Leeds is now officially one of the hardest cities for students to find accommodation in

Leeds has been officially named amongst the top 10 hardest cities for students to find accommodation in, according to a recent report by Amber. 

The report is based on what proportion of purpose-built student accommodation in each city is occupied, and found that the statistics for Leeds place the city at a staggering 91.5 per cent. Many other prominent university cities also featured on the list of the most highly occupied, including Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool.

With its numerous universities and high student population, it doesn’t come as a surprise that Leeds is struggling to house all of its students. The city is one of the UK’s most popular university destinations, attracting over 210,000 students every year across its various higher education institutions.

It goes without saying that the higher the occupancy rate, the more difficult it is for students to find a place to live not only in general, but also to find one that fits within requirements such as ideal budget and location. The student housing charity Unipol told the BBC that despite there being enough accommodation in cities like Leeds in theory, the “stock doesn’t meet the needs, budgets and preferences of students”.

When The Leeds Tab asked current students to share their experiences, responses were mixed. Some, like Eva, a University of Leeds student, reported issues such as “quite high prices on flats,” while others dismissed these concerns. One student, Thomas, even told us: “It’s a piece of piss. If you struggle, that’s down to you.”

Most Read

An engagement, baby, marriage and divorce: All that will be exposed at Love Is Blind reunion

Shocking 911 call reveals hour-long highway chase with Britney Spears before DUI arrest

Uh oh! The first Love Island All Stars 2026 couple have already called time on their relationship

Olivia, a second-year student at the University of Leeds, also spoke to The Leeds Tab about the difficulties she faced while trying to find accommodation last year. Rather than the supply of accommodation, she found the pricing to be more of a problem.

She said: “When I came to Leeds, I was shocked by the lack of affordable uni accommodation. Most of the university halls cost way over what my maintenance loan could cover, and all the privately owned accommodations were even more extortionate. Some were even charging well over £200 a week, which is similar to places like London.”

However, if you’re a student in Leeds struggling to find suitable accommodation, all hope is not lost. Amber also reported Leeds has been seeing a steady rise in the supply of student accommodation, with an increase of 3.10 per cent in total beds in 2025-26 compared to 2024-25. 

Just last year, for example, Leeds City Council approved plans for a new 37-storey student accommodation skyscraper to be built within a disused section of the Merrion Center in the city centre. The new accommodation will house over 800 students. Similarly, the site where the now-demolished shopping centre The Core once stood is also set to become home to a new student accommodation development, which will provide a further 800 rooms. 

Leeds University has been contacted for comment.

For more of the latest news, guides, gossip and memes, follow The Leeds Tab on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.