Tom Okafor

Articles by Tom Okafor

Tom Okafor

Housing Editor. Tom spent three years in shared student houses and once won a deposit dispute he had been told was not worth the paperwork, which is roughly the energy of everything he writes. Tenancies, deposits, bills, landlords, council tax. He leans on Citizens Advice and Shelter rather than vibes. tom@unisorted.co.uk

Close-up of hands writing calculations in a notebook with a calculator, focused on budgeting or financial work.

815 fewer student rooms than in July: where Clearing is tightest now

I counted the student rooms listed on accommodationforstudents.com, a large listings site, for sixteen university cities on 25 July, and […]

A row of red-brick Victorian terraced houses on a student street in Manchester, satellite dishes on the walls

The cheapest student room in ten Clearing cities, and what your loan has left after it

Every August the same message reaches me, worded a little differently each time. I got a place through Clearing, the

A row of red-brick terraced student houses on a British street

Student accommodation in Clearing 2026: which cities still have rooms, and which are nearly out

The night before results day, thousands of people panic about the same thing: there won't be a room. They are

A hand holding a set of house keys above a table, representing securing student accommodation through Clearing

Student Accommodation Through Clearing: How to Find a Room Fast in 2026

Getting a place through Clearing is two jobs, not one. The university confirms your course offer. Finding somewhere to live

Student apartment living room with young tenants

Student Accommodation Crisis 2026: How to Find a Place to Live

Student housing in 2026 is difficult to find in most UK university cities. Supply has not kept pace with demand,

Bright UK student bedroom with laptop on a wooden desk, bed and storage in the background

Best Student Accommodation Websites UK: 7 Platforms Compared for 2026

Compare the best student accommodation websites in the UK. Find halls, private renting, and house shares on AFS, SpareRoom, Rightmove, and more.

Man in a yellow t-shirt writing a checklist on a clipboard beside open moving boxes

Moving Day Checklist

A practical move-in-day checklist for UK students: what to pack, what to leave, and how to settle in fast.

Freshly baked wholemeal loaf in a parchment lined baking tin

Best Budget Recipes

What to know Food and non-alcoholic drink prices were up 3.7% in the year to March 2026, per the ONS,

Blue and red zipped first aid kit pouches on a white surface

First Aid Basics

The short version 49% of UK adults would panic during a health emergency due to a lack of training. Kitchen

White CCTV security camera mounted on a pole against a blue sky

Home Safety and Security

Headline facts 166,577 domestic burglaries were recorded in England and Wales in the year ending March 2025. 70% of burglars