What type of accommodation?

Maybe you want your own space - you want to be able to leave your socks all over the floor and are fed up with your little brother or sister nosing around your room. Renting is probably the first choice when you leave home because it’s easier and cheaper than buying.

Lodgings
This means living more or less as a paying guest in a private house, sharing the bathroom and kitchen facilities with the landlord/lady and maybe even the family. You’ll have to be prepared to fit in and live by their rules but it can be a much cheaper ’all inclusive’ alternative.

Flat or house share
If you don’t mind sharing with others, would prefer to know there are people around or just view it as an interesting experience (and it will be) then a house or flat share may be the best choice for you. You become a partner in the rental of the house or flat and are all responsible for paying the rent and looking after the place. You usually have your own bedroom and share the bathroom, kitchen etc with others.

Bedsit
This is a self-contained room, usually in a house or building of other bedsits, with it’s own cooking facilities and a shared bathroom. You have your independence, but for sociable types you might find it a bit lonely.

Self-contained flat, or house
Ideal if you can afford to take on the entire responsibility of a flat or house yourself but bear in mind that many landlords won’t allow you to ‘sub-let’ ie take in other lodgers informally. It’s quite usual for a group of people to rent a house together as long as each person is named on the tenancy agreement, so that everyone takes responsibility for rent and repairs.