Student Accommodation in Bristol
Bristol is an interesting place to live and be a student. It lies in an interesting place geographically because you can get in to wales easily, Cornwall is south and you are close to some spectacular nature with the Outstanding Areas of Natural Beauty (AONB).
For a student, it has plenty of opportunities for jobs, two universities, good nightlife, and lots of choices for activities. The two universities are the University of Bristol and the University of West England (UWE). They are both relatively large universities and well known for being good universities in the west, it also means that Bristol has around 44,000 students in the city.
The campuses in Bristol are quite spread out, so when it comes to student accommodation make sure that you are know which campus you are at, a lot of UWE students are at Frenchay campus. However, Bristol does have a good transport network to get around on and the universities can have buses go to each campus.
If you want to read more about Bristol itself and see it from a student’s perspective then this Bristol page will help. If you want to read specific information about the universities then these pages will help you:
Private Student Accommodation in Bristol
Bristol from what I have experienced has a lot of demand for student accommodation and I actually think for the number of students in Bristol, it actually doesn’t have enough options. For this, we are purely looking at the big purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) blocks that aren’t run by the university.
These types of accommodations come with a lot of added extras that you don’t get in student housing, some examples would be:
- Gym
- Cinema
- Study
- Breakfast
- Accommodation Manager
These types of accommodation do cost more than student housing and have a lot more studios (no sharing) and en-suite rooms that student housing.
There are a lot of high-end options for student accommodation, however, Bristol seems to be one of these places where if you leave it too late you either have to raise your budget massively or find something further out, I have seen this for a few years where all the student accommodation that fits into a lot of student budget is taken first.
All the student accommodation is based around the centre as you would expect, however, if you are going to UWE, then this accommodation will probably be far out for you. (I’ve included a picture below to show the distance between the two universities). You are within walking distance to the University of Bristol which is the main university of the area and why the accommodations have chosen to build around.
Most students start looking and researching their accommodation late November and December, I would say that more students book their accommodation earlier than other cities because of the demand for the accommodation.
If you want to make sure that you get good quality student accommodation in Bristol then these steps will help you:
- Research
- Always view the property
- Look at the quality of the rooms
- See how good the added extras are (Gym, Cinema, study room etc.)
- Look at their tenancy
Some providers that I think are good in Bristol:
Again for UWE, they have a lot of their student accommodation on campus and then a lot of student housing in the surrounding areas which I will cover next.
Student Houses in Bristol
With two universities and 44,000 students. The needs to be quite a lot of student housing for those that don’t want to live in student accommodation or in university accommodation.
Student housing is often cheaper than living in other types of student accommodation. Depending on which university you are at may persuade you to choose one closer to your university.
Some areas for Bristol University students are:
- Bedminster and Southville.
- Bishopston and St. Andrews.
- City Centre.
- Clifton.
- Cliftonwood and Hotwells.
- Gloucester Road.
- Kingsdown and Cotham.
- Montpelier, St Pauls & Stokes Croft.
For UWE students:
- Fishponds
- Bishopston and St. Andrews.
- Horfield
- Montpelier, St Pauls & Stokes Croft
- Redland, Kingdown and Cotham
- Stoke Park & Frenchay
- Filton
Some of the times they areas can cross over, this is fine, however, I would just double check you are happy with the location and the commute to campus before booking.
Student letting agents and landlords providing good student housing in the areas are:
A word of warning, just because your house is managed by the SU does not mean that you are guaranteed good accommodation. I actually think you get higher quality, better design, better service, and experience from the smaller property investors and letting agents who do it well in the areas.
However, they will be a trustworthy source as they are funded by the SU.
If you want to make sure you get good student housing I suggest these three easy steps:
- Research student housing and letting agents
- View the houses
- Review the letting agent, landlord and their agreements
- Book
If you want more detail to help you find your next student accommodation then this article will help: How To Find Your Next Student Accommodation.
Discover. Trust. Review.
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