If you are currently living outside of Norwich, whether elsewhere in the UK or abroad, you are advised you to come to Norwich on your own initially. This will allow you time to settle into university life, explore the local area and find somewhere suitable for you and your family to live.
Before you start the process of arranging your accommodation, we strongly encourage you to review all the information below.
Living on campus
UEA has a very small allocation of accommodation for students who will be accompanied by their family (up to two children). This accommodation is always very popular and there is often a waiting list.
If you wish to explore the possibility of living on campus, please contact UEA Accommodation Office for further information by emailing accom@uea.ac.uk.
Private rented sector
Due to the limited number of family houses on campus, it is most likely that you will need to look to the private rented sector. It can be very difficult to find private rental accommodation in Norwich, particularly if you have children and arranging accommodation can take several weeks.
If you and your family arrive in Norwich without somewhere to stay, the university will be unable to offer you accommodation. You will be advised to arrange short-term accommodation in a hotel or self-contained accommodation via Airbnb or similar, so you have somewhere to stay whilst you arrange permanent accommodation. You should consider whether this short-term arrangement will be suitable for your family and if not, explore the possibility of coming to Norwich on your own in the first instance.
There is a hotel on campus called Broadview Lodge and students can book rooms at discounted rates. You can find out more about Broadview Lodge here. There are also many other short-term accommodation options between UEA and the city centre.
There is a high demand for smaller properties (those with 1-3 bedrooms) in Norwich. Rents for a 3-bedroom house start at £975 per month (excluding utility bills) but it may be necessary to pay substantially more than this to secure suitable accommodation.
Where to look
We can offer advice and guidance on where to look for accommodation but please note, we are unable to house hunt on your behalf.
As a starting point, we suggest looking at the Students’ Union’s housing list.
Although the list does not include a specific allocation of family housing, some landlords and agents will be willing to offer their property to you and your family.
Landlords and agents advertising via the Students’ Union’s housing list are encouraged to indicate this on their adverts, by ticking the family option within the suitable for category. It is also possible to filter the results by selecting the ‘Family’ option within the ‘Student Type’ filter.
If a property is not indicated as being suitable for a family but you believe it could be, you can always contact the landlord/agent directly to ask.
If you are unable to find suitable accommodation via the Students’ Union’s housing list, then it will be necessary for you to look elsewhere. You could start by contacting local letting agents. You can try online services such as Rightmove or Zoopla as these platforms show properties offered by multiple letting agents. Please note, these platforms are not affiliated with UEA or UEA Students’ Union and we do not have a relationship with the agents advertising via these platforms.
Finalising your accommodation
Once you have found something suitable, the landlord or letting agent you are renting from is likely to mention terms such as damage deposit, guarantor and Right to Rent check.
Before you finalise your accommodation arrangements, it is important that you are happy with all aspects of the property, the location and the level of rent you are being asked to pay. You will be asked to sign a tenancy agreement. This agreement is legally binding once signed so you cannot change you mind if you then find the property is not suitable for you and your family.
This also applies if you sign a tenancy agreement to rent a room in a property or are allocated a room on campus before your family join you in Norwich. You will be liable to pay rent for the duration of the agreement or licence (the type of agreement issued for accommodation on campus). The landlord/agent may allow you to find a replacement tenant but this is not guaranteed, and you may be required to pay a fee to change the tenancy agreement to remove your name and add in your replacement. This is explained in more detailed in advice(su)’s leaving a housing contract early leaflet.
We also recommend that you be very cautious about paying substantial sums of money to secure a property unless you have viewed the property and/or checked that the agent or landlord you are paying the money to is an established and legitimate business.
If you are unsure about the information you are being asked to provide or requests for payment then request an appointment with advice(su) here. Please select the ‘housing advice or tenancy check’ form.
If we are unable to offer advice then we will signpost you to alternative sources of support.