Bristol, Brighton, Edinburgh, Exeter, Leeds, Manchester & York parents

[SecondTimeUniMum]

Got a student in a private rental (shared house) in one of these cities?

Can you tell me how much they pay for their room, and if that is with or without bills? Shortlisting for UCAS now and I'm having a bit of a wobble about how expensive some of DC2's possible choices are going to be live in!

DC1 is in Cardiff and pays only £85/week without bills. They only get a bit over minimum maintenance loan but all their accommodation and most of their bills are covered by that, at least. First year halls were more expensive but only for 40 weeks so it worked out pretty much the same.

This year Leeds £120pw including bills (52 week contract). It’s a proper studenty house though, very rough round the edges (although they seem to love it).

I am not sure you are right.

DD paid £95pw three or so years ago, in a nice bit of Redlands not far from Whiteladies road. We drove past not long ago and it was empty with builders inside. Houses in that street sell for £1million plus. Bristol's new HMO regulations coupled with EICR requirements and threatened regulations around energy efficiency require the landlord to make a significant investment. The upcoming energy ones are going to be really tough, almost impossible, for anyone letting out a Victorian property. So the landlord will have done the sensible thing, which is to sell up. So basic economics: increased pressure on landlords, reduced supply, increased rents.

I am not too sure where DD is. We once went to lunch in the area and it was about a 40 minute walk from Clifton. Apparently an area popular with young professionals and first time buyers, but smart enough that we saw Bristol City's striker in the restaurant with his family. (He had scored the winning goal against our team the previous afternoon so we were not impressed.)

The odd thing about Bristol is that students tend to want to live in the very expensive areas like Clifton and Redlands. Property is expensive so rents are high. London students, say, tend to be prepared to commute further or have less space. (DS rented an ex council flat close to University but they saved money by not having a living room - though again something that is now ruled out by new HMO regs being introduced by LAs.) Most of DDs medic friends, who have had more time to get to know the City don't live in Clifton or Redlands, but in cheaper parts. Places like Stoke Crofts.

Its difficult though. If you want to share and your friends all choose Clifton that is where you will want to be. However you end up paying the price for living in one of the smartest parts of town.

DD1 Edinburgh - halls were 9k for the year. Now in a flat, £600 including bills.
DD2 Sussex - halls I think are similar, and she hasn't got a flat for next year yet but is expecting to pay around £650 per month. They are in short supply though.

£585 in Edinburgh plus bills.

My son is at Edinburgh, currently paying £650 a month in a 3 bed flat. The accommodation is not great.

Exeter - Top end, residential area, expensive two bed/two bath, at £200 a week for 48 weeks all inclusive. Letting DD & BF keep all their belongings in the flat over August for no charge, so that is a small concession which means we don't have to pay for storage or transport home.

Generally students want to be in student areas.With other students. Not in the wider city area. Especially for y2/3. What they do 5 years on is a different matter. Rents near UWE tend to be cheaper but in most city universities students want to be with students. St Paul’s in Bristol would be cheap. Houses in Clifton are more like £2 million so rents are high.

DDs house had 3 viewings on one day (all agent would allow) and now gone. It's a brutal market for the students if they want near the Uni. Which most do. Although the electric scooters seem to make journey up St Michaels Hill a bit easier. Wouldn't try it down !

DD did the easy level walk from just off Oakfield Road. I think being near others who are students is part of the enjoyable experience of being a student. It also depends how much you interact with others of course. Some students definitely prefer their own company so location matters less. However I do think it’s stressful finding accommodation and paying for it because for most students, rent is expensive. At least we knew where our DD was! I’d love to know where the £400 a month student rental is in Bristol.

This is interesting. We thought DD's rent was high at £595 each a month plus bills - 5 bedroom student terrace in Oxford. Looks like it is average.

It's all relative I suppose. DD in Notts pays £412 a month for a lovely house. Some cities are just expensive.
Not sure how student houses will survive the winter though as no one is turning the heating on for more than a few hours.

Last year in London (Ealing) dd paid £550 per month plus bills which I thought was expensive.

Not what OP asked for but dd London: £210/week, excluding bills

Manchester £90 a week without bills, bills are being charged at £18 a week at the moment but may go up.

Bristol - current year £7700 for 50 weeks no bills - house of 10 Redland

Trying to sign one currently £170 a week no bills for 2022/23 no bills house of 8 in Clifton. Wish us luck he will know on Monday hopefully if they are the chosen ones!

Sokmeone asking if people stay in same house in years 2 and 3 - not my children. Friends have years abroad (language degrees etc) so a move was needed. Also I think I remember one son saying most people live in X area for year 2 but mvoe to Y area in year 3 as it is finals year and need to be closer but that was probably Redlands year 2, Clifton year 3 or something like that.

Mine stayed in same house for 2 & 3. In sunny Redlands. Few changes of people but they love the place so why move. She's sad to be leaving to go to the countryside.

Dc1 stayed in same place year 2 and 3. Dc2 actually signed on for 2 years from the start.

This thread is terrifying wake-up call for me. I am shocked at how much many of these accommodations are costing and feeling sick about what DC2's desire to study what they do, where they do is going to do to us financially.

In many (most) cases reported here, unless the student is is on a full or nearly-full loan, any money from the Govt is barely touching the sides of their accommodation cost, let alone covering bills and living expenses on top.

For kids who come from a family whose financial situation makes topping up £500+ each month impossible (many families) their degree will inevitably suffer - either because they're having to take substantial hours of paid work in evenings and at weekends, or because they're limited to choosing from institutions in cheaper cities.

Studying in London has long been a privilege for the wealthy but now in many other British cities it's becoming entirely unaffordable too. The outside-of-London student loan urgently needs to evolve to reflect the varying cost of living in different places.

@SecondTimeUniMum
Theres been a lot of discussion about expensive cities. House prices have always been higher in some than others snd therefore rentals. However there are plenty of excellent universities in cheaper cities. I don’t see that the careers of most students will be affected. It will matter to a few. What do your DC want to study? This will matter but some universities have always been favourites of the better off despite generous allowances for deprived area/school
applicants. I think it’s been this way for many years. The less well off are going elsewhere, as they always did.

I think it also highlights the need to save up for university. Not paying out of earned income. Being poor and getting 100% loan snd bursaries helps a lot. Parents earning reasonably have always been squeezed if they don’t save for 15 years prior to university or have grandparents reducing IHT liability!

My daughter - and all current third years - were part of the Covid cohort who turned up at Uni in Sept 2020 and were "bubbled" with immediate flatmates from halls.
With lectures online and no socialising opportunities with anyone outside the flat, plus pressure to sign up for 2nd year house by Christmas, inevitably many ended up going on to share with people they might not have chosen if they'd had that time again in normal times.
Plus, many were moving into houses they'd not seen the inside of in person until the day they picked up the keys, only photos.
No surprise then that my DD and many others have wanted to move elsewhere for Year 3!

All DDs housemates went to state schools. All worked for several years while in 6th form to save up for Uni. Most still work in the holidays. All doing 'hard' time consuming degrees (eg vet, law, neuroscience). It is possible but you do need to think ahead. They also now only have the heating on for 2 hours a day and are all getting Oodies for Xmas.

@AlanDavidson that is a very good point. DD hadn't seen the house before she moved in, just a video taken by the person who was allowed to look round. She was v lucky that her first year flatmates are still her housemates now in her 3rd year. It could have been v different.

Brighton parent here -£700pm including bills (sorted pre bills price rise) in an ok house with 6 others and within walking distance to shops/beach. Bus ride to uni which is £16 per week.