Student Accommodation in the United Kingdom
Compare UK housing types and rents by city, spot rental scams before you pay, and work out your real move-in costs, deposit rules included.
ScholarshipUnion Editorial
3 min read
Updated Oct 6, 2026
Housing Types
International students in the UK usually choose between four kinds of housing. Here are the pros, cons and typical monthly price of each.
🏛 University Halls — £500–900/month
- Often guaranteed for first-year students
- Bills included
- On or near campus
- Social environment
- No deposit hassle
- Smaller rooms
- Less privacy
- Catered options can be expensive
- Strict contracts
- Noisy during freshers
🏠 Shared House/Flat — £350–700/month
- More space
- Choose your housemates
- Often cheaper
- Real-world experience
- More freedom
- Bills on top
- Need a guarantor
- Deposit required
- Maintenance issues
- Finding good housemates is hard
📁 Private Studio — £600–1,400/month
- Total privacy
- Own kitchen/bathroom
- Quiet for studying
- No housemate drama
- Most expensive option
- Can be lonely
- Bills extra
- Limited availability
- Harder to socialise
🏘 Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) — £550–1,100/month
- Modern facilities
- Bills often included
- Study rooms and gyms
- Security
- Social events
- Premium price
- Can feel institutional
- Long contracts (44–51 weeks)
- Less independence
Average Rent by City
Typical average monthly rent for a student room (our estimates). London is in a league of its own; Glasgow and Nottingham are the most affordable cities here.
Bars are scaled to £1,400 a month. See Top Cities for full rent ranges.
Scam Spotter Checklist
Tick each red flag you spot in a listing. If two or more are ticked, walk away.
Keep checking before you pay.
Housing Search Timeline
- 16 months beforeResearch
Shortlist cities, check university halls deadlines and join Facebook housing groups.
- 24 months beforeApply for halls
Many universities set halls deadlines in spring or early summer, but dates vary. Check your university’s accommodation page and apply as early as possible.
- 32–3 months beforePrivate search
Start browsing SpareRoom, Rightmove and OpenRent. Book virtual viewings if you are abroad.
- 1 month beforeSign and pay
Sign the tenancy agreement, pay the deposit (usually 5 weeks' rent) and arrange contents insurance.
Move-in Costs
Here is what moving into an average private rental outside London (£600 a month) typically costs upfront:
London will be significantly higher. The insurance figure is our estimate. Five weeks' rent at £600 a month works out to £692 (£600 × 12 ÷ 52 × 5).
In England, the Tenant Fees Act 2019 caps a tenancy deposit at five weeks’ rent when the annual rent is under £50,000. Your landlord or letting agent must protect your deposit in a government-approved scheme (Deposit Protection Service, MyDeposits or Tenancy Deposit Scheme) within 30 days — see GOV.UK tenancy deposit protection. Under the Tenant Fees Act as amended by the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, a landlord in England can ask for no more than one month’s rent before the tenancy starts, and only after you sign. A holding deposit is capped at one week’s rent — see GOV.UK guidance for tenants.
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