InFocus: Victor Trinel & Alexis de La Chapelle

Students Victor Trinel & Alexis de La Chapelle on the launch of their self-made housing app Seek

On 16 November 2025, Seek — a student-built platform designed to centralise the student housing market in St Andrews — officially launched its website, with the mobile app set to debut in January 2026 ahead of the incoming Candlemas semester. 

The founders describe the launch as the first step in creating a more transparent and accessible student housing process, something they believe has been missing from the town for years.

Co-founded by second-year French students Victor Trinel and Alexis de La Chapelle, the project is supported by three additional student developers: Matthew Pancer, Kshitij Verma, and Graham Heathcote. 

Together, the team hopes to streamline what many students describe as an increasingly stressful and competitive housing process. 

Trinel told The Saint that “the idea for Seek emerged not from a classroom project, but from lived experience — late-night group chats, frantic messages in Facebook groups, and repeated warnings about scams that had become almost routine for St Andrews students.”

De La Chapelle recalled struggling to secure accommodation for the 2025-26 academic year: “I was unable to find accommodation until late April or early May. And this is not a singular problem I experienced. Almost everyone I know has struggled to find housing here, whether it be through word of mouth, landlords owing favours to other students, or scams on Facebook. I’ve also heard first-years already ask[ing] questions about being able to find accommodation for [...]  second year as early as October. There shouldn’t be so much stress around this topic; every student should feel safe in regards to knowing where they will live for their university tenure.” 

The co-founders’ frustrations led them to survey 50 students: 45% described the search as “frustrating and stressful,” and more than a third reported that the process took over a month. Data found by the duo aligns with a broader trend: Since 2020, St Andrews has lost seventeen HMO licences — equivalent to roughly 125 student beds — while its student population has grown by 13.4%. 

Seek hopes to improve and change this process. The app uses a scroll-based interface inspired by familiar platforms like TikTok and Instagram — “a Tinder for housing,” as Trinel described it. Students can browse listings, filter by rent, amenities, or location, or browse available properties via an interactive map designed to mirror the geography of St Andrews.

Landlords, meanwhile, can access a dedicated web dashboard to upload photos, documents, and property details. Students can apply individually or as a group, and once accepted, the app automatically creates a group chat linking tenants and landlords. While Seek does not organise formal contracts and payments, it ensures that students know what documents are required and the expectations in place before they apply, allowing for as much ease as possible during this process. 

The platform has also secured early support from Fife’s largest property company, Balcarres Real Estate, which is contributing listings and investing in the project. The Seek website states: “Balcarres Estate is a distinguished, family-run estate rooted in centuries of history in the East Neuk of Fife, just a short distance from St Andrews. Renowned for its commitment to sustainable stewardship, elegant living, and professional property management, Balcarres represents the gold standard of quality accommodation.” 

Through their financial assistance and expertise in the housing market, Balcarres has allowed Seek to gain credibility and refine its approach. All new listings submitted to the platform are reviewed by Seek’s team to prevent the possibility of scams.

The co-founders emphasise three core principles behind the product: simplicity, reliability, and practicality. They aim to deliver a frictionless process for both students and landlords, ensure safety through University email verification and landlord licensing checks, and tailor the app experience specifically to students to reduce their stress levels. 

Trinel and de La Chapelle believe two features will distinguish Seek from existing platforms. “First of all, we will be the first to centralise all housing opportunities on the market into one app,” they explained. “Second, we will be the first in St Andrews to integrate AI.”

Following the launch, Seek plans to introduce an AI toolkit intended to personalise and simplify the housing search. The system will suggest compatible flatmates based on shared preferences and recommend listings based on user behaviour. Students will also be able to chat with an in-app ‘SeekBot’ to generate tailored property suggestions. “Students simply have to describe their ideal property and let AI instantly produce a shortlist of personalised housing recommendations,” said Trinel and de La Chapelle. They believe this technology will help students who may not know where to look — or who feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of accommodation options scattered across different platforms.

The co-founders’ ambitions are straightforward: “to reduce the uncertainty and frustration that many — including myself and countless others — encounter every year,” de La Chapelle explained. 

Trinel added, “The app is free for students, and the team maintains that our goal is to support the St Andrews community rather than profit from it.” He went on to cite Seek’s slogan: “Housing is the biggest stress students shouldn’t have to carry. Our first priority is to lift it. At Seek, we replace luck with choice, and bring students one swipe closer to home.”

Trinel and de La Chapelle also outlined their aspirations for Seek’s long-term development. While acknowledging that the app’s initial success will depend on how the St Andrews community responds, the co-founders remain optimistic: “We are hopeful for good results and are open to broadening Seek in the future,” they said. 

They emphasised that the student housing challenges they aim to address are not unique to St Andrews. Similar issues, ranging from shortages in affordable accommodation to a lack of centralised, transparent listings, affect universities across the UK. In light of this, the founders noted that they would consider expanding Seek to serve additional institutions and organisations, particularly in cities such as Edinburgh and Warwick, should the platform prove successful in its initial rollout. 

Students can register now for early access to the app through the Seek website, seekapp.uk, using their University email.

Images by Charlotte El Hage