Renting in London is so tough! Any tips to avoid pitfalls?

Just gotta figure out this whole studying abroad and finding a place to stay situation. Went through a bunch of XiaoHongShu posts, and man, it's tough – pitfalls everywhere, a real minefield! I'm at UCL, and it seems like there's a shortage of houses too. Plus, there are all sorts of issues cropping up. No clue what to do next. Oh mighty XiaoHongShu, throw some advice my way!