Which universities have problems with accommodation?

[badgeronthedrums]

We're just starting the journey round open days etc, and it would be really helpful to know which unis currently have accommodation problems or where it is particularly expensive. For example the stories of Bristol students having to commute from Wales. Current shortlist is Manchester, Sheffield, Edinburgh, Lancaster but do tell me about anywhere else too!

@blue345 are those costs with bills included, self catering?

Yes, basic utility type costs and self catering. My son reckoned typical rents are £160 to £210 per person per week for the next academic year, depending on various factors (including groups needing to fill spare places or houses falling through late in the year).

Edinburgh will get complicated after first year as there's new rules about short term lets.

There are some houses still available in viaduct from £130. I think maybe some of the current 2nd years got stung with prices as they’ve come down since the first release. There’s a couple in viaduct (v close in to town) which started at £190 and are down to less then £140 so I really think the boom has gone and I imagine prices will drop next year too).

Dd is paying £150 in viaduct next year (she’s timed the walk and it’s 7 mins to New Elvet and similar to Chads). She did look around quite a few and there were some at the far end of Gilesgate for £190.

Yes, it's taking the risk of waiting, but that is cheaper than nearly all of his friends are paying. He's happy, he's by the prison next year (as incongruous as that sounds) so only a few minutes into town and the science site.

From memory, a friend's son had accommodation issues at Bristol, I don't think he ended up with a place in uni halls in his first year. Another friend's son is at Oxford and he has guaranteed college accommodation for the first five years.

Oh the prison is v easy to get everywhere from! Dd wanted the Viaduct and she’s on a nice non through street which is pretty much all student houses so she’s v happy! Her plan (unless she changes her mind) is to live back in college for her 3rd year as she all college facilities on her doorstep and New Elvet just a couple of minutes away (she has yet to go to the science site / Billy B).

Sheffield has been affordable and problem free for 3 years. So glad DD went there when I hear the stories from my friends with young people in other unis.

Bear in mind that the number of students is falling after the 2020/21 bulge, which should take the pressure off accommodation in cities which have had shortages. DD has firmed Edinburgh and looking at their admissions statistics they had over 7000 new UGs in 2020 and over 8000 in 2021. They are now back down to their usual low 6000s a year. By the time DD is looking for private accommodation in 2025 those 3000 extra students will have graduated.

Exeter seems fine. They guarantee accommodation or the first year. After that there seems to be plenty of housing stock albeit an expensive city for rentals. A decent room in a shared house seems to be around £180 a week plus bills.

The main problem DS had with 3rd year accomodation at Durham was that having been in College for year 2 he was caught out by not getting in for year 3 and so only the most expensive and further out private rents were left.
College could do with letting students know earlier if they have a place, as asking the private landlords to hold back just isn’t going to happen.
True that things appear to have calmed down a lot this year, however, which could lead to private rents dropping a little.

went To Surrey offer holder day and it appears they have plenty of accommodation in halls.

I think some of the most popular universities had accommodation shortages a couple of years ago because they had a lot more first year students than expected (because A level grades were higher). However, they are back to normal now. e.g. Manchester is fine. I think Bristol still has problems but haven't heard anywhere else does.

If it is more difficult for holiday lets won't that mean there is potentially more accommodation available for students?

A lot of the problems in Glasgow and Edinburgh are the HMO rules so it’s hard to find anything bigger than a 2 bed flat.

Im sure people will come on and say they have a 4 bed rental house but they aren’t easy to get.

Plenty of Glasgow landlords ignoring the HMO rules. My nephew and his 3 mates were in 2 bogus gay couples (landlord suggested this) for his 2nd year. Switched from this landlord as he was also remiss with respect to repairs.