Most first-year students in Leeds live in university or private halls, then move into shared houses in Hyde Park, Headingley or Woodhouse. For 2026/27, the University of Leeds lists its small residences at £122 to £165 a week with a shared bathroom and £168 to £191 with an en suite, on a 42-week contract. Leeds Beckett halls run from £143 to £251 a week on contracts of 44 to 45 weeks. First-year applicants who accept Leeds as their firm choice should apply by 1 July.
Prices and dates come from the universities’ own pages. Rents change every year, so check the current 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 Rates change daily, so we do not publish rupee figures.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 Leeds accommodation and rents
The university’s small residences page lists rents for 2026/27 on a 42-week contract, which may be slightly shorter for some rooms because of refurbishment or vacation lettings.
| Room type | Weekly rent | Total for 42 weeks |
|---|---|---|
| Shared bathroom | £122 to £165 | £5,124 to £6,930 |
| En suite | £168 to £191 | £7,056 to £8,022 |
That page covers the smaller residences only: mostly houses around the main campus on Clarendon Place, Clarendon Road, Lyddon Terrace and Springfield Mount, where bedrooms share bathrooms, plus North Hill House in Headingley, where every room is en suite. It gives no price per building. Larger halls have their own pages.
Leeds Beckett halls and rents for 2026/27
Leeds Beckett publishes weekly rents on its rent prices and contract dates page. Totals are weekly rent multiplied by contract weeks; they are our arithmetic, not the university’s.
| Residence and room | Weekly rent | Contract | Calculated total |
|---|---|---|---|
| iQ Leeds, ensuite | £143.00 | 44 weeks | £6,292 |
| Mill Street, ensuite | £179.00 | 44 weeks | £7,876 |
| Arena Village, Silver | £185.00 | 44 weeks | £8,140 |
| Carnegie Village, Townhouse Standard Plus (shared bathroom) | £186.50 | 45 weeks | £8,392.50 |
| Carnegie Village, Townhouse Studio | £245.00 | 45 weeks | £11,025 |
| Arena Village, 1 Bed | £251.00 | 44 weeks | £11,044 |
Contracts start on 12 or 13 September 2026 at most sites and end between 16 and 25 July 2027. The Carnegie Village page lists general full-year rent instalments on 9 October 2026, 15 January 2027 and 23 April 2027, which may vary by site. Leeds Beckett’s how to apply page says booking usually opens in spring, that Leeds Beckett must be your firm choice if you apply through UCAS, and that you can cancel before moving in at no cost, with any £200 advance rent returned within 28 days. It gives no fixed deadline.
Comparing the two universities’ costs
Contract length changes the comparison. By our arithmetic, the cheapest University of Leeds small-residence room (£122 a week for 42 weeks) totals £5,124, and the dearest (£191) totals £8,022. Leeds Beckett’s cheapest listed room (iQ Leeds, £143 for 44 weeks) totals £6,292, and its dearest (Arena Village 1 Bed, £251) totals £11,044.
That is £1,168 more at the cheap end for Leeds Beckett: £21 a week more, over two extra weeks. The comparison is not like for like: the University of Leeds figures exclude its larger halls, and Leeds Beckett’s price list has other tiers (Gold, Diamond, Platinum) it does not tie to buildings.
How and when to apply
The University of Leeds deadlines page describes an application window of 1 November to 1 July for September accommodation. It names no year and mentions no guarantee, so read the allocation rules on the university’s site.
- By 1 July: new first-year undergraduates who have accepted Leeds as their firm choice, plus exchange students starting in September and international-fee postgraduates starting in September or October.
- By 31 August: applicants whose Leeds offer was an insurance choice that has since become firm, and applicants who accepted a place through clearing.
- Allocation: unconditional offer holders are allocated rooms between 16 July and 1 August. Conditional offer holders are allocated once their offer becomes unconditional.
Where students live in Leeds
- Campus area and Woodhouse: the university’s own houses on Clarendon Place, Lyddon Terrace and Springfield Mount are within walking distance of the main campus.
- Hyde Park and Headingley: the best-known student areas in north-west Leeds, with many shared houses. North Hill House, a University of Leeds residence, is in Headingley.
- City centre: private purpose-built blocks, mainly studios and en suites near the train station.
Getting around: shuttle, buses and rail
If you live in Leeds Beckett accommodation, a free shuttle links its City and Headingley campuses. Leeds Beckett’s public transport page (last updated 12 October 2026) says it runs Monday to Friday in term time, not on bank holidays, on these 2026/27 dates:
| Term | Shuttle runs |
|---|---|
| Autumn | 21 September to 18 December 2026 |
| Spring | 11 January to 2 April 2027 |
| Summer | 19 April to 21 May 2027 |
For buses, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority announced on 1 September 2026 that 19 to 25-year-olds and full-time students over 25 can buy termly, academic-year or calendar-year MCard bus-only tickets covering any service, and says a first-term ticket saves over £50 against weekly tickets. Its MCard page says you may need a 19-25 or Student PhotoCard, and full-time mature students must carry one. Leeds Beckett also points students to the 16-25 Railcard, a third off UK rail fares.
Council tax for students in Leeds
Full-time students can apply to Leeds City Council for a student discount or exemption, and one online application covers every student at the property. The council defines a full-time course as lasting at least a year, requiring an average of at least 21 hours a week of study and running for at least 24 weeks in the calendar year. It cannot award a discount if the household includes two or more non-students or part-time students. Keep any exemption notice it sends.
Deposits and fees in a Leeds private let
For private lets in England, GOV.UK guidance on the Tenant Fees Act 2019 caps a tenancy deposit at 5 weeks’ rent where annual rent is under £50,000, and a holding deposit at 1 week’s rent. Landlords must protect your deposit in a government-approved scheme. On a room at £120 a week, the most a landlord can ask as a deposit is £600.
What to check before you book
- Contract length and total cost.
- What is included: bills, Wi-Fi and contents insurance.
- The commute to your campus (our halls versus private housing guide weighs the trade-offs), and whether a shuttle or bus ticket covers it.
- Deposit, cancellation terms and any guarantor requirement. See our checklist.
For other costs, read our student budgeting tips. Other northern cities: Manchester, Sheffield, Newcastle and Birmingham, or browse all UK city guides.
What I could not verify
The University of Leeds deadlines page names no year, and I could not reopen it on this check. I found no guarantee terms for either university and no prices for the University of Leeds larger halls. The only Leeds Trinity rent table I found was labelled 2024/25 and did not name the university, so I left it out; I found no 2026/27 rents for Leeds Arts University. The MCard pages gave no clearly dated student ticket prices. Private provider rents were not checked, and Leeds Beckett’s Plaza rents are omitted because that page mixes 2025/26 and 2026/27 dates.
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 Leeds accommodation cost?
For 2026/27, the university’s small residences cost £122 to £165 a week with a shared bathroom and £168 to £191 en suite, on a 42-week contract. That is £5,124 to £8,022 for the year.
When should I apply for Leeds student accommodation?
New first-year undergraduates who have accepted Leeds as their firm choice should apply by 1 July. Insurance and clearing applicants have until 31 August, and the window opens on 1 November.
How much are Leeds Beckett halls?
For 2026/27, Leeds Beckett lists weekly rents from £143 for an en suite at iQ Leeds to £251 for a one-bed at Arena Village. With contracts of 44 to 45 weeks, yearly totals run from about £6,300 to £11,000 by our calculation.
Is there a free shuttle between Leeds Beckett campuses?
Yes, Leeds Beckett runs a free student and staff shuttle between its City and Headingley campuses, Monday to Friday in term time. The 2026/27 term dates are in the table above.
Can students get cheaper bus travel in West Yorkshire?
Yes. The West Yorkshire Combined Authority says 19 to 25-year-olds and full-time students over 25 can buy discounted MCard bus-only tickets by term, academic year or calendar year. Check the MCard site for current prices, as I could not verify dated student fares.
Do students pay council tax in Leeds?
Full-time students can be exempt, but you must apply to Leeds City Council. The council cannot award a discount where two or more people in the household are non-students or part-time students.
How much deposit can a Leeds landlord ask for?
In England, the cap is 5 weeks’ rent when annual rent is under £50,000, according to GOV.UK. A holding deposit is capped at 1 week’s rent, and your deposit must be protected.
Sources
- University of Leeds, small residences (2026/27)
- University of Leeds, accommodation deadlines
- Leeds Beckett, rent prices and contract dates (2026/27)
- Leeds Beckett, Carnegie Village (2026/27)
- Leeds Beckett, how to apply
- Leeds Beckett, public transport (updated 12 October 2026)
- West Yorkshire Combined Authority, MCard news (1 September 2026)
- West Yorkshire Combined Authority, 19-25s and students MCard
- Leeds City Council, student council tax
- GOV.UK, Tenant Fees Act 2019 guidance for tenants
All checked 4 November 2026.
