The St Andrews student housing guide
Finding a flat in St Andrews is genuinely hard. The town has a population of around 20,000 — and more than half of them are students. Properties let within days of appearing. Here's everything you need to know.
Why St Andrews housing is so competitive
St Andrews is one of the most constrained student housing markets in the UK. The University houses around 4,100 students directly, but with over 10,000 students in a town of 20,000, around 6,000 students must find private housing in a market with very limited supply.
Several factors make it worse:
- A cap on Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) introduced by Fife Council limits the supply of shared student housing
- The rise of Airbnb and holiday lets means former long-term rental properties are increasingly used for golf tourism and short stays
- The town is geographically isolated — Dundee is 14 miles away, and the nearest train station (Leuchars) is a bus ride from campus
The result: properties list and let within days. Students who are not paying close attention to letting agent websites miss out.
When to start looking
This is the most common mistake. Many students don't start looking until spring — by which point the market for the following September is largely gone.
| Period | What to do |
|---|---|
| Oct–Nov (first term) | Form your flatmate group. Decide bedrooms, budget, and area. Set up alerts now. |
| January–February | Critical window. Most agents release annual listings. Have your group ready and alerts active. |
| March onwards | Best properties are gone. Range is narrower, prices may be higher. |
How much does it cost?
St Andrews is the most expensive student rental market in Scotland.
| Property type | Monthly cost |
|---|---|
| Studio / 1-bed | £600–£1,000+ per month |
| 2-bed flat | £900–£1,400/mo (£450–£700 per person) |
| 3-bed flat | £1,000–£1,800/mo (£350–£600 per person) |
| 4–5 bed flat | £1,400–£2,500/mo (£300–£500 per person) |
Utilities are usually not included — budget an additional £80–£120/person/month for gas, electricity, and broadband.
Which letting agents to use
There are six main sources to monitor for St Andrews student properties:
- Lawson Thompson —specialist student agent, most active in the market
- DJ Alexander —large Scottish agent with a St Andrews branch
- Studentpad —University's official private accommodation platform
- Lettingweb —Scottish aggregator
- Standys —St Andrews-focused student platform
- St Andrews Property Lets —local agency with occasional exclusives
Avoiding scams
The St Andrews housing crisis creates conditions for fraud. Students have lost thousands of pounds to accommodation scams. Protect yourself:
- Never pay a holding deposit or rent without viewing the property in person
- Never transfer money to someone you have not met
- Verify the landlord's identity via the Scottish Landlord Register
- Use a reputable letting agent where possible
- If a deal seems too good to be true, it is
Your rights as a tenant in Scotland
Student renters in Scotland have strong legal protections under the Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016. Key points:
- You will sign a Private Residential Tenancy (PRT), which has no fixed end date — you can give 28 days' notice to leave at any time
- Your landlord must give 84 days' notice to end your tenancy (28 days in some circumstances)
- Your deposit must be held in a government-approved tenancy deposit scheme (SafeDeposits Scotland, MyDeposits Scotland, or Letting Protection Service Scotland)
- Your landlord must be registered on the Scottish Landlord Register
The Students' Association offers a free lease-checking service. Use it before signing anything.
Get alerts the moment a flat appears
The best thing you can do right now is set up free letting alerts so you're notified the moment a new property appears — before it's gone.
Set up free alerts →