Student Accommodation in Portsmouth

Looking for student accommodation in Portsmouth? This gorgeous seaside city attracts over 25,000 university students every year (according to the Complete University Guide), making it a perfect place to study, relax, and live your best student life.

Why use UniHomes to find student houses in Portsmouth?

Student accommodation in Portsmouth is plentiful and full of variety, so whether you’re looking for a cosy studio apartment or a 7-bedroom house, UniHomes has got you covered. We work with letting agents across the city to bring you a wide variety of student housing in Portsmouth, all with bills included – all you need to do is use the filters at the top of each page to sort the results by price, location, and number of bedrooms. It’s that easy!

Portsmouth student housing market: trends explained

Towards the south of the city, you'll find the most popular area for student accommodation in Portsmouth: Southsea. Sitting right on the University of Portsmouth's doorstep, Southsea is a thriving student community that’s filled with streets upon streets of large 5-bed (and upwards!) houses, making it the perfect place for big groups of mates who are dead-set on living with each other. The area’s many independent cafes and restaurants, as well as Southsea Common, are what make this neighbourhood just that bit more homely, too.

Fratton is also one of the most sought-after student housing areas in Portsmouth, and it’s packed full of amenities, popular bars and restaurants. Home to a few green spaces, it’s brilliant in the summer months with plenty of walking options. Taking a short 20-minute bus ride to get to the main university campus, and (having its own train station) Fratton is great for getting in and around the city.

Want to be closer to the action? Portsmouth city centre is also hugely popular amongst students, thanks to its plethora of shops, cafes, bars, restaurants, pubs, and clubs. Those living in student flats and houses in Portsmouth’s city centre can count themselves lucky to have easy access to all that this vibrant city has to offer.

Student life in Portsmouth

As a city that’s perfect for outdoor lovers, brunch connoisseurs, nighttime ravers and football fanatics alike, living in student housing in Portsmouth is just as exciting here as it is in any other uni town (if not more!).

Anyone and everyone who fancies themselves on the sportier side can head down to Portsmouth’s 4-mile expanse of beach to try out surfing, paddleboarding, kayaking, and open-water swimming, whereas the city’s endless number of cafes and restaurants provide the perfect place for breakfast enjoyers to sit down with a stack of pancakes and an iced matcha.

Portsmouth’s many clubs and bars mean that student nightlife here rivals what you’ll find in the likes of London and Leeds, with both Southsea and Gunwharf Quays in particular being home to student-friendly cocktail bars and nightclubs like Slug and Lettuce, All Bar One, and The Astoria.

If you prefer pints to prosecco, don’t worry – the sheer amount of pubs in Portsmouth means there’ll always be somewhere with a good beer garden where you can sit down and chat to your mates or watch the football.

Gunwharf Quays itself is also great for shopping thanks to its outlet shopping centre, but if you love to shop small then you’re in luck; there are loads of independent stores and charity shops dotted all over near Portsmouth’s student accommodation.

Did you know?

There’s a reason Portsmouth is famed for its watersports opportunities – it just so happens to be the UK’s only island city!

Read more about student life in Portsmouth

Our Content Ambassadors have loads to say about what it’s like living in Portsmouth as a student.

Read Karishma’s guide to the city centre for the lowdown on life in the centre of Portsmouth, or check out her blog post on the best nights out in Portsmouth for all your going-out needs (and follow it up with a hangover-cure breakfast, as detailed by Karishma’s guide to the best places for brunch in Portsmouth).

For more info on living in Southsea, here’s Claire’s handy Southsea article. If you’re a footy fan, then Claire’s post on where to watch the football in Portsmouth will definitely come in useful.

What students in Portsmouth say about using UniHomes

Trustpilot reviewer Bronte says:

"Easy, understandable, amazing service. It is easy to use and understand and to contact landlords. Good response and clear intentions of what you will be seeing housing wise. I like that when you enquire for a house the message will stay so u can enquire for many without having to rewrite it over again, for the best chance of securing a place."

Trustpilot user Jakub says:

"Easy and simple interface providing an easy-to-use and convenient experience."

Trustpilot reviewer Amy says:

"Making enquiries is really easy [...] fabulous layout, very well explained. Good website."