Uni of Strathclyde/Glasgow accommodation

[Rafaellarooboo]

Hello everyone, hoping for some Uni of Strathclyde or Glasgow accommodation knowledge please. DD3 has got an offer from the Uni of Strathclyde and its the one shes keenest on firming. I know they guarantee first year accommodation but worried after the news articles last year about how difficult its going to be for second year onwards. We are ROUK so no chance of living at home and want to help her factor all this into her decision making. Any insights welcome.

Honestly even with rising rentals and energy costs, student accommodation (which of course also increases) will still be more expensive than renting a room in a flatshare. Is there a particular reason you would be aiming for that in future years? I can see a rationale for first year when you're not in the area beforehand to try to find something, which isn't that easy.

DD4 is in first year at Strathclyde and in uni accommodation . She's been looking for accommodation for next year , with her new friends, since before Christmas. I wish I could be encouraging but she's struggling. The only one they were in with a chance of had mould . They looked at private halls but only 51 week let's on offer . Not affordable for us as we have 3 currently at uni and we live 20 miles from Glasgow so coming home is a (apparently repulsive ) option. But if that's an opt for you there are some really nice ones.

Hi @Precipice I was thinking they'd struggle to rent private flats/ houses if the accommodation situation is that competitive.

@Lidlfix your daughters situation is exactly what I worried about. Private halls potentially an option but I was thinking accommodation costs would be about £7k and i now have a horrible feeling im wildly out of touch with the glasgow rental market prices?

I think it might be easier to find smaller properties. DD (doing placement year in Glasgow) has found a 2 person flat quite easily for next year (£425 each plus bills) in the West End). However taking it from June onwards has probably helped. DN is finding it harder looking for a 5 person flat (landlord has hiked the rent). He's hopeful that more will come up later as other students give 28 days notice as most tenancies are not fixed term.

My son is at Strathclyde in his first year. He had an unfortunate experience with uni accommodation (he got a place, but at Birkbeck Court, in a flat with very poor wifi, damp, and there was the Shower Of Maggots Incident too.)
He has booked private halls for next year, but all the places were booked way back in October. Some others opened for bookings a bit later, but I'd be surprised if there were many places left. The costs for next year aren't extortionate, I think it worked out at about £140 per week, but of course the contrast is over a longer period than university halls.

I went to Strathclyde open evening in London and it seemed to me that they absolutely do not guarantee uni accommodation for all first years, even if you apply by the deadline. I asked what % were offered a place in halls of those eligible, who applied by the deadline last year, but they just said ‘that will give you the best possible chance’ which didn’t sound great. I feel it’s quite a dealbreaker if you go travel from one end of the country to the other, to study at a Uni with a lovely campus in the heart of a great city, only to be stuck in Stirling, commuting in and not able to make friends etc as quickly and enjoy campus social life…

I'm not sure if the guaranteed accommodation thing has changed, or it's just for students from Scotland, but we were told when he applied that first years were guaranteed a place. There was a shortage because some blocks were being renovated, but that work seems to be finished now.

The uni has refurbished halls to bring them back into use and precooked a pile of private halls rooms just for Strathclyde. There is a lot of forward planning happening for September!

Prebooked! 😳

DS got in last year through clearing and finding accommodation was awful - all uni accom had gone and waitlists for private halls were all 400+.

We persevered and he got a place at a local private halls at the last minute where he’s been sharing with a mix of students from other unis and in different years. Wasn’t keen at first but it’s all worked out v well. He worked v hard to make friends at Union, through sport and through his course. One of his mates stays at a private halls nearby that they all like so the day bookings went live (Oct/Nov I think?) they booked for next year, was sold out the same day.

Problem with private rentals is that you can’t secure them until June so bunfight, and very little as pp says for more than 2-3 people. DS is mates with a few Y2/3s thru sport so hoping if he wants private rental for Y3 he can nab one of their places.