Student accommodation in Edinburgh City Centre, Edinburgh

Located close to The University of Edinburgh, the Edinburgh College of Art, and Edinburgh Napier University, the city centre is a thriving student area. As there is so much culture and nightlife in the area, student housing in Edinburgh city centre is very popular.

Edinburgh city centre is divided in half by Princes Street Gardens. The Old Town lies to the south and The New Town is located to the north.

Edinburgh city centre is full of museums, art galleries, music venues, and historic monuments. There are also plenty of pubs, bars, restaurants, and cafes to enjoy.

The University of Edinburgh has many halls of residence, in and around the city centre. The university provides catered and self-catered accommodation for more than 9,000 students. Students will generally live in halls for their first year, before moving into student houses in Edinburgh city centre and the surrounding areas for the rest of their time at university.

There isn’t one specific area in Edinburgh where students stay during their time at university. However, students do tend to live in student accommodation in Edinburgh city centre, Brunswick, Fountainbridge, Leith Walk, Marchmont, Morningside, Stockbridge, Trinity, and the West End.

Edinburgh is considered a very safe city so you should feel secure living in student accommodation in Edinburgh city centre.

Many student houses in Edinburgh city centre are now advertised with bills included in the price. Where this is the case, your rental price could include electricity, gas, internet, TV licence and water bills and this is clearly stated on the listing. Properties without bills included are also available, giving you the flexibility to choose your own energy and water suppliers and internet service provider.

It is normal for property managers to require you to pay a security deposit at the time of booking or before you move in. Where a deposit is required and you are signing a tenancy agreement, your property manager must protect your deposit in a legally recognised tenancy deposit scheme. As long as you look after the property and have no deductions for damage or unpaid rent, your deposit will be returned to you after your tenancy agreement ends. Whilst tenancy deposits are legally capped at five weeks' rent per person, it is more common for student deposits to be in the lower £100-250 range.

The majority of student accommodation in Edinburgh city centre can be rented for fixed contract lengths. For purpose built student accommodation, 43 and 51-week fixed-term contracts are the most common. For shared houses, 52-week contracts are the most common and generally start in July to September.

Short-term student rentals in Edinburgh city centre are becoming more popular every year. As a result, property managers are increasingly offering shorter tenancy lengths, whether for the summer period or for individual semesters and terms. This is more common in the purpose-built student accommodation sector than in shared student rental houses across Edinburgh.