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Chapter’s Accommodation Search helps students find the perfect place to live with comprehensive listings of university halls, private student accommodation, and third-party properties across the UK.

Overview

Search 2,500+ verified student properties with:
  • University-owned halls of residence
  • Purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA)
  • Private landlord properties
  • Real-time availability and pricing

Search Interface

The accommodation search features a hybrid map-first and list view:

Map View

Interactive map showing:
  • Property markers with price badges
  • Campus location pins
  • City center indicators
  • Distance radius overlays
1

Pan & Zoom

Explore different areas by dragging the map and pinching to zoom
2

Tap Properties

Tap markers to see quick property cards
3

Filter by Location

Tap city markers to filter properties in that area
Switch between standard, satellite, and hybrid map styles using the controls in the top-right corner.

List View

Scrollable property cards showing:
  • Photo carousel (swipe to view all images)
  • Property name and provider
  • Room type and bathroom type
  • Price per week
  • Distance to campus/city center
  • Key amenities icons

Search & Filters

Distance calculations use real walking distance, not straight-line measurements, for accurate commute times.

Price Range

Set your budget with dual slider:
  • Minimum: £47/week (lowest in database)
  • Maximum: £655/week (highest in database)
  • Total Cost: See annual cost projection (price × tenancy length)
Prices displayed are per week and typically include bills (check property details for specifics).

Room Type

Single Room

Private bedroom in shared flat with communal kitchen

Studio

Self-contained unit with private kitchen and bathroom

Apartment

Multi-bedroom flat (individual lease per room)

Bathroom Type

Private bathroom in your room

Amenities

Filter by essential and premium amenities:

Essentials

  • WiFi (high-speed internet included)
  • Bills Included (utilities, water, heating)
  • Laundry (on-site washing machines)
  • Security (CCTV, secure entry)
  • Parking (car parking spaces)

Extras

  • Gym (on-site fitness center)
  • Common Room (social spaces)
  • Study Area (quiet study rooms)
  • Cinema Room (movie theater)
  • Games Room (pool table, table tennis, etc.)
  • Bike Storage (secure bicycle parking)
  • Wheelchair Access
  • Disabled Parking
  • Accessible Bathrooms
  • Lifts/Elevators
  • Pet Friendly
  • No Smoking
  • Couples Allowed

Provider Type

University Halls

Official university-managed accommodation

Private PBSA

Purpose-built student accommodation from providers like Unite Students, Vita Student, iQ Student

Catering Options

  • Self-Catered: Full kitchen facilities, cook your own meals
  • Part-Catered: Some meals provided (e.g., weekday dinners)
  • Fully Catered: All meals included in dining hall

Property Details

Tapping a property reveals comprehensive information: Swipeable image carousel showing:
  • Bedroom layouts
  • Kitchen facilities
  • Bathroom types
  • Common areas
  • Building exterior
  • Location/neighborhood
Tap the image counter (e.g., “3/12”) to view all photos in full-screen gallery mode.

Property Information

Basic Details

  • Property name and address
  • Provider logo and type (University vs. Private)
  • Total rooms in building
  • Available room types

Pricing Breakdown

  • Price per week (from £X)
  • Tenancy length options (e.g., “42-51 Weeks”)
  • Total annual cost calculation
  • Deposit amount
  • What’s included (bills, WiFi, contents insurance)
“From £X” pricing indicates the starting price for the cheapest room type. Premium rooms (e.g., larger studios) cost more.

Distance Information

  • Distance to city center (in miles)
  • Distance to nearest campus (if university-specific search)
  • Walking time estimates
  • Nearest public transport links

Room Types Table

Detailed breakdown of all available room options:
Room TypePrice/WeekBathroomTenancy LengthAvailability
Standard Ensuite£165Private42-51 weeksAvailable
Premium Studio£245Private42-51 weeksLimited
Shared Bathroom£135Shared42-51 weeksAvailable

Amenities List

Categorized amenities with icons:
  • WiFi (speed specification)
  • Heating type
  • Kitchen equipment (oven, fridge, microwave)
  • Furniture (bed, desk, wardrobe, chair)
  • Security features (CCTV, key fob entry)
Icons automatically match amenity types (e.g., WiFi shows router icon, gym shows dumbbell).

Property Description

Detailed written description including:
  • Neighborhood overview
  • Building highlights
  • Community atmosphere
  • Proximity to shops, transport, nightlife
  • Special features or unique selling points
HTML tags are stripped from descriptions for clean display. Formatting is preserved where possible.

Campus Distances

If university-affiliated, shows distances to:
  • Main campus
  • Department-specific buildings
  • Sports facilities
  • Libraries

Similar Properties

Recommendations based on:
  • Same provider in different locations
  • Similar price range
  • Same room type nearby
  • Alternative options if this property is full

Sorting Options

Organize results by:

Price

Cheapest to most expensive (or reverse)

Distance

Nearest to farthest from selected campus

Name

Alphabetical order
Tap the sort icon once to cycle between ascending/descending order.

Map Features

Map Controls

  • Standard: Clean map with street names and landmarks
  • Satellite: Aerial imagery view
  • Hybrid: Satellite with street labels overlay
  • Day: Bright colors for daytime viewing
  • Dawn: Soft pastels for low light
  • Dusk: Warm tones for evening
  • Night: Dark mode map
  • Recenter on your current location
  • Show distance radius from your position

Viewport Sync

Map camera positions are saved independently for each property search context:
  • Accommodation map remembers your last position
  • Switching to courses then back to accommodation restores your view

Draggable Search Sheet

Airbnb-style interface with three positions:
1

Collapsed

Shows property count and search bar. Map fully visible.
2

Half-Sheet

Scrollable property list with map visible at top.
3

Full-Screen

Property list takes over screen. Map hidden.
Drag the handle to adjust sheet height, or tap the Map button to collapse.
Sheet position syncs with map zoom: expanding the sheet zooms out the map for broader area context.

Recently Viewed

Automatic tracking of:
  • Last 100 properties viewed
  • Synced to your account via Supabase
  • Accessible from Hub carousel

Personalized Recommendations

Properties suggested based on:
  • Campuses of courses in your shortlist
  • Price range from your searches
  • Preferred room types
  • Previous viewing history

Provider Pages

Tap the provider logo to see:
  • All properties from this provider
  • Provider ratings and reviews
  • Contact information
  • Booking policies
  • Special offers or discounts

Booking & Contact

Website Link

Direct link to official property website for booking

Contact Details

Phone number, email, and inquiry form
Chapter provides information and search tools only. Bookings are made directly with property providers. Always verify availability and terms with the provider.

Cost Estimator Integration

Accommodation prices feed into Chapter’s Cost Estimator:
  • Combine with tuition fees for total university cost
  • Compare accommodation costs across different universities
  • Calculate 3-year total expenditure

Search Performance

Optimized for speed:
  • Initial Load: Properties load in batches of 20
  • Infinite Scroll: Automatic pagination as you scroll
  • Map Load: Separate data fetch for map (3,000+ properties) cached after first load
  • Filters: Debounced to prevent excessive API calls (1-second delay after filter change)
Filter count badge shows how many active filters you have applied. Tap “Clear All” to reset.

University Search

View accommodation options from university profiles

Course Discovery

Find accommodation near courses you’re considering

What's On

Explore accommodation on the unified map view

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