Student Housing 101: Should You Choose University Halls or Private Accommodation?

“Where should I live?” sounds like a simple question. But it’s one of the biggest practical decisions of your first year, and the answer genuinely depends on who you are, not just what’s cheapest.

Ask any second or third-year student about their first-year housing choice, and you’ll hear strong opinions. Some will tell you Halls was the best decision they ever made. Others will say they wish they’d gone private from day one. What almost nobody tells you is that both answers are usually right, just for different types of people.

29% – UK students live in university accommodation.

80% – Rise in university hall costs since 2010, compared to 55% for private rents nationally

59% – Students reported financial strain from accommodation costs.

Those numbers tell you something important before we even get into specifics: university halls have become significantly more expensive relative to the rest of the market, and the majority of students are feeling it. That’s not a reason to dismiss halls outright, but it is worth understanding what you’re paying for and whether it’s worth it for you specifically.

01 Halls vs Private: The Honest Trade-Off

University halls are managed by your institution, located on or close to campus, and almost always include all bills in one fixed weekly cost. Most first-year students are guaranteed a place if they apply on time. At Warwick University, eligible students are guaranteed accommodation, whether on campus or with a partner provider. York University guarantees a room for full-time students who apply by 31 July, and Loughborough University offers 17 halls across catered and self-catered options, consistently rated the UK’s best by students.

Private accommodation ranges from purpose-built student blocks (PBSA) with gyms and cinema rooms, to shared houses rented from private landlords. Bills are usually separate, contracts are often longer, and you have considerably more freedom but far less structure.

02 What Things Actually Cost in 2026

University hall costs have risen by roughly 80% since 2010, and 2026 continues that pattern. At Warwick, only four residences will stay under £200 per week in 2026/27, compared to eleven in 2022/23. York is increasing on-campus rates by 6% for 2026/27. The average UK student maintenance loan works out to about £640 per month, while average rent alone is around £529 per month, leaving very little room for anything else.

The number that changes everything

A Loughborough en-suite at £170/week on a 41-week contract costs around £6,970 for the year, all-in. A shared house at £100/week on a 52-week contract is £5,200 in rent alone, then add roughly £35/week per person in utilities, and you’re at £7,020. The gap between halls and private is often much smaller than the headline figures suggest, and sometimes it disappears entirely once you calculate the full picture.

03 What Nobody Warns You About

Both options carry costs that don’t appear in the weekly headline rate. In halls: most provide no bedding or kitchen equipment, communal damage charges can be split across all residents, and vacation gaps in your contract mean you may need to fund additional housing over summer. In private housing: expect a deposit of 4 to 6 weeks’ rent before you even move in, utility bills adding £35 to £50 per person per week, and longer contracts that charge rent over summer even when you’re back home.

Before signing any private contract

Confirm whether bills are included, check that your deposit will be protected in a government-approved scheme within 30 days, and use your university’s free contract checking service if one is available. Loughborough and York both offer this. Don’t skip it.

For international students, the case for halls is especially strong. Getting a UK guarantor for private rental from abroad is genuinely difficult, and many landlords won’t proceed without one. University halls bypass this completely and provide pastoral support from the day you arrive. If you do want to explore private options, platforms like Casita list verified, all-inclusive PBSA with a free multilingual support service that helps navigate UK rental processes from overseas.

04 Which One Is Right for You?

The most common path, for good reasons

For most students, the optimal route is Halls in the first year and private housing from the second year onwards. Year one is when the support structure and instant community matter most. Year two is when independence and better value tend to pay off. Know your own situation and make the decision from there, not from what your coursemates are doing.

Not Sure Where to Start?

We help students prepare for every aspect of university life, including navigating accommodation choices, understanding contracts, and making confident decisions before they arrive.