She said the housing situation in Oxford was “crazy”, with people walking up and down the queue overnight to ask others what properties they were applying for – because there would be no point in joining if someone ahead of you had their eye on the same house.

Ms Barnes and her housemates managed to secure the rental house they wanted, but she said she was “assuming we’re going to have to do this again next year”.

Finders Keepers office manager Eleanor Madeley said there was “a lack of supply” of good quality student housing in certain parts of the city, resulting in “strong demand” when the properties were launched.

“Having said that, in previous years we have still had properties of all sizes available beyond this launch week and even up to August, right before term starts,” she said.

Ms Lyall said the agency had done a number of things to make the process more “fair and efficient”, including staggering the launch by property size and encouraging students to register some of their basic information in advance.

A spokesperson for Oxford Brookes University said the university offered its own accommodation as well as advice for students wanting to rent privately.

“Further support for students, including tips for finding housing and understanding tenancy agreements, is available through Brookes Union’s housing guide,” they said.

“Students can also contact the University’s dedicated accommodation team throughout the academic year for advice and guidance on housing.”