Oxford’s room rents per month are third highest in the whole of the UK, after London and St. Albans. Oxford averaged a monthly room rent of £823 in the third quarter of this year, according to room and flat finding website Spareroom.
If you are a student in Oxford, rent has probably rented a great deal of space in your thoughts.
No matter which portal you try — Spareroom, Zoopla, Rightmove, all churn out similar room rents, and those are staggering for a student on a modest budget.
An attempt to search for a basic room on Spareroom in the popular Cowley area, showed rooms with rent as low as £450/month, and the highest to £900/month.
However, rents could reach up to £1,100-1,250 if preferences of ensuite bathroom, washer-dryer, proximity to public transport and facilities, inclusion of all bills, council tax, heating, water are included.
Shaline, 21, in the Accounting and Finance Masters course, stays at Champneys Court, which is a partnership hall with the Oxford Brookes University. She pays £700 per month. She moved to this accommodation, after having a unpleasant experience living in a shared house for one year.
“The rooms were not the same size. I had the smallest room and I was paying a large amount. I think I was paying over 700 pounds. The service was really bad. The tables, the study tables and the chairs were not good. I had to constantly go downstairs.
“It was not a safe area. It was down Cowley Road and on that road, there were stabbings.”
Aiden, 23, is living with his partner (who is a student at Oxford Brookes University) at the Harcourt Hill campus. The couple is paying £9, 300 for an 8-month contract (£1,162 per month) for an entire apartment. After searching through various platforms, they found this place through the university lettings support.
“ It (rent) seems pretty reasonable for our location, and also the amenities that it comes with.”
Some other students shared commencing their search for accommodation months ahead of the academic year. They also preferred to live in apartments or independent houses with their friends, and exploring via Unihomes. The average rent with bills range between £600-£700 per month in Headington. For proximity to the university, and amenities provided, they feel they got a fair deal.
Most students recommend, start your room or house hunt early, keep your fingers crossed for luck, be prepared to spend a major chunk of your budget on room rent, and also compromise on one or more aspects— either room size, or location.