Finding Accommodation Before Arriving in the UK

Securing somewhere to live is one of the most important steps before moving to the UK. This guide explains how to search for housing from abroad, what the costs are, and how the right to rent system works for visa holders.

Checked 16 February 202610 min readWritten by the Rowan Editorial Team

Section: Practical Life in the UK
Reading time: 10 min
Last checked: 16 February 2026
Source: The published Immigration Rules and GOV.UK guidance, linked throughout this guide.
Rowan does not: Look at your own case, tell you which route to choose, or say what the Home Office will decide. This guide shows the published rules and where to read them.

In short

Landlords in England must do a right to rent check before the tenancy starts. It applies in England only.
A physical biometric residence permit can no longer be used for that check. Get a share code from the Home Office view and prove service instead.
The tenancy deposit is capped at 5 weeks' rent (6 weeks if the annual rent is £50,000 or more) and must be protected in an approved scheme.
Since 1 May 2026, a landlord cannot ask for rent before the agreement is signed, and can ask for at most one month's rent before you move in.
Since 1 May 2026, tenancies in England run on a rolling basis with no end date, and section 21 no-fault eviction has gone.

Finding accommodation from overseas can be challenging but is manageable with the right approach. You can search online, arrange viewings remotely, and even sign tenancy agreements before arriving. Understanding right to rent checks, typical costs, and the differences between temporary and permanent housing will help you plan effectively.

When to Start Looking

The UK rental market moves fast, especially in cities like London, Manchester, and Birmingham. Properties can be let within days of being listed. Start your search 4 to 8 weeks before your planned arrival date.

If you are arriving on a Skilled Worker visa, your employer may offer relocation support or temporary accommodation. Ask about this before spending time on your own search.

For student visa holders, university accommodation is often the easiest option for the first year. Apply early as places are limited.

Where to Search

The main property search platforms in the UK are:

Rightmove (rightmove.co.uk): The largest UK property portal.
Zoopla (zoopla.co.uk): Another major portal with similar listings.
SpareRoom (spareroom.co.uk): For shared accommodation and flatshares.
OpenRent (openrent.com): Direct from landlords, avoiding agent fees.

For choosing which city or area to live in, see our best UK cities for immigrants guide.

Right to Rent Checks

Under the right to rent scheme, landlords in England must verify that tenants have immigration permission to be in the UK. This applies to all private rentals.

How to prove your right to rent:

If you are not a British or Irish citizen: use the view and prove your right to rent service to get a share code, or show eligible original immigration documents such as a passport carrying a Home Office endorsement. You choose which, and the landlord cannot insist on the share code.
If you hold a biometric residence permit or card: the physical card can no longer be used for this check. Those cards stopped being issued at the end of 2024. Get a share code instead — the service still accepts an expired permit for 18 months after the expiry date printed on it.
British and Irish citizens: a British passport (current or expired), an Irish passport or passport card, or a certificate of registration or naturalisation as a British citizen. Other document combinations can be used if you have none of those.

If your permission has a time limit, the landlord must do a follow-up check just before whichever is later of the end of your permission and 12 months after their previous check. For more on the eVisa transition, see our eVisa guide, and for the rules from the tenant's side see our right to rent guide for tenants.

Costs to Budget For

Renting in England involves several upfront costs, and most of them are capped by law:

Holding deposit: capped at 1 week's rent, to reserve the property while checks are done.
Tenancy deposit: capped at 5 weeks' rent where the annual rent is under £50,000, or 6 weeks' where it is £50,000 or more. It must be protected in a government-approved tenancy deposit protection scheme.
Rent before you move in: since 1 May 2026 a landlord or letting agent in England must not ask for, accept or encourage any rent before the tenancy agreement is signed. After signing, and before the tenancy starts, they can ask for at most one month's rent, or 28 days' rent if you pay weekly. The exceptions are tenancies arranged by a council because someone is legally homeless, and social or supported housing.
Council tax: a local tax set by each council and banded by property. Both the band and the rate for it are published by the council for the area, so look up the specific property rather than working from an average. See our council tax guide.
Utility bills: gas, electricity, water, internet and a TV licence if you watch live television. These depend on the property and on usage.

Under the Tenant Fees Act 2019, a landlord or agent in England cannot charge tenants for referencing, administration or inventory checks. The only payments they may ask for are: rent, once the agreement is signed; a refundable tenancy deposit; a refundable holding deposit; a payment to change the tenancy when you ask for the change; a payment for leaving without giving enough notice; a payment towards utility bills and communication services; a fee for late payment of rent; and a fee for replacing a key or security device. Anything else is a prohibited payment, and you can report it to the local council.

Rental bidding is banned. A written advert must state a specific rent, not a range, and a landlord or agent cannot ask you, encourage you, or accept an offer to pay more than the advertised figure. A council can fine them up to £7,000.

Temporary Accommodation Options

If you cannot secure permanent housing before arriving, temporary accommodation gives you time to search in person:

Airbnb or serviced apartments: Flexible, fully furnished, but more expensive than long-term rent.
Hostels: Budget-friendly for short stays.
Extended-stay hotels: Some offer weekly rates.
University halls: For students, the most practical first-year option.

Nightly rates for short lets and hostels move with the season and the city, and Rowan does not publish estimates for them. Whatever you choose, it is worth having a plan for how long you can stay there while you look.

Opening a UK Bank Account

Many landlords require rent to be paid from a UK bank account. You can open certain accounts from abroad before arriving. See our UK bank account guide for options.

Banks set their own account-opening rules, including what they will accept as proof of address, and those rules differ between banks and change over time. Check the requirements on the bank's own page before applying.

Tips for Renting From Abroad

Video viewings: Ask the letting agent for a video tour or live video call walkthrough.
References: Prepare references from your current landlord (even if overseas), employer, and bank.
Guarantor: Some landlords require a UK-based guarantor. If you do not have one, some companies offer guarantor services for a fee.
Scam awareness: Never pay money before seeing the property (in person or via video) and verifying the agent or landlord is legitimate.

One thing worth knowing before you sign: since 1 May 2026 all assured tenancies in England, including assured shorthold tenancies, run on a rolling weekly or monthly basis. A tenancy cannot have an end date, and if an agreement contains one, the end date does not apply. Section 21 no-fault eviction has gone: to end a tenancy a landlord needs a section 8 notice giving a ground for possession, usually with at least 2 months' notice and sometimes up to 4. On your side, the most notice a landlord can require from you is 2 months, and 2 months is also the default if the agreement is silent. Rent can be raised only once a year, never in the first year, and only with at least 2 months' notice on form 4A, which you can challenge at the First-tier Tribunal.

For broader guidance on settling in, see our first week in the UK checklist and renting as a visa holder guide.

You may also find our Immigration Health Surcharge andHome Office Contact Guide helpful.

Questions and answers

Can I rent a property in the UK before arriving?

Yes, you can arrange a rental from abroad. Many landlords and letting agents accept applications from overseas tenants, though you may need to pay a larger deposit or provide additional references. Some agents require you to have a UK bank account, which can be opened remotely with certain banks.

What is the right to rent check?

Landlords in England must check that every adult tenant has the right to rent before the tenancy begins. If you are not a British or Irish citizen you prove it either with a share code from the Home Office 'view and prove' service or with eligible original immigration documents; the choice is yours. A physical biometric residence permit or card can no longer be used. The check applies in England only, not in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.

How much does renting cost in the UK?

Rents vary enormously by location and Rowan does not publish rent estimates, because they go stale faster than anything else on this page. What is fixed is what a landlord may ask for up front. The tenancy deposit is capped at 5 weeks' rent where the annual rent is under £50,000, or 6 weeks' where it is £50,000 or more, and must be protected in a government-approved scheme. A holding deposit is capped at 1 week's rent. Since 1 May 2026 a landlord in England cannot ask for or accept any rent before the tenancy agreement is signed, and after signing can ask for at most one month's rent (or 28 days' rent if you pay weekly) before you move in.

Should I use temporary accommodation when I first arrive?

Many new arrivals stay somewhere short-term for the first few weeks while they look. Options include short-let platforms, serviced apartments, hostels, extended-stay hotels, and university accommodation for students. It lets you view properties in person and gives you a UK address to use.

This guide is general information about published immigration rules. It is not advice about an individual application under s.82 Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, and Rowan is not regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority. Immigration rules change several times a year. For advice on a particular situation, contact an adviser authorised by the Immigration Advice Authority or an immigration solicitor. Always check GOV.UK for the authoritative current rules.

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