Advice on finding room to rent in UK - what things to look for when viewing a room please?

Hi Eagle, the first thing you should do is look in a local newspaper under To let or Accomodation section. No one can really guarantee that the landlord will be a good one. However, if you were to look at some places you could always ask other tenants. A tenancy agreement can and should be provided to you. Normally a landlord would require a deposit, aswell as about a month in advance rent. Not always, but most of the time. Paying the rent depends on the landlord, but genuine landlords are happy with a monthly cheque. If you use a letting agent,there will probably be a charge for their service in some way or other, and searching sites still entails actually visiting and talking to landlords so no real benefit in that. If you decide to leave a room it's best to give notice, and that should be discussed before you rent the room anyway. Bear in mind that some landlords can be a little awkward when it comes to giving any deposit back! Regarding renting whilst unemployed, many landlords are very reluctant to do this, but you may find one who is happy to help. But don't hold your breath. When looking around places, see how tidy it is, carpets etc. Is the kitchen clean, does the place smell, is the bathroom clean. Is there obvious signs of damp, is there heating, if so is it included in the rent. Also look for meters in rooms (some charge extra for electricity). Ask to see where household rubbish is kept and ask what day rubbish is collected. There is not much more I can add except, make sure that you have enough money to last you awhile, and don't accept the first place you look at. If a landlord is eager for you to move in asap then you can bet that for some reason or other the residents don't stay very long. If it seems to good to be true, it probably is! Good luck.