. Can the full agreement and a breakdown of every payment be reviewed before anything is paid? (University of Melbourne)
28. Will everything promised at the viewing be confirmed in writing, including what the rent covers, any repairs, and the move-in date? (Shelter England)

When an in-person viewing isn't possible, a live video tour helps

Students moving from another country often book before they see the room. A live video tour covers most of the questions above, while pre-recorded clips only show what the provider chose to film. On the call, students can ask the provider to:

• Show the exact room on offer, walking to it from the front door without cutting away.
• Run the shower, open the wardrobe and turn on the heating.
• Point the camera at window frames, ceiling corners and under the sink, where damp shows first.
• Show the shared kitchen and bathroom, and say how many people use them.
• Step outside to show the street.

Before paying, students should look the owner up independently rather than through links the provider sends. Payment should go only through a booking platform or the provider's official payment channel, never by transfer to a personal account because the room "will go today".

Compare what the price includes, not just the advertised rent

Two studios listed on amber, a few miles apart in West London and both with bills included, show how differently a headline price can be built:

On paper, LST White City is £127 a week cheaper. But a weekly price only means something alongside the tenancy it’s for. LST’s standard winter tenancy runs seven weeks longer and into summer, so the total bill ends up only around £500 lower than iQ’s. A student who only needs to stay until July could book LST for the same 27 weeks for about £11,200, roughly £3,400 less than iQ.

Both properties ask for a guarantor and accept international guarantors, so the bigger practical difference is how the rent can be spread. LST White City splits it into up to six instalments, while iQ Hammersmith offers nine to twelve, which means smaller individual payments.

When comparing two rooms, it helps to check they’re for the same move-in date and tenancy length, put both prices on the same basis (per week or per month), add rent, bills and transport together, and then budget for:

• Upfront payments: the deposit, first rent payment and any booking or admin fee. What can be charged depends on the country.
• Tenancy length: whether rent is charged over summer, when students may not be there.
• Essentials: bedding, kitchen kit and laundry, if they aren’t included.
• Changes of plan: what it costs to cancel or leave early if a visa is delayed or a course start date moves.

Deposits, fees and contracts follow local rules

The 28 questions work anywhere, but the right answers don't. Upfront fees, deposit rules and leaving early all depend on the country, and sometimes the state or city, so it's worth checking the official source below or asking the university's housing team before signing.

Amber’s Verdict

The right place isn't always the one with the best photos or the lowest rent. It's the one that fits a student's budget and daily life, with terms they understand before signing. In our view, only three answers should end the search: a safety problem that won't be fixed before move-in, a total cost that doesn't fit the budget, or no way out if a visa is delayed or plans change. Almost everything else can be fixed or negotiated, as long as it's agreed in writing. Here is what the expert advises!

Students often book based on photos and price, then find the room smaller, darker, or with less storage than expected. Check the size, light, storage, Wi-Fi speed, and any amenity that matters to you. Confirm what’s included, whether the payment plan allows you to pay as per your desired instalment plan, and read every policy in detail before you pay.

— Bhanu Mahajan (Senior Director - Operations)

Methodology & Sources

We reviewed government guidance, housing charity and tenant-advice guidance, and university off-campus housing checklists covering the UK, Australia, the US, Canada, Ireland and France on 14, 15, and 16 October 2026. We kept the viewing checks that apply in every market and grouped them into the 28 questions above. We also used live amber listings and amber's own first-party enquiry data.

• The enquiry themes in "What students already ask amber, and what they skip" come from amber's first-party data, which isn't published elsewhere: 300+ substantive WhatsApp enquiries students sent amber about specific rooms between 27 June and 13 October 2026. Our team grouped each enquiry by theme. One enquiry can cover several themes, so shares add up to more than 100%. The data reflects what students asked amber, not all students renting.
• Checks on room features, heating and cooling, sockets, internet, rent, utilities, deposits, move-in dates, and distance to campus were sourced from the University of Connecticut's Housing Search Checklist.
• Questions on the rent breakdown, extra fees, guarantors, pets, and guest policies were sourced from Western University's landlord inquiry checklist.
• Questions on repairs, promises in writing, travel time, pets, and smoking were sourced from Trent University's off-campus housing checklist.
• Questions on fire exits, pests, and other tenants were sourced from Acadia University's guide to off-campus housing.
• Reading the agreement before signing and asking extra questions after a virtual inspection were sourced from the University of Melbourne Graduate Student Association's private rental guide.
• Meeting housemates before signing was sourced from Tenants Victoria.
• Damp, mould, gas and electrical safety were sourced from the UK government's How to rent a safe home.
• Checks on locks, street lighting, noise, bills and who owns or manages the property were sourced from Shelter Cymru's viewing checklist and Getting the right place checklist, and getting promises in writing from Shelter England's viewing tips.
• Holding deposits, deposit caps and banned fees in England were sourced from the UK government's How to rent checklist.
• Contract types in purpose-built student accommodation and other student lets in England from 1 May 2026, and rent increase rules, were sourced from the UK government's Renters' Rights Act guidance for tenants.
• Rules for New South Wales, Australia, were sourced from the NSW Government and Western Sydney University.
• Rules for the US were sourced from USA.gov, which links to each state's tenant-rights agency.
• Rules for Ireland were sourced from the Residential Tenancies Board.
• Deposit rules for France were sourced from Service-Public.gouv.fr.
• Questions on extra charges, instalments, accreditation, cancellations, guarantors, repair reporting, emergency contacts and shared living drew on the policies published on amber listing pages, including The Fifty, Bloomington, iQ Hammersmith, London, and LST White City Residence, London. The price comparison uses the two London listings, checked on 14 and 16 October 2026; they illustrate how differently providers package rent, fees and payment terms, and should not be treated as typical London prices.

Nothing in this article is legal or financial advice. Contract terms vary between providers, and rules differ by country and sometimes by state or city.