U.K. and Ireland - Edinboro Student housing/flat rentals?

A friend's daughter will be attending university there and is looking for roommate situation or a fairly inexpensive flat rental. She is going to be a vetrinarian and a responsible teenager and good student.

Apparently they are having a hard time finding suitable housing and would like to know if you have any suggestions?

Many thanks,

kukukajoo

Has she contacted the University accommodation office? Even if she's not eligible for university-owned accommodation, they can often help direct you towards some reputable sources.

(I would link to the appropriate page, but there are several universities in Edinburgh that may or may not have veterinary schools, so I wouldn't know which to link to...)

FYI: It's spelled "Edinburgh".

My niece spent her first year at Edinburgh Uni in their halls of residence....are all first year students not entitled to that? Anyway it turned out great as it allowed her enough time to settle in after her first time being away from home. It also made it easier to find accommodation with a couple of her fellow students once the year was up.
Should be noted that accommodation in Edinburgh doesn't come cheap....in fact so expensive was it for a decent flat that for her fourth year my brother in law just ended up buying an apartment in Leith for her. Made sense as her mother and father were always going up to see her and spending money in hotels.

She's now qualified in law and starts work in September....pay back time. :)

I imagine the Uni website will have some details regarding first year student accommodation.

A friend's daughter will be attending university there and is looking for roommate situation or a fairly inexpensive flat rental. She is going to be a vetrinarian and a responsible teenager and good student.

Apparently they are having a hard time finding suitable housing and would like to know if you have any suggestions?

Many thanks,

kukukajoo

I believe the Vet School is now situated on the southern edge of the city and consequently I'd suggest focusing on rentals on that side of town - Fairmilehead, Morningside, Pentland areas. These areas are around 5-6 miles from the city centre and the main night life so if your friend's daughter has a car then she might want to stay nearer the centre.

There are a lot of reputable rental agencies and I'd recommend looking at http://www.espc.com - most of the solicitors who have rental agencies as part of their business will advertise in the ESPC.

I believe the Vet School is now situated on the southern edge of the city.
It's not in the city at all - it's south of the City Bypass and hence outside the city boundaries. Your suggested areas are not the best options as the bus service is infrequent. I'd look at places on the A701 - Cameron Toll, Liberton, Newington which not only are "normal" student areas but have more frequent bus services connecting them to the campus

http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/vet/about/location

Thanks everyone and sorry for the misspelling, was having a brain fog day yesterday and I do know how to spell it properly...

I will pass along the links and I believe its the University of Edinburgh?

It is.

They should also have a student accommodation office, which also maintains a register of private but vetted rental and lodging places.

The other place to search is http://www.citylets.co.uk/ - they do a number of flatshare situations.

HIDDY, not all first years get university accommodation places - there just aren't enough. That said they are prioritised to people from furthest away. But I was declined a place in any of them, despite not being from Edinburgh.

Here's the UofE accommodation services page, but I would hope they've made themselves known already
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/accommodation-services/new-prospective

HIDDY, not all first years get university accommodation places - there just aren't enough. That said they are prioritised to people from furthest away. But I was declined a place in any of them, despite not being from Edinburgh.

Yes I can imagine places are limited.....definitely worth applying even if it's just to put her parents minds at rest.
My niece had a bit of a sheltered upbringing so that first year in the halls of residence helped her adjust being away from home. Hard to believe she's 25 now. :eek:

FYI: It's spelled "Edinburgh".

:D

Thanks everyone, I will pass on the suggestions to my friend. I am sure they will come in handy.

I also still have a car there (automatic, too) that if she would like, she can have. May help her get around a bit, I hope.

A lof of information I have learned here (and some other places) I will pass on that I hope will make her stay more econimical and better in many ways for her. It was definitely a learning experience for me to go there for a few months, and I am happy that I can help, as people have helped me.

Thanks again, and any more ideas, please keep them coming!

I also still have a car there (automatic, too) that if she would like, she can have. May help her get around a bit, I hope.

Thanks again, and any more ideas, please keep them coming!

Not really! The buses in Edinburgh are more than good enough, and as a student, she can get a Ridacard (good for all the buses you can eat on Lothian Buses (and their Airlink service) at £40 for 4 weeks. Great value! And much less hassle than Edinburgh parking and the general traffic situation. ^

Not really! The buses in Edinburgh are more than good enough, and as a student, she can get a Ridacard (good for all the buses you can eat on Lothian Buses (and their Airlink service) at £40 for 4 weeks. Great value! And much less hassle than Edinburgh parking and the general traffic situation. ^

Thanks, this is good to know. She can also get a National Rail student card.

I will pass on the tips from here and things I learned from my stay in East Anglia.

She can also get a National Rail student card.
It's not actually a student card - but a 16-25 railcard. Anyone between 16 and 25 (inclusive) can get one, as well as full-time students of any age.

One of the big banks often offers a free 5-year railcard for people who sign up for their student account, which is a very good deal. It's normally RBS, but they've not yet announced what incentive they're offering this year. It would be worth keeping an eye on http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/students/Student-bank-account nearer the start of term time to see what's available.

Yes, that is the card I meant! I should have been more specific as I am a student and have one and not even close to the 25 upper tier, my twin daugters are 25 though! The gentleman at the ticket counter at the local staion I used frequently always teased me about this.

I love MSE!! Great resource and that is one site I will be passing along. It helped me greatly not only saving money but in understanding banking there and other nuances that are very different. I had previously been under the impression that UK residents were not so into savings as Americans can be, but it seems just that coupons (vouchers) are a little less common but frugality and living without waste is very alive and well. Americans could learn a lot from the British on this actually IMO.

Are student bank accounts as hard to obtain for international students as they are for international residents? I never did get one whilst there and just used my boyfriends and my accounts here in the USA.





It's not actually a student card - but a 16-25 railcard. Anyone between 16 and 25 (inclusive) can get one, as well as full-time students of any age.

One of the big banks often offers a free 5-year railcard for people who sign up for their student account, which is a very good deal. It's normally RBS, but they've not yet announced what incentive they're offering this year. It would be worth keeping an eye on http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/students/Student-bank-account nearer the start of term time to see what's available.