Renting a house/appartment
The usual rental contract requires you to pay one month rent in advance and the equivalent of three months of deposit. If you rent it directly from the owner, you may save two of the three months of deposit. Some (very few for the moment) landlords/ladies are starting to ask for an endorsement or banker’s reference prior to signing the contract.
Areas
The streets of Rambla, Alfonso X el Sabio, and Oscar Espla delimit the administrative center. Is a commercial area very well communicated by bus-lines but it can be expensive. The south-west areas ( Benalua , Florida , Babel and San Blas) are cheaper but public transportation to the University may take you more than 40 minutes. The North-center ( Carolinas and El Pla) also have the same problem. The districts of Los Angeles, Juan XXIII and Virgen del Remedio are closer to the University and very cheap but the buildings are old and the zone has been getting worse and worse in the last 20 years. These districts are not recommended. San Vicente, however, is a mid-sized town (40.000 inhabitants) next to the University campus. You can go walking to the University if you live there and it is not expensive. Finally, the beaches (Albufereta, San Juan , Campello) are the favourite residential area for locals and tourists. Some of the landlords/ladies in this areas will ask you for a higher rental during the summer months. Keep this in mind when negotiating with him/her.
You can find further information about housing in this page. Also, follow this link for details on public transportation between these zones and the University.
Hotels
Alicante has a wide offer of hotels. This web site of the municipality provides a list with addresses and links.