Inside Housing: Can PBSA pivot to serve domestic students?
Student Accommodation in the UK
Explore UK university towns, simplify your search, and find your ideal uni home.
Student accommodation in today's top cities
Birmingham
See 124 properties in Birmingham
Brighton
See 262 properties in Brighton
Coventry
See 82 properties in Coventry
Durham
See 114 properties in Durham
Exeter
See 91 properties in Exeter
Leeds
See 1,444 properties in Leeds
Leicester
See 213 properties in Leicester
Liverpool
See 237 properties in Liverpool
Manchester
See 141 properties in Manchester
Newcastle
See 254 properties in Newcastle
Nottingham
See 1,277 properties in Nottingham
Sheffield
See 289 properties in Sheffield
About student living in the UK
When it comes to deciding where to live, you'll find the largest range of student accommodation in the UK on StuRents.com. To help you decide on which location, here's what else we think you should take into consideration
Food and Drink
The UK has an impressively diverse range of cuisines available. You’ll be able to find everything from a boozy brunch to a classic British Sunday Roast without ever straying too far from your university accommodation. With iconic spots like The Curry Mile in Manchester and Chinatown in Soho, you’ll also find plenty of global cuisine to tuck into in the UK.
Nightlife
When you live in accommodation for students in the UK, you’ll never be too far from a vibrant nightlife scene. Take part in your local pub quiz while enjoying a drink with friends, or hit up one of the many student clubs or bars. If live music is more your thing, many artists tour in the UK. Have a look at your local venues (or even your Students’ Union) to see who’s performing!
Culture
The UK is known for its wide selection of museums, theatres, art galleries, and music venues. No matter which university you attend, or which city you live in, you’ll be sure to find amazing cultural experiences near your university accommodation. From watching plays in the West End to soaking in student theatre, touring the Tate to enjoying local exhibitions, there truly is something for everyone.
Shopping
You’ll have no problem finding somewhere to enjoy a shopping spree when you live in student accommodation in the UK. With everything from chain stores to independent boutiques and charity shops lining the high streets, you’ll be able to browse for bargains until your heart’s content. Plus, the UK has lots of affordable supermarkets where you can buy all your groceries and essentials.
Student accommodation near to University
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University of Leeds
The University of Leeds was established in 1904 and has grown to become one of the largest higher education institutions in the UK. The University campus is a ten-minute walk from Leeds city centre and home to a cutting-edge fitness, sport, and wellbeing facility. Over 38,000 students currently choose to study here - including 12,000 international students.
University of Liverpool
Recognised for high-quality teaching and research - The University of Liverpool is an internationally-acclaimed Russell Group University. An original ‘redbrick’ university, it’s ranked in the top 25 UK universities targeted by leading graduate employers. With a city-centre location, most student areas in Liverpool are convenient for students studying at the University of Liverpool. Take a look at StuRents' options for student accommodation in Liverpool city centre and surrounding areas.
Durham University
Durham University is a collegiate university - meaning that students gain membership to one of the university’s 13 colleges (a little like the Hogwarts house system!). It ranked in 6th place in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2022 and 5th place in the Guardian University Guide in 2022. Students can choose from a wide range of over 200 undergraduate courses and over 100 postgraduate courses, with 26 departments based at the university. Durham University has also invested £40 million into a new Teaching and Learning Centre and £31 million in sports and wellbeing facilities - all to improve the student experience.
University of Nottingham
The University of Nottingham is a multi-award-winning public research university with two main campuses in the Jubilee, and Queens Medical Centre, both based in the city with over 45,000 students enrolled here. Spanning far and wide outside of the UK, Nottingham University also has campuses in Malaysia and China.
The University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is ranked 27th in the world and 6th in the UK - according to the QS World University Rankings 2022. The university is a member of the Russell Group and is currently investing £1 billion into its campus and student facilities. Located on the south side of Manchester, the university’s two main areas are based around Oxford Road and Sackville Street.
Newcastle University
The University of Newcastle Upon Tyne is a red brick university with over 28,000 students and offers around 175 undergraduate programmes. The main campus resides in central Newcastle near Haymarket, a convenient location for many of the student homes in Newcastle. The university has one of the largest EU research portfolios in the UK, has further expanded internationally as an overseas partner to the Singapore Institute of Technology, and opened a Medical School campus in Malaysia.
University of Brighton
Based across four campuses on the south coast of England, the University of Brighton has sites in Brighton and Eastbourne and is home to 18,000 students. The university has been part of the city since 1859, and 93% of students surveyed in the National Student Survey 2018 reported that they’re “very happy” with both their education and city life. Brighton was recently ranked in the UK student city's top ten (QS Best Student Cities 2019) and was also named the happiest city in England for students.
Coventry University
Ranked joint first Modern University for Career Prospects in The Guardian University Guide 2021 and 2022, Coventry University is a great place to study. It boasts state-of-the-art facilities and dedicated schools for health, design and engineering laboratories, performing arts studios and computing centres. Coventry University has a city-centre campus, making it highly convenient for living in student accommodation in Coventry city centre, or any of the surrounding towns.
University of Leicester
The University of Leicester is the only UK University to win Times Higher Education awards for seven consecutive years. With over 16,000 students and strong ties to the Attenborough family, Leicester is one of the UK’s leading universities. There is plenty of student housing in Leicester located within walking distance or a short bus ride away from the University of Leicester.
The University of Sheffield
Standing at 15th in the top UK universities, The University of Sheffield strives for academic excellence, offering some of the highest quality education in the country. This Russell Group member prioritises student satisfaction and promotes nothing but growth. The university has also recently launched a #WeAreInternational campaign, meaning students can become part of an international community of peers.
University of Exeter
The University of Exeter has four campuses, comprising Streatham Campus - the heart of the university - located on the outskirts of the city (a 15-minute walk away) and St Luke’s Campus in Exeter town centre. Penryn Campus is the third campus, near Falmouth in Cornwall and the Truro Campus is the educational setting for University of Exeter Medical School students studying MSc Environment and Human Health. The University of Exeter is a Russell Group university well known for its sports studies and high levels of student satisfaction. It’s also a four-time recipient of the prestigious Queen's Anniversary Prize.
Student property search by city
FAQ's about student accommodation
The cost of student accommodation in the UK will vary depending on your city and the type of property you choose to live in. It can cost anywhere between £70 per person per week for shared houses to £300 per person per week for luxury purpose-built studio apartments. Additional factors such as decor, facilities, and how many other students you’re sharing with can all influence the monthly rental cost of your student room.
In your first year, you should be able to apply for student accommodation through your university directly. The majority of UK universities will keep student rooms in halls of residence available for first-year students. After the first year of study, most students will then opt to move into private student housing nearby. You can apply for this by contacting the relevant landlord, letting agent, or property manager directly. Your university housing team should also be available to assist if you run into any issues.
You should be able to cover the cost of your student housing in the UK using your maintenance loan. However, as rents continue to rise, more students are choosing to take on part-time jobs to help cover the cost of accommodation.
You can find all types of student housing in the UK by using our dedicated search platform for student accommodation, StuRents.com. You can narrow down your search by filtering by area, property type, and number of beds.
Typically, shared student houses are rented for a fixed period of time. If you establish that your tenancy will last for a year when you sign your tenancy agreement, you’ll be able to stay in the property over summer. Many student landlords also offer short-term rentals for the summer months, when their property would otherwise be vacant.
Many student houses 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 will be clearly stated on the listing. Accommodation for students without bills included is 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 your student housing 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.
Currently, the majority of student accommodation in the UK 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 the UK 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 houses.
When you should apply for student accommodation in the UK depends heavily on the type of property you are interested in. If you want to live in a shared student house, you should consider beginning your search for next year’s accommodation between October and January. However, if you’d prefer to live in a studio apartment or purpose built student accommodation, you can begin your search a little later, in the summer term.
Latest student property news
BE News: StuRents reports 49.6% increase in UK PBSA viewings from US students
StuRents’ data shows an average PBSA viewed price of £214 (per person per week) for US students, which is £26 higher than the average price point being viewed by UK students.
Will Davis
21 Aug
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