I have a one-bedroom apartment with my boyfriend, which we found using a website that lists local properties. If you use something like that, check it every other day because the decent cheap places go really quickly. We were looking for somewhere with good transport links because neither of us can drive, but aside from that we decided not to be fussy. The place we ended up is out of the town centre, but has a train station which we're in walking distance of.

Our flat is really cheap for our area (Ł575 a month, most places are Ł650+) but we had to sacrifice a few things. The flat's kind of run down and hasn't been decorated in a while, and we don't have central heating. Unfortunately making sacrifices like that are often the only way to get a cheaper place :( Don't accept anything like mould/damp/structural issues though, that can be genuinely dangerous.

Also, remember to budget for utilities/tax/other bills when working how much rent you can afford! We forgot to budget in food at first and our first few months were a struggle!! Also, deposits and agent fees can be ridiculous so always budget a bit extra for those. I'm afraid I'm not sure what else to add, because the US system is probably quite different from the UK.