Average student rent in the UK — 2026

Published July 2026 • 6 min read • By UKCostOfLiving.org

The average UK student pays £575 a month in rent. That figure comes from Save the Student's National Student Accommodation Survey 2026, and it hides an enormous range — from £413 a month at Lincoln to £1,033 at LSE.

This page lists the average monthly rent reported at 113 UK universities, so you can see where yours sits.

Does the maintenance loan cover it?

For most students, not comfortably. The maximum maintenance loan outside London for 2026/27 is £10,544 a year, which works out at about £878 a month — and that is the maximum, paid only to students from households earning £25,000 or less. At the UK average rent of £575, that leaves roughly £300 a month for food, bills, transport and everything else.

Students receiving less than the maximum face a tighter squeeze. In Save the Student's survey, 61% of students who pay rent said they struggled with the cost at least some of the time, including 17% who described it as a constant struggle. 58% reported borrowing money from parents, banks or friends to cover rent.

Cheapest UK universities for rent

Most expensive UK universities for rent

London dominates the expensive end, which will surprise nobody. What is more striking is Oxford Brookes at £838 — third highest in the UK, and higher than every London university except LSE and King's.

Average student rent at every UK university

All 113 universities in the survey, highest to lowest. The third column shows the difference from the £575 UK average.

* Save the Student did not have enough respondents at these universities to give a reliable average, and used the regional average instead. Treat starred figures as indicative rather than measured.

Compare living costs, not just rent

Rent is the biggest cost but not the only one. Groceries, transport, bills and a night out all vary by city, and a cheap-rent city is not automatically a cheap city overall.

Our student cost of living tool compares total monthly costs across university cities side by side, including how far the maintenance loan stretches in each. For the wider picture on student finances, see our breakdown of the NatWest Student Living Index.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average student rent in the UK?
£575 per month, according to Save the Student's National Student Accommodation Survey 2026. This covers students who pay rent, across all accommodation types including halls, private studios and shared houses.

Which UK university has the cheapest rent?
Lincoln, at an average of £413 per month — about 72% of the national average.

Which UK university has the most expensive rent?
LSE, at an average of £1,033 per month, roughly 1.8 times the national average.

Is student rent going up?
Yes. Maintenance loans in England have risen by roughly 3–4% a year recently, while rents in many university cities have risen faster. The practical effect is that the gap between what students receive and what they pay has widened rather than closed.

Do students pay council tax?
Full-time students are exempt from council tax. A property occupied solely by full-time students is entirely exempt. If you share with a non-student, the household may be liable but can often claim a discount. See our council tax comparison for rates by area.