Students Rinsed For Rent

Bristol students shell out £96 a week for rent, a whopping £20.75 more than the national average, a survey has revealed.

The gap between the cheapest city for students to rent, Liverpool, and Bristol, is a massive 79%, with thrifty scousers paying just £54.25 for their term-time homes.

The survey, conducted by Haart Estate Agents, suggested students in Cambridge pay most, with private accommodation averaging at £97.75, but with most staying on in university accommodation, it seems as though it’s the bulk of Bristol students who are lumped with the worst deal.

Worth it?
Photo: zoopla.co.uk

What’s more, the sky-high price of £96 is rarely the full picture in Bristol. Second year Fran Easton told The Tab, “We pay £96 a week but there are a lot of extras!

“When we leave we basically have to get it professionally cleaned, which has cost us about £70 each now, and that’s not including the window cleaner and the gardener.

“It’s been great, but maybe not worth £420 a month. And it’s going up to £435 next year which is ridiculous.”

At the other end of the spectrum, houses in Redland can be found for just above the national average (around £330 a month with no extras), but not without seriously compromising on quality.

Law student Connor Morrison told The Tab, “Our house is cheap for Bristol, but it’s a state. One room is so damp that the dehumidifier fills up in 12 hours. Someone came round to paint over the mould, but it’s ridiculously strong and refuses to die.

“Now the plaster is just covered in bulges where it’s continuing to grow underneath.”

Britain’s most expensive mould

For those unconvinced that living in a decomposing house is a sacrifice worth enduring to save a bit of money, the losses can be huge.

Moreover, experts have predicted that the difference in living costs between Russell Group unis could mean your choice in uni costs you as much as £2K.