Types of Student Accommodation: Your Options Explained

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Searching for student accommodation can be stressful. The UK student renting market has more options now than ever, and that’s a good thing, but the choice can be overwhelming.

“Home, sweet (student) home,” they say. But should that be a house? Or a flat? Maybe an apartment…or halls?

As the UK’s market-leading student accommodation advertising platform, we’re here to streamline your search with this guide breaking down the pros and cons of each type of student accommodation, the differences between them and what type of student they’re best suited to. We've also quizzed some of our Content Ambassadors, current students at UK unis, on their personal experiences in different accommodation types.

Student houses (HMOs)

The traditional option for students in second year and beyond - and what most people in the UK will think of when you say “student accommodation”.

👍 Pros

HMOs (stands for ‘houses of multiple occupancy) are sociable by nature. Many students make friends in first year while living in halls on campus and then find a house together for second year, so if you’re proactive you’ll have full control over who you live with.

As the housing stock in many uni towns and cities is spread out across multiple areas, you’ll often have a great choice of locations. As our national Content Ambassador Sophie Layton, a University of Sheffield student, points out: "This is your chance to select a property that you truly connect with. Student houses are great for moving in with your new friends and personalising your experience with a home of your choosing that has loads of character. That's why they're often students' favourite type of property - they give an independence that some of the other student accommodation types don't have."

Our Sheffield Content Ambassador Lucie Waring, a fellow Uni of Sheffield student, agrees: "There's more freedom than in halls, so it feels like independent living, and you can choose who you live with," she adds.

Student houses are also usually cheaper than the other types of accommodation, as you’re splitting the rent and utility bills between more people. "The variation in pricing is another plus - as there are so many options for location and size, you can find something for a wide range of budgets," Lucie says.

👎 Cons

As the other options on this list are often for students living on their own, by comparison HMOs have less privacy and fewer facilities, and will probably feel more 'worn in' than some of the other types. Not all bedrooms in student houses will have en-suites, for example, and they definitely won’t have swanky features sometimes found in private halls like receptionists, cinema rooms or gyms. That said, as Lucie points out, most student houses will have their own household supplies and facilities like washing machines and tumble dryers.

One potential source of arguments with housemates is bedrooms, Sophie says - often the bedrooms in student houses will all be different sizes, and some might have en-suites, so you'll have to find a fair way to decide who gets the best room. And while HMOs give you a great choice of areas, some of those will be residential, Lucie warns - meaning your neighbours won't necessarily be students and might not approve of house parties that go on too late.

The student housing market also works differently for HMOs. "You often need to plan student house accommodation much earlier than halls accommodations - even as early as October/November," Sophie advises. "Dashing around property viewings whilst juggling your studies can be a stressful time."

Want more guidance on when to start looking? We've got you.

Who they're good for:

Social people who want to live with friends, are working to a budget, or want to experience living in different areas of your uni city/town. If that sounds like you, check out our top tips for student house-hunting.

Student flats & apartments

With lots of overlap with HMOs, the key difference here is the smaller group size and added privacy in a flat or apartment. What’s the difference between flat and apartment, you ask? Apartments tend to be slightly higher-end, but you might see the terms used interchangeably.

👍 Pros

Student flats are most often for 1-2 people, so you’ll likely have more space and privacy than in a shared house. You’ll probably have an en-suite, which are harder to come by in HMOs.

Like student houses, student flats and apartments tend to be dotted around the city or town, so you’ll have a similar choice of areas, although they’ll probably be concentrated a bit more in the city centre than houses. And like HMOs, they offer an independence that you might not get in the other accommodation types.

Our Birmingham Content Ambassador Ash Sutton moved into a student flat for her third year at the University of Birmingham because she felt it would "complete the university experience" after living at home in her first two years. "It's nice having the independent things - silly things like deciding what to have for dinner and when to clean up, and I love being so close to the shops. I'm one metre from a pub and my friends are next door! There's more opportunity to get Just Dance or karaoke out and spend all night singing," she says (her neighbours were unavailable for comment...).

👎 Cons

The flipside of the smaller group size is that your rent will probably be more expensive than in a shared house because you’re splitting rent and bills between fewer people.

Flats and apartments also lack the luxuries of private halls like a concierge service and an on-site , but they’ll be cheaper, too.

Who they're good for:

Students who want more privacy than in a shared house, but don’t want to/can’t afford to live in private halls. Perfect for student couples or two best mates!

Private halls (BTR & PBSA)

The new kid on the block, private halls are modern accommodation often found in city centres. While they’re very similar in style, the main difference between build to rent (BTR) and purpose built student accommodation (PBSA) is that BTRs aren’t student-specific - they have a broader mix of tenants, such as young professionals.

PBSAs are particularly popular with international students but becoming more popular with domestic students too.

Private halls are now available on UniHomes! Look out for the ‘private halls’ filter when searching on our site.

👍 Pros

As well as privacy and en-suites, PBSAs often boast luxury facilities that you won’t find in shared houses or student flats/apartments - things like a concierge service, in-built gyms, cinema rooms, laundry facilities, etc.

They’re also usually in a convenient city centre location, so the chances are everything you need like transport links, shops, bars and restaurants will be easily accessible. Private halls are a good option if you don't have a set group for next year and don't know how many of you will want to live together, or if you've left it late and missed out on the best houses, according to Sophie, who lived in private halls during her postgrad year. "Halls have plenty of capacity and they're a great option for those unsure as to how many people will be moving in with them," she says.

Private halls are often more secure than the other student housing types too - they may have an external gate/reception that requires fob entry, CCTV in communal areas, and even on-site security teams.

👎 Cons

Private halls might not be right for you if you don’t want to live centrally, as this is where the bulk of them will be located. They’re definitely the most expensive option on our list, because you’re paying for the luxuries mentioned above. "The fact they're much more expensive than student houses can be prohibitive for many students," Sophie acknowledges.

They’re also a bit less sociable and independent than the other options, although the communal areas in your building will offer opportunities to meet fellow students. "It can be isolating if your neighbours in halls aren't your type of people, and it can feel less independent than houses with staff members on the front desk - so it's an unusual transition if you're accustomed to the independence of a student house."

"Finally, while the range of facilities is a great plus, so may find yourself paying for something you won't be using, so make decisions based on which facilities you most value having - it'll vary significantly between each halls," she concludes.

Who they're good for:

Students who want modern accommodation and convenience with a touch of luxury, who can afford the higher rents and like living centrally. Sounds like a bit of you? Check out Sophie's guide to what to look out for during private halls viewings.

University-owned halls of residence

Not to be confused with private halls, university-owned halls are most popular with first year students. In fact, many unis offer guaranteed spaces in their halls for first years, but they’re also an option for students in later years and international students with families, for example.

These are managed by the university and you will share communal areas such as the kitchen but may have an en-suite bathroom. Most unis have halls which feel like mini student villages and may also have some located in the city centre. Some halls of residence offer catering options which is great if you haven’t mastered classic student recipes yet.

👍 Pros

Halls of residence are a great place to meet people when you first start uni, giving you options of who to live with in second year. "Uni halls are a fantastic way to acclimatise to your new environment - you'll be surrounded by new people in the same boat as you," says Sophie. "Living with strangers is a great masterclass in being self-sufficient," she adds.

They’ll also usually have uni security teams nearby and often facilities like laundrettes on-site. As Lucie says, "often there's a local shop to purchase food and necessities on the grounds, and support services or a front desk to help with maintenance issues." She also points out that, as you'd expect, uni-owned halls tend to be well-positioned for access to the main uni campus and and lecture theatres.

👎 Cons

"You normally won't have much choice in who your flatmates are - you don't know the people you're living with until you move in," Lucie points out. (That said, you can try and reach out to your future flatmates before you start uni to give you a head start in building friendships). The worst case scenario is always that "you simply may not click with the people you meet, which always makes things tougher," adds Sophie.

Uni-owned halls are less suited to students in later years and offer less privacy than other options on this list. "There might be more rules and restrictions from accommodation staff and security such as quiet hours," Lucie advises. They're also likely to be pricier than shared houses and flats/apartments, and Sophie points out they often feel "un-homely - lacking the vibes that a house can bring."

Who they're good for:

First year students who want to make friends with the comfort of living surrounded by other students from your uni, often on university grounds.

Spare rooms

When we say “spare room”, we don’t mean any old randomer’s empty box room – we’re specifically on about a spare bedroom in student accommodation that’s already full of other student tenants.

This can come about when a tenant pulls out of the contract at the last minute, or when there aren’t enough tenants in a group to match the number of bedrooms in a house. Either way, the other tenants could find themselves responsible for covering the unoccupied room’s portion of the rent, which is why students in these situations often advertise their spare room in the hopes that someone will move in and take on the rent for the room.

Not sure on how to go about finding these mysterious spare room adverts? There are now spare room listings on the UniHomes website – check out spare rooms in your student city today!

👍 Pros

Spare rooms can pop up for a number of reasons at any time of the year, so there’s a higher chance of you being able to come across a spare room arrangement later in the letting season. This works out great if you experience a change in circumstances, or even if you’ve just left it too late to find student accommodation for next year (don’t worry, it happens to the best of us).

👎 Cons

Okay, there is admittedly an obvious con to renting a spare room: you don’t know who it is you’ll be living with. Moving in with strangers can seem scary and intimidating, and there’s a risk you’ll end up feeling like the odd one out (especially if you’ve moved in with a group of people who already know each other and are really good mates). But hey, you never know – you just might end up meeting friends for life.

Who it's good for:

Students who haven’t been able to find anyone to live with or who have left it 'til the last minute to find student accommodation, as well as students whose house plans fall through unexpectedly. Spare rooms are also great for students who’ve been on a year abroad or a year in industry and haven’t been able to sort a student house whilst they’ve been away.

Living at home

OK, not technically “student accommodation”, and pretty self-explanatory, but it’s a form of accommodation that might be an option for students, so we’re gonna cover it anyway.

👍 Pros

Living at home is great for saving money. It also means you can keep your home comforts and won’t have the same shock to the system as students moving away for uni! It might be a particularly good option for high cost-of-living cities like London. We're bringing in Ash here, who commuted in from her parents' house in her early years at the University of Birmingham.

"The obvious benefit is the money saving," she confirms. "While I paid my parents rent because I was working, I still had a lot more disposable income that allowed me to make the most of the social side of uni."

While missing out on living with other students is a big drawback, Ash points out that living at home can actually be better for some students such as those with social anxiety: "I knew how lonely a student halls scenario could be for an introvert like myself, so I thought commuting would make the transition to uni easier," she says. "Having family around and your own space to go to after classes is definitely one of the main benefits of living at home while at university - being able to debrief to my parents every evening helped a lot."

👎 Cons

The chances are that living at home will mean you’ll have a longer commute to campus than your coursemates living in dedicated student accommodation. It can also be more challenging to make new friends, as you’ll naturally be spending less time around other students than those in shared housing.

Plus, you’ll have less privacy and independence than some of the other options on this list. "Commuting can be lonely," Ash acknowledges. "It's near-impossible to go on a night out without having to crash at someone else's house because getting home becomes a chore and Ubers are extortionate. You can also quickly fall into the mindset of not wanting to be out longer than necessary, which results in missing out on activities."

Both methods of commuting have their drawbacks too. "On public transport, there were many occasions where I had to turn around because of train cancellations or delays or if the weather was too bad. For drivers, parking is often a nightmare if your lectures are in the city centre," she adds.

Who it's good for:

Students who still want home comforts, want to save money, and can already commute to campus from their current base.

Starting your search - how UniHomes can help

Hopefully you now know your halls from your houses and feel more confident finding your next student home. That's where we come in: we work with letting agents and accommodation providers across the UK to showcase the best student accommodation from across the market in more than 60 UK university cities and towns.

What's more, the properties featured on our site already have bills included, so that's one less thing to worry about!