Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about fees, payments, video viewings, cashback and booking with RAJ.
No. Our service is completely free for students — you only pay rent, deposits and accommodation charges to the official landlord or accommodation provider, never to RAJ.
Students pay rent, deposits and accommodation charges directly to the official accommodation provider. RAJ PROPERTY CONSULTANTS NI LTD does not collect student accommodation rent or deposits.
You click "Request Video Viewing" and tell us the property and your preferred date/time. Our Belfast-based team confirms property access and the provider's permission, then sends you a confirmed time and a video-call link or WhatsApp call arrangement. Live video viewing is subject to property access, availability and the accommodation provider's permission. Some properties or room types may only have a show room, prerecorded media or no physical viewing access at the requested time.
Provider Cashback is an official promotion supplied by the accommodation provider. RAJ Exclusive Cashback is a reward funded by RAJ PROPERTY CONSULTANTS NI LTD for eligible successful bookings. RAJ cashback is always shown separately from the provider's contractual rent and from any provider-funded promotion — it is never presented as if the provider has reduced its rent.
Effective weekly rent is your total contractual rent, minus your total eligible cashback, spread evenly across your tenancy weeks. It's shown alongside — never instead of — the official weekly rent, so you can always see both figures. It only appears when you're genuinely eligible under the displayed offer terms, and is subject to those terms and to confirmation.
Guarantor requirements are set individually by each landlord or accommodation provider. We'll explain what's required for your chosen room and guide you through their process, but the landlord or provider's own rules always apply.
Some providers offer visa-related accommodation policies — for example flexible terms if a visa application is refused. Where a policy exists for your chosen provider, we'll explain exactly how it applies to you. Where a provider has no such policy, none applies.
Register for a free referral link or code and share it with a friend moving to Belfast. Once they book an eligible room through RAJ and their booking meets the programme conditions, you could both receive the displayed reward amounts. Full terms are on our Refer a Friend page.
We shortlist suitable options, help you review and — where possible — video-view the property, then guide you through the official booking, guarantor and payment steps until you pay the landlord or provider directly and arrive in Belfast. See How It Works for the full six-step process.
Yes — parents are very welcome to join a live video viewing alongside the student, subject to the same property access, availability and provider permission as any other video viewing.
You can message us on WhatsApp any time. We aim to reply within 30 minutes between 8am–10pm UK time, and first thing the next morning outside those hours.
RAJ Property Consultants NI is a Belfast-based student accommodation support, referral and tenant-find business. We help international students find, understand and book suitable accommodation, and we guide you through each landlord or provider's official booking process — for free.
No. RAJ is not your landlord. Your tenancy is with the landlord or accommodation provider, and that is who you pay and who is responsible for the property.
Not generally. We do not usually own the properties we feature — they belong to landlords and accommodation providers. RAJ supports and coordinates your booking with them.
Review levels vary by property and may include landlord/provider checks, documentation review, current photos, a live-video walkthrough or a physical visit by our team. Each property page shows its own verification label — for example 'RAJ Physically Visited', 'Documents / Provider Details Reviewed' or 'Verification Pending'. A review is never a guarantee; details remain subject to confirmation with the landlord or provider.
No. We cannot guarantee any specific property, room or availability. Rooms are booked directly with the landlord or accommodation provider and can be taken or withdrawn at any time.
No. Prices, offers and availability are set by the landlord or accommodation provider and can change. The figures we show are indicative and are always subject to confirmation before you book.
Yes — private landlords and property managers are welcome to list with us, subject to review. We carry out our checks before a property is published.
Sold-out rooms and tenancies show a 'Join Waiting List' button on the property page — tap it to leave your details for that exact room, and optionally tick to hear about similar available rooms. We'll contact you if the room becomes available or a suitable alternative opens up. There's no payment stage — booking is always directly with the landlord or provider.
No. Refer a Friend is for students referring friends. Education agents and other partners work with us through Partner With RAJ, where we agree the referral process and arrangement directly.
Belfast is our core market and where our live listings are today. We're expanding carefully: new cities appear on our 'Where RAJ Operates' page — Cambridge is currently listed as coming soon — and you can book outside Belfast as soon as approved live listings are published there.
No. RAJ provides general accommodation guidance only. We do not offer regulated legal, immigration, financial or medical advice — for those matters please contact the appropriate official organisation.
Where Right to Rent checks are legally required, the landlord or authorised agent will confirm the applicable process before the tenancy begins.
Students pay rent, deposits and accommodation charges directly to the official accommodation provider. RAJ PROPERTY CONSULTANTS NI LTD does not collect student accommodation rent or deposits.