The escalating cost of private student halls in Scotland is placing significant financial pressure on domestic students, with rents often exceeding what they can afford. This trend is occurring even as the supply of private student accommodation has increased substantially over the past decade.
Lara, a student in Edinburgh, described her rent as higher than her student loan and accepted the accommodation due to the difficulty of finding alternatives. The cost of her housing created constant stress throughout her first year, leading her to work 20 hours per week alongside her studies. This heavy workload contributed to her failing first-year exams due to exhaustion and lack of study time. She emphasized the need for more realistic pricing in student housing to make it accessible for students from less affluent backgrounds.
A University of Edinburgh spokesperson stated that the institution offers a range of accommodation options with varying price points, including entry-level rents below the average, and encourages students to choose housing that fits their budget.
Nationally, the number of students living in private-sector halls in the UK rose to 206,005 in 2024/25, up from 117,995 a decade earlier. Scotland has seen a faster rate of increase, with private student accommodation numbers growing from 5,500 in 2014/15 to 14,640 last year. Glasgow and Edinburgh have experienced particularly rapid growth in purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA). As of August 2026, Glasgow has over 21,000 student beds, with an additional 18,000 in development. Edinburgh's PBSA supply has increased by nearly 60% in the last ten years, with more than 5,900 beds in the development pipeline as of December 2025.
Richard Ward, head of research at StuRents, noted that the average weekly rent for private PBSA in Edinburgh is £268 and in Glasgow is £243, compared to a national average of £191 (excluding London). He explained that rents of £250 to £300 per week are often necessary to make schemes financially viable, a price point that many domestic students cannot afford. Industry experts suggest that international students, who can often afford higher rents, are a crucial segment of the PBSA market. Lara observed that many of her peers in accommodation were international students with different funding situations.
For international students, PBSA can offer a sense of security that is challenging to find in the general private rental market. Saba, an international student from Pakistan, felt safer choosing PBSA than trying to secure a flat from abroad, citing concerns about navigating different property laws and encountering scammers when searching for private rentals. She described international students as vulnerable to exploitation by unscrupulous individuals.
However, occupancy rates in private student accommodation in Edinburgh and Glasgow have fallen. In June 2026, approximately 49.7% of rooms in Glasgow were booked for the upcoming academic year, down from 81.8% at the same point in 2024. Edinburgh saw a similar decline, with 63.2% of rooms booked, compared to 80.6% in 2024. Nationally, bookings for the upcoming year stood at 59.1% in June 2026, down from 70.4% in 2024.
Ward attributed the lower occupancy rates to a slowdown in the growth of international student numbers, combined with a continued increase in new accommodation supply. International student numbers in Scotland have decreased for two consecutive years. He also pointed out the long lead times in developing student accommodation, which can span up to three years from application approval to completion. This extended period means market conditions can shift significantly, potentially impacting the realization of pipeline developments.