Most first-year students at the University of Glasgow live in a university residence, with 2026/27 weekly rents from £130 for a shared room to about £240 for a premium studio. The university guarantees a room to new undergraduates who apply by 14 July and meet the conditions. The other two big city universities do not: Strathclyde and Glasgow Caledonian both say they do not guarantee first-year undergraduate rooms. After first year, most students move into shared flats in the West End and nearby areas. This guide covers the options, the confirmed prices, council tax, Scottish renting rules and how to apply.
Prices here come from each university’s own pages, with the session stated each time. The University of Glasgow’s fees page says rates are correct at the time of publishing and subject to revision without notice. Check the page before you apply.
Cost at a glance: what to add up
Before you compare the prices on this page, check what each figure actually covers:
- Rent period: per week, month or semester, and per person or per room.
- What is included: utilities, internet, contents insurance and any meal plan.
- One-off costs: deposit, application or booking fee, and any first-month payment.
- Getting to campus: travel passes, or the extra cost of living further out.
- Currency: prices here are in the local currency. Convert them at your bank’s current rate and add the transfer fee. Rates change daily, so we do not publish rupee figures.
Anything we could not confirm from an official source is flagged on this page as “could not verify”, so read those notes before you rely on a figure.
University of Glasgow residences and rents
The university’s undergraduate accommodation fees page lists weekly rates for 2026-27. Most contracts run from 11 September 2026 to 11 June 2027. Havannah House is the exception, with a 51-week contract to 3 September 2027.
| Residence | Room type | Weekly rate | Total fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cairncross House | Shared | £129.92 | £5,066.88 |
| Student Apartments | Shared | £141.47 | £5,517.33 |
| Cairncross House, Kelvinhaugh Street, Murano Street Student Village, Winton Drive | Single | £168.00 | £6,552.00 |
| Dumfries (Brooke House, Dumfries Hall, Laurieknowe) | Single en suite | £175.00 | £6,825.00 |
| Kelvinhaugh Gate, Queen Margaret Residence, Maclay Residences | En suite single or standard en suite | £209.51 | £8,170.89 |
| Kelvin Court, Thurso Street | Large double room types | £218.05 to £220.50 | £8,503.95 to £8,599.50 |
| Havannah House (51 weeks) | Classic en suite | £183.05 | £9,335.55 |
| Havannah House (51 weeks) | Classic studio to premium studio plus | £227.50 to £239.40 | £11,602.50 to £12,209.40 |
Compare the total fee as well as the weekly rate. Havannah House looks cheaper per week than some 39-week residences until you add the extra 12 weeks, so check how long you need the room.
How and when to apply
The university’s undergraduate accommodation policy for 2026/27 guarantees one room offer to new undergraduates who do not need family accommodation, if they:
- have their online accommodation application received by 14 July in the year of entry
- have met the conditions of entry and be unconditional firm (UF) by 25 August
- enrol for the full academic year starting in September
The guarantee covers one offer only, and your preferred choices are not guaranteed. It excludes couples and family accommodation, and continuing students are not guaranteed a place after first year. If Glasgow is your insurance or clearing choice, you can only apply after accepting a firm offer. The university’s page for 2027/28 said applications had not yet opened, so sign up for notifications on its accommodation page.
Strathclyde and Glasgow Caledonian: no first-year guarantee
If you are heading to one of Glasgow’s other universities, the rules are tighter than at the University of Glasgow. Both publish their own terms, summarised below with the session each page refers to.
| University of Strathclyde | Glasgow Caledonian University | |
|---|---|---|
| Guarantee for first-year undergraduates | No. Applicants are considered but may not receive an offer (2026/27 allocation policy) | No. “We do not guarantee accommodation” (2026/27 application pack) |
| Key dates | Applications opened 16 March 2026; deadline 26 June 2026; offer conditions met by 13 August 2026; clearing deadline 20 August 2026 | First-round applications by 16 March 2026; the university aimed to respond by 13 April 2026; later applications considered in order received |
| Rents on the university’s own pages | 2025/26 session: £128.59 (Birkbeck Court) to £180.00 (Kyle Park House, 44 weeks) a week | 2026/27 session: £146.00 standard, £169.00 en suite a week, 41 weeks, including heating, electricity and internet |
| Priority groups | Not listed on the pages checked | Care-experienced UK students, students with disability-related needs, under-19s living beyond commuting distance, first-year international students |
Strathclyde’s 2025/26 undergraduate page lists four residences: Birkbeck Court (£128.59 a week, 39 weeks), Garnett Hall (£136.01, 39 weeks), Chancellors Hall (£175.35, 39 weeks) and Kyle Park House (£180.00, 44 weeks). The page does not give annual totals, so multiply weekly rent by contract weeks to compare. Glasgow Caledonian’s pack describes Caledonian Court as 100 self-catering flats of six or eight bedrooms, housing about 660 students. It also requires a £650 advance payment, which is deducted from the total rent.
The practical point: if you miss the deadline at Strathclyde or Caledonian, plan a private room early rather than waiting for a hall offer.
Private and shared accommodation
Some university residences are run with private partners, including Thurso Street (Unite) and Firhill Court (Homes for Students), so check which you are applying for. Beyond the university’s own places, students rent private purpose-built rooms or share flats. Compare the contract length, what the rent includes and the real commute to your campus. Our guide to university halls versus private student housing explains the trade-offs, and our student accommodation checklist covers what to check before you sign.
Renting a flat in Scotland: rules that differ from England
Scotland has its own tenancy law, so advice written for England often does not apply. For a standard private flat, the Scottish Government’s description of the private residential tenancy says:
- No fixed end date. The tenancy is open-ended, and a landlord cannot write in a minimum period or an expected end date.
- Leaving is simple. You give 28 days’ written notice, stating the day the tenancy should end.
- Landlords need a reason. They can end the tenancy only by serving a notice to leave on one of 18 grounds, with 28 or 84 days’ notice depending on the ground and how long you have lived there.
- Rent rises are limited. Once in any 12 months, with at least three months’ notice, and you can ask a Rent Service Scotland rent officer to decide if an increase is fair.
The mygov.scot page on tenancy deposits (last updated 1 April 2025) says a landlord or agent can ask for up to two months’ rent as a deposit, and in most cases must protect it in one of three approved tenancy deposit schemes. It also says landlords cannot charge key money, credit check fees, administration fees or a non-refundable holding deposit, and that you can claim these back. University residences and purpose-built blocks may use different contracts, so read yours rather than assuming these rules apply.
Council tax for students in Glasgow
Full-time students usually do not pay council tax, but you may have to apply. Glasgow City Council’s council tax for students page says:
- You qualify if your course involves at least 21 hours a week over 24 weeks a year and leads to a degree, certificate, diploma, PhD, Master’s or equivalent.
- Students in registered halls are exempt automatically. If you move into a property elsewhere in Glasgow, you must apply.
- If you live with non-students, the students are excluded from liability and the non-students get the bill. If you are the only non-student, you get a 25% discount once the students have claimed.
- Students at institutions outside the UK and the EU do not qualify for any student exemption or discount, according to the council’s page.
The council makes the final decision. Strathclyde, for example, says it only confirms your student status and issues a council tax letter through its student portal once you have registered, and notes the exemption is at the council’s discretion. Exemption can end when your course ends, which is often before graduation, and there may be a gap between courses.
Getting around: the under-22 bus scheme
If you are under 22 and live in Scotland, you can travel free on most registered local and long-distance bus services with a National Entitlement Card, according to Transport Scotland. Apply at getyournec.scot, which needs a mygov.scot account and a face scan, and allow up to ten working days. Transport Scotland describes the scheme as bus-only, and its page does not say that it covers rail, tram or the Subway. Premium-fare night buses and tours are excluded. Whether a student who has recently moved to Scotland counts as living there is not spelled out on that page, so check with your council if you are unsure.
Where students live in Glasgow
- West End, Hillhead and Partick: the established area for University of Glasgow students, with many shared flats close to the main campus.
- City centre: convenient for Strathclyde and Glasgow Caledonian students, and where many private blocks are.
- Further out: cheaper flats are available with a longer commute, so check the bus or subway route first.
What to check before you book
- Contract length and the total fee, not just the weekly rate.
- What the rent includes: bills, Wi-Fi, laundry and contents insurance.
- Your commute to your own campus.
- Deposit, cancellation terms and any guarantor requirement.
- Safety basics: secure entry, working smoke alarms and a registered landlord. See our student accommodation safety guide.
For help planning other costs, read our student budgeting tips. Comparing other Scottish cities? See our guides to Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen and Stirling, or browse all UK city guides.
What we could not verify
Strathclyde’s 2026/27 rents are not confirmed: the page we could read lists 2025/26 rates. Glasgow Caledonian’s pack also quotes a lower “approx.” range of £133 to £157 a week with no year, which we have not used. We did not find current rents from private purpose-built providers on their own pages, current SPT or ScotRail student fares, or Glasgow Caledonian’s own council tax guidance, so none appear here. Rents and deadlines change, so confirm them with the provider.
Talk to us about your budget and city
Not sure which option suits you or your family? Send us your city, budget and room type, and we will point you to the right guide and the next steps to check. Students and parents are both welcome to ask.
Frequently asked questions
How much does University of Glasgow accommodation cost?
For 2026-27, weekly rates range from £129.92 for a shared room at Cairncross House to £239.40 for a premium studio plus at Havannah House. A standard single is £168 a week, or £6,552 for the year.
Does the University of Glasgow guarantee accommodation?
It guarantees one room offer to new undergraduates who apply by 14 July, are unconditional firm by 25 August and study for the full year. The policy covers 2026/27 entry, so check the page for your year.
How long are University of Glasgow residence contracts?
Most contracts for 2026-27 run from 11 September 2026 to 11 June 2027. Havannah House runs for 51 weeks, to 3 September 2027.
Where do students live in Glasgow after first year?
Most move into shared flats, with the West End, Hillhead and Partick the most common choice for University of Glasgow students. Start looking early and compare commute times.
Do Strathclyde and Glasgow Caledonian guarantee first-year accommodation?
No. Strathclyde’s 2026/27 allocation policy says undergraduates are considered but may not get an offer, and Glasgow Caledonian’s 2026/27 application pack says it does not guarantee accommodation. Strathclyde’s undergraduate deadline for 2026 entry was 26 June 2026.
Do students pay council tax in Glasgow?
Full-time students on a qualifying course are exempt, but students outside halls must apply to Glasgow City Council. Students at institutions outside the UK and the EU do not qualify, according to the council’s page. If you share with non-students, they receive the bill, with a 25% discount if they are the only non-student.
How much deposit can a landlord ask for in Scotland?
Up to two months’ rent, according to mygov.scot (page last updated 1 April 2025). In most cases the landlord must protect it in one of three approved schemes, and cannot charge administration or credit check fees.
Can I leave a Scottish private tenancy early?
Yes, if it is a private residential tenancy: you give 28 days’ written notice, because these tenancies have no fixed end date. Contracts for halls and some purpose-built blocks may differ, so read the terms you are offered.
Sources
- University of Glasgow: undergraduate accommodation fees, 2026-27
- University of Glasgow: undergraduate accommodation policy, 2026/27
- University of Strathclyde: undergraduate accommodation (2025/26 rents)
- University of Strathclyde: accommodation allocation policy 2026/27
- University of Strathclyde: council tax letters
- Glasgow Caledonian University: accommodation application pack, 2026/27
- Glasgow City Council: council tax for students
- mygov.scot: tenancy deposits for tenants
- Scottish Government: private residential tenancy model agreement
- Transport Scotland: under-22s free bus travel
All checked 2 November 2026.
