Private rented accommodation

With four universities and over 100,000 students studying in the city, the demand for accommodation is high. We can't arrange private accommodation on your behalf, but we can assist by pointing you in the right direction of where to look/secure accommodation.  

Finding private rented accommodation

Useful websites to visit are:

• Studentpad  – website for students looking for rooms, flats or flatmates.
• Accommodation for Students – website for students looking for rooms or flats.
• Letting Web  – a letting agency offering private rented accommodation in Edinburgh.
• City Lets  – a letting agency offering private rented accommodation in Edinburgh.
• Mystudenthalls - search engine for student rooms and halls in Edinburgh.
• Landlord Accreditation Scotland – the accreditation scheme for landlords in Scotland.
• Zoopla - property search engine.
• Rightmove - property search engine. 

Where to stay

The best places to stay are on the west of the city, in areas such as Haymarket, Dalry, Gorgie, Chesser, Slateford, Currie, Juniper Green and Balerno. See the full map in the Accommodation Guide.

If you are using public transport to get the campus, then you should look for a property on the 25, 34 or 45 Lothian Buses routes.

Costs

You can expect to pay £550-£700 per room per month or £750 - £1000 for a one bedroom flat.

These prices do not include bills, so make sure you budget for these in addition to your rent. The cost of your bills will depend on the kind of property, type of heating and the type of windows. (If you'd prefer to pay for your accommodation and bills all together, you should consider private student-only accommodation, which usually includes all living costs in the same way as halls of residence.)

Finding a flatmate

There are several ways you can find a flatmate to help share the cost of living in a privately rented property:

• Facebook - search ‘find a flatmate-Heriot-Watt Edinburgh' and join the group
• Post an advert on the message board on Studentpad.
• Spare room - search for a flatmate