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University of Edinburgh Accommodation Thread for Entry 2012/13

PART 1: OFFICIAL UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH ACCOMMODATION THREAD

Please do not post room numbers in this thread. It is visible to anyone, whether they are a member or not.

Applications are open and you should apply ASAP, even if Edinburgh is only your insurance. http://www.appform.accom.ed.ac.uk/modules/Application.aspx

If you are a new or current student looking for private accommodation in Edinburgh, please see post #2. For links to other threads discussing accommodation in Edinburgh see post #3.

Before posting questions in this thread please read through post #1, post #2 and post #3 to ensure your query has not already been answered! There is also a ‘Search This Thread’ tool at the top of the thread which may well help find your answer.

There are official Facebook groups for every university residence for the academic year 2012/13. Go here to find yours.

The University of Edinburgh owns a vast array of accommodation throughout the city. All properties are managed by Accommodation Services. They are based in the Reception Centre at Pollock Halls, and can be visited in person as well as contacted in a number of ways. See here for contact details.

You can view various maps to see where this official accommodation is located throughout the city here.

You can download the university’s official accommodation guides for September 2012/January 2013 entry here. No guide has yet been published for September 2013, although it’s fair to assume that little will change. Prices should all relate to the academic year 2012/13, but be sure to double check.

Is accommodation guaranteed?

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I’m a Postgraduate - is my accommodation guaranteed?

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So does the guarantee work?

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How do I apply?

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Accepting an offer of accommodation

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Room Sizes

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Internet and Phone

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Residence Life

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Leaving at the end of your tenancy

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Catered or Self-Catered?

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Twin Rooms in Pollock Halls

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Food at Pollock Halls (Thanks to fwapper for this)

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Pricing

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Payment

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Insurance

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Car Parking

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What does the accommodation look like?

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Council Tax

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University accommodation after first year

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See post #2 for details on private accommodation in Edinburgh. See post #3 for handy links to other threads about accommodation in Edinburgh.

Disclaimer:

This post does not represent the views of the University of Edinburgh or Accommodation Services in any capacity whatsoever. The thread is intended to offer information and advice in an informal and personal capacity. Any advice given in this thread by me (or any other poster) is not given in any official capacity as a representative of the University or Accommodation Services. If anything is ever in doubt it is always recommended that you check with Accommodation Services.
(edited 11 years ago)

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PART 2: PRIVATE ACCOMMODATION IN EDINBURGH

Living in university managed accommodation may not suit you, or there may be issues with the supply of accommodation once again this year. So do remember that you do not have to accept the offer of accommodation if you do not want to and there are plenty of alternatives - Edinburgh has a lot of very good flats on offer to students. The following advice is also fully relevant if you are a continuing student looking for new accommodation.

The university’s Accommodation Services offers a fairly handy overview and guide to private student accommodation in Edinburgh here.

EUSA also provide some advice on their webpage, along with a flatfinder. EUSA’s Advice Place is also happy to offer impartial advice on accommodation in Edinburgh.

What do I need to do first?

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I want to join an existing flat

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I want to live in private halls of residence

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Landlords and Letting Agencies

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Finding a flat

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Where should I live?

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Pricing

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Payment

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Council Tax

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Insurance

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Car Parking

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What are the properties like?

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See post #3 for handy links to other threads on Edinburgh accommodation.
Student at University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
PART 3: Conclusion and Useful Links

Conclusion

So there you have it, hopefully the full and comprehensive guide to accommodation, both university owned and private in Edinburgh, that you were looking for. It is quite possible that some important points have been missed out from these posts, so if there is anything that has been forgotten or skimped on, then please go ahead and ask a question below. Edinburgh students past and present will be more than happy to try and answer as best as they can, and share their experiences of living and renting in Edinburgh with you. Many thanks to oxymoronic for her original accommodation thread for entry in September ’09, which is linked above.

And remember, to discuss anything relating to application/entry to the University of Edinburgh in September 2011 apart from accommodation, head over to our stickified and officialised discussion thread.

Here are some handy links that we’ve compiled over the years to other threads - if your question isn’t answered in this thread then maybe it’s in one of these:

Official accommodation thread for entry 10/11

Official accommodation thread for entry 09/10

Official accommodation thread for entry 08/09

Why did you apply for your accommodation/where did you apply 08/09


Where is the best place to live in Edinburgh?

Price of accommodation, artorscience's post in particular

UNITE at Edinburgh

Where to live/prices for after first year

Edinburgh is my insurance choice, do I still apply?


Self catered accommodation = single sex (in general)

Last year’s postgraduate accommodation discussion thread


Detailed stuff:


Pollock meal times

Mini fridge? What to and what not to bring!

Should I bring a TV?

Should I bring my bike?

Where can I buy a bike in Edinburgh?

Can I bring my dog to Edinburgh?

Are there mirrors in the rooms?

To access university account when not on university network - ie from home or private accommodation

Internet and gaming in university accommodation

Postgrad accommodation thread 2010/11

Does accommodation allow dogs?
Reply 3
Is it possible to get a decent 3 bedroom flat for 1050pcm or less that is between George Square and Prince's Street, rather than in Newington or Marchmont etc? My flatmate wants to be more central and my other flatmate and I want to be close to the uni but the first flatmate doesn't want to pay more than 350pcm and I'm struggling to find anything at the moment. I've found loads of flats in Newington but she doesn't want to live there anymore. I'm thinking Tollcross/Grassmarket maybe even Pleasance would suit her in terms of distance from Prince's Street yet still be close enough to George Square.
Reply 4
So just firmed my offer from Edinburgh and as we can all start applying for accommodation as of tomorrow I was just wondering where everyone's thinking of applying? Catered or self-catered?
Reply 5
Original post by Emmie3303
Is it possible to get a decent 3 bedroom flat for 1050pcm or less that is between George Square and Prince's Street, rather than in Newington or Marchmont etc? My flatmate wants to be more central and my other flatmate and I want to be close to the uni but the first flatmate doesn't want to pay more than 350pcm and I'm struggling to find anything at the moment. I've found loads of flats in Newington but she doesn't want to live there anymore. I'm thinking Tollcross/Grassmarket maybe even Pleasance would suit her in terms of distance from Prince's Street yet still be close enough to George Square.


That's a tall order, but not undo-able. Depends on what you mean by decent, of course. A lot of places are OK, but not exactly the lap of luxury. Try Citylets - it collates rentals from across the city. I found one on Broughton Street - List of Flats here

It's at the bottom, three bed, £990 pcm, and very central.
Reply 6
Original post by NeoNerd
That's a tall order, but not undo-able. Depends on what you mean by decent, of course. A lot of places are OK, but not exactly the lap of luxury. Try Citylets - it collates rentals from across the city. I found one on Broughton Street - List of Flats here

It's at the bottom, three bed, £990 pcm, and very central.


Thanks, that's great! I hadn't noticed that before when I searched :smile:. I guess by decent I mean clean, not really dingy and a decent amount of space. We saw a brilliant, huge flat last year that we would have had to pay a lot of money for and it just wasn't worth it, especially when you add on the bills.
Reply 7
I can't decide - it seems like self-catered tend to be single-sex flats and I'd rather die than spend the whole of the first year living with just girls, argh! What about you?
Reply 8
Bonjour all -
From what I can gather it seems that self-catered accommodation in the first year at Edinburgh appears, for the most part, to be single-sex. Just wondering whether this is always true and what people's experiences are of this system - the thought of living with only girls for my first year makes me want to cry but I don't particularly want to live in catered halls.
Thank you!
Reply 9
Exactly the same! I wanted to go self-catered so I could learn cooking skills and buy my own food but I'd really rather not be living with all girls for the first year :| I'm not too bothered about ensuite, obviously I'd prefer it but it's not end of the world if I have to share..
Pollock seems okay, a lot of students in one area, seen mixed opinions on the food.. It's just quite expensive
Ahhh can't decide
The flats themselves are mostly single-sex, but not the entire building. And it's not like you can't have guys in your flat.
Reply 11
Yeah, it's a bit of a walk away from my departments and I can't be arsed to pay that much more for them to feed me - I don't eat regular meals at home anyway. I just don't really like the all-girls flat thing - that's my only qualm. Argh, choices!
Reply 12
Original post by finestory
Bonjour all -
From what I can gather it seems that self-catered accommodation in the first year at Edinburgh appears, for the most part, to be single-sex. Just wondering whether this is always true and what people's experiences are of this system - the thought of living with only girls for my first year makes me want to cry but I don't particularly want to live in catered halls.
Thank you!


Each individual flat will mostly be single-sex. But not each building or block. My floor of my building had one male flat (mine) and two female. Also, in Kincaids court, there is a block of 12 person flats. These are mixed sex.
Reply 13
Pollock is extremely expensive for what you get. The most expensive rooms are £191 a week. Which is almost as much as I pay for my entire flat for a month. The food is OK, but not great. You also don't get lunch.

Self catered is single sex in every flat, but not in every building. It's not overly different from Pollock in this respect - next door you could have a flat of men. Or, in some places, live in a mixed-sex flat.
I have a tangentially-related question. When a self-catered flat is listed as 'single', does that only mean 'single' size or single occupant?
Reply 15
Hmm, do you know the cheapest accommodation in Edinburgh?...and any info about the living expenses please?...I'm an international student who got an offer from University of Edinburgh, but still considering it due to financial problems...just want to know if I can afford...thanks and I wish to hear from you all soon.
Reply 16
Original post by NeoNerd
Which is almost as much as I pay for my entire flat for a month.


Ooh, and I thought my rent was good for a month! Which area are you in that your rent is that low?
Does anyone have any experience of getting university accommodation after first year? I think I'm going to be looking for flats alone as my flatmates have basically decided that they want to live somewhere different to me. I can't find any information on what the university actually offers. Are they studio flats or 1 bedroom in a bigger flat?
Original post by Emmie3303
Does anyone have any experience of getting university accommodation after first year? I think I'm going to be looking for flats alone as my flatmates have basically decided that they want to live somewhere different to me. I can't find any information on what the university actually offers. Are they studio flats or 1 bedroom in a bigger flat?


There's not much around, and due to student numbers that'll stay the same. The number of UG's coming in September is up on last year, and PG's have just been told that they won't be allowed to renew their leases for next year as they need all the space for new students. There's the stuff on South Bridge (above Blackwell's) which is all studio flats. Then there is Blackfriars Street (basically Smart City Hostel leased to the university) which is for continuing students only where you get a single study bedroom with ensuite. I've long thought the studio flats look a bit bleak (and pricey), and Blackfriars Street is just not worth it unless you are absolutely desperate. Personally, I would make some effort to look for a new group to share with before going with the university. Otherwise, have you considered being an RA? They're recruiting now, need lots of them (so if you're not a dunce then you should get the job) and you get 75% off your rent...
Original post by nearlyheadlessian
There's not much around, and due to student numbers that'll stay the same. The number of UG's coming in September is up on last year, and PG's have just been told that they won't be allowed to renew their leases for next year as they need all the space for new students. There's the stuff on South Bridge (above Blackwell's) which is all studio flats. Then there is Blackfriars Street (basically Smart City Hostel leased to the university) which is for continuing students only where you get a single study bedroom with ensuite. I've long thought the studio flats look a bit bleak (and pricey), and Blackfriars Street is just not worth it unless you are absolutely desperate. Personally, I would make some effort to look for a new group to share with before going with the university. Otherwise, have you considered being an RA? They're recruiting now, need lots of them (so if you're not a dunce then you should get the job) and you get 75% off your rent...


Thanks :smile:. I was told ages ago on a visit day that they are snapped up really rapidly. To be honest I think South Bridge is a bit busy for me. I'm not quite desperate yet :p:. There is someone I could share with but they might be moving to a different country next year.

I'm taking an interruption of studies this year because of anxiety and I just don't think I'll be able to handle coming back next year and taking on the responsibility of being an RA. It's a good suggestion to bear in mind for the future though, so thanks :smile:.

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