As studying in the UK becomes more and more popular, student accommodation in Glasgow is alo becoming more of a hassle. The latest figures show that over 10,000 students at Scottish universities have been refused university accommodation in the last two years. Last year, the BBC reported that officials emailed students at Glasgow University, informing them to only register if they had already found somewhere to live independently.

SOURCE：BBC

The situation has sparked discontent among students, ranging from undergraduates who have applied for courses at the university but have had to withdraw to PhD students who are facing the dilemma of deferring their enrolment for a year because of the unavailability of accommodation. They feel that the University of Glasgow should have informed students in advance of their current situation to make it easier for them to find alternative accommodation or consider applying to another university. On the other hand, some students choose to live within the common area.

Accommodation at the university is limited, and there are usually not too many good options after May, so many students choose to go out and rent a room. So, this blog will help you understand how to rent an apartment in the UK and what to look out for.

Three common options for renting

On Campus Accommodation

People also call it Student Apartment, Student House or Student Village, which is fully managed by the university. Therefore, it is relatively more restrictive. You need to go through three major steps: application, random allocation, and receiving the housing contract. You cannot choose your room, roommate, floor, or location.

ON CAMPUS ACCOMMODATION OF UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW

It is important to note that you may be allocated a flat in a remote location that requires transport. This depends on the number of applicants each year and your luck!

Student Accommodation

Off-campus or school neighbourhood student accommodation is mainly managed by private flat groups. Most of these flats provide a lot of common areas such as lounges and recreation rooms, and most of these flats are inclusive of Bills, which is more convenient and hassle-free for students.

The management of these flats is also more relaxed, and the room types are classified into En-suite, Non-En-suite, Studio, Shared room and Apartment. Different rooms’ prices vary, and the student flats are on a first-come-first-served basis. If you have decided to study in the UK, you can book a flat in advance. It is important to note that apart from Glasgow, students from Edinburgh, York and Bristol can book their flats in advance. Every year in these cities, the demand for flats exceeds the supply.

Private Apartments/Houses

Prices can be much cheaper than a flat, and if you can find a roommate, you can reduce the rent even further, and the location can be more flexible. A house will generally have 2-4 standard rooms, and you will share a kitchen and 1-2 bathrooms.

It is worth noting that private house rent does not include bills, meaning you need to share the cost of utilities with your flatmates. In addition, according to the experience of most international students, students living in a house may face the test of friendship because the rental period in the UK is half a year or one year. Although the house is cheap, you need to pay attention to the commute and the security level of the neighbourhood.

Notes on Renting an Apartment

Price

For international students, the first thing to consider when looking for an apartment is whether it is close to the University. For example, the average price of a private flat is £500-1000 per month, which is reasonable for a flat near the University, but these prices do not include the bill. Student flats are in the range of £420-1200, while flats further away may be less expensive and have more choices, making them more affordable for international students.

Location

Glasgow is divided into west end, east end, south side, north and city centre. The University of Glasgow is in the West End, and the City of Glasgow college and the   University of Strathclyde are in the city centre. Southside restaurants are plentiful and affordable, and houses are cheaper, but you need transport to school; consider the cost of adding transport to it.

Security

In general, Glasgow is an excellent place to live. Security around the school is satisfactory, especially in the student flats. If you are renting your own flat, be careful when you walk, watch your back when you open the door, keep the door to your flat closed at all times, don’t walk alone at night, and your friends can be your biggest helpers when you need them. In addition, if you want to check the safety of your own location, you can go to the relevant webpage to review and enter the postcode. For those outside of Scotland, you can check the official website of the police station.

Concil Tax

If you are living in on-campus or student accommodation, you don’t have to worry about this. But if you rent your own room, go to the school’s website and download the council tax form. Then, fill out the form, get it stamped by the school, and send it to the council. One thing to note is that the council exempts you from the tax according to when your course starts and finishes. This means that if you arrive early and fill in the form with the start date of your course, you will have to pay the tax for the time in between, and the same applies to the end date of your course. So, when you fill in the form, try to write down the time you checked in.

Bill

Some private landlords may offer a bill-included service, meaning you don’t need to pay any extra fee. Generally speaking, most landlords will ask you to pay the bill. The costs involved include electricity, gas and internet.

Finding reliable accommodations in the UK

uhomes has listings in over 300 cities in popular study countries such as the US, UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand, covering over 5,700 overseas schools and 1 million school district properties for rent and sale. Not only Glasgow, you can also ask us if you want to rent a room in other countries. Here we would like to recommend Scotway House student accommodatio. as a brand new student accommodation, it is already highly acclaimed in Glasgow and is now open for booking for September 2024 move-in. If you’ve decided to study in Glasgow, it’s time to book!

FAQ

1.  What are the highest-rated student accommodations in Glasgow for the year 2024?

We recommend true Glasgow, Fountainbridge, West Village, Westfield and West View, which are well-regarded accommodatino in Glasgow and offer a wide range of room types and communal facilities. The flats are ideally located for quick access to universities and train stations. An excellent choice for students studying and living in Glasgow.

2.  What factors should I, as a student, consider when choosing my accommodation in Glasgow?

As we mentioned in the blog, students are advised to pay attention to price, location, security, council tax and bill when renting an apartment. Each student’s room type and budget choice will also affect the final choice. It’s also a good idea for students to check their college’s location in advance to ensure they choose the right place.

3.  What amenities can I expect in the popular Glasgow student accommodations?

All student accommodation will have numerous communal facilities such as study rooms, lounge, laundry and reception. Some flats may offer a gym, games room, karaoke room, courtyard and sports field. Please see our flats page for more details.