Bristol is more expensive than London, Brighton and Manchester

It’s also a terrible place to rent


Bristol is one of the most expensive places in the country to be a student. 

A Natwest report named Bristol 18th out of 25 universities in terms of affordability.

The report looks at 25 university cities and towns across the UK and ranks them from cheapest to most expensive.

It looks good, it costs a lot

And if the findings are correct then it is more expensive to study in Bristol than traditional favourite student haunts such as London, Brighton and Manchester.

The report looks at the cost of accommodation, transport and most important of all social life. It claims the cheapest places to go to university are currently Belfast, Southampton and Nottingham.

The bad news follows a report on student housing by Bristol SU, containing a host of revelations that won’t surprise anybody who’s lived in private accommodation in the city.

He just heard how much of his deposit he’ll be getting back

The survey compiled the views of over 850 people living in student accommodation around the city. Key findings showed that:

• All but two Bristol-based lettings agencies earned approval ratings of under 50%.

• Three quarters of students experienced mould or damp in their rented accommodation, and over 90% reported some kind of accommodation problem in the last year.

• A fifth of students were charged more than £150 in letting agency fees with the average upfront charges, including deposits, totalling £600.

• One in five were not provided any safety or security guidance, and one in 10 did not have a working fire alarm.

Union Affairs Officer Tom Phipps said: “Students are facing a housing crisis in Bristol with ever increasing rents and falling standards of private sector accommodation.

“Much of the housing available to students is in such a bad condition that it wouldn’t be rentable to non-students.

“The average annual rental cost for students is approximately £5000; well over the basic maintenance loan. These high rents make it increasingly difficult for students from low income backgrounds to live in Bristol.

“These findings should be a worry for universities in the city, especially as one third of students wouldn’t recommend Bristol University to friends due to their experiences of living in private sector accommodation.”

Chris Knights, a recent Ancient History graduate said: “Renting in Bristol is an absolute joke. Just thinking about it does my nut in. It’s probably the reason why it’s a more expensive city to live in than Manchester.”

Elle Ayers, who studies English and Philosophy said: “Bristol isn’t really that expensive. I feel like 75% of the people here are rich enough not to feel it.”