York student accommodation

York’s two universities sit on opposite sides of the city. The University of York teaches at Heslington, on the south-east edge, and York St John University just north of the centre, beside the city walls on Lord Mayor’s Walk, so where you live decides whether you walk, cycle or take the bus to lectures. Mystudenthalls.com lists 6 properties from 4 providers, with rooms from £225 to £265 a week and bills included. They are private buildings rather than university accommodation, and they sit on the east and south-east side of the centre, between the two campuses. You can take an en-suite room in a shared flat or a studio, and each university also has rooms of its own. Compare the student rooms in York below by price and room type.

York’s two universities sit on opposite sides of the city. The University of York teaches at Heslington, on the south-east edge, and York St John University just north of the centre, beside the city walls on Lord Mayor’s Walk, so where you live decides whether you walk, cycle or take the bus to lectures. Mystudenthalls.com lists 6 properties from 4 providers, with rooms from £225 to £265 a week and bills included. They are private buildings rather than university accommodation, and they sit on the east and south-east side of the centre, between the two campuses. You can take an en-suite room in a shared flat or a studio, and each university also has rooms of its own. Compare the student rooms in York below by price and room type.

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The average price in York is £240 per week
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York COMMON AREA
York GAMES AREA
York Shared kitchen
York Ensuite Bathroom
Student Castle: York
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Student Castle York
Rooms from
£229.00 per week
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Room with gym at Vita Student York
Room with chair at Vita Student York
Vita Student York
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Vita Student
Rooms from
£247.00 per week
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Fusion York
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Fusion Students
Rooms from
£240.00 per week
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Abode, Foxton - Standard En Suite
Abode, Foxton - Standard En Suite
Abode, Foxton - Standard En Suite
Abode, Foxton - Standard En Suite
Abode
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Homes for Students
Rooms from
£235.00 per week
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Room with bed at Waterloo House
Waterloo House
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Prestige Student Living
Rooms from
£265.00 per week
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Classic Studio with bed at Raffles Hall
Classic Studio with bed at Raffles Hall
Raffles Hall
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Prestige Student Living
Rooms from
£225.00 per week

York

York student accommodation at a glance

  • The buildings fall into three areas: inside the walls around Walmgate, just outside them in Fishergate, and along Lawrence Street beyond Walmgate Bar.
  • Starting rents run from £225 to £265 a week. Studios cost more than en-suite rooms in shared flats, and the longest contracts usually carry the lowest weekly price.
  • Contracts for the current academic year run from 12 to 51 weeks, depending on the building and room, and some providers are already taking bookings for 2027/28.
  • Rent covers utilities and internet at these buildings; what else is included varies by provider.
  • The University of York had 22,345 students in 2024/25 on HESA’s count; York St John University is the smaller of the two.

Student housing in York splits into university rooms, which are mostly for first years, and private rooms you can keep in any year of your course.

Private student accommodation or university accommodation?

At the University of York your college is your accommodation. There are eleven colleges split between Campus West and Campus East, and the university guarantees new full-time first-year undergraduates a room if they apply for a single room by its deadline and meet their offer conditions. College rooms for 2026/27 start at £149 a week for a shared-bathroom room on a 40 week contract and £206 for an en-suite room, and the university tells most students to look privately from second year. Students living off campus still belong to a college.

York St John University guarantees a room to new undergraduates who make it their firm choice and meet its application deadlines. For 2026/27 its own rooms run from £132 a week at Limes Court or The Grange on a 44 week contract to £229 for a studio at St John Central on 41 weeks, with City Residence on Haxby Road from £166.

Both universities also place some students in private halls in York. The University of York’s 2026/27 price list includes off-campus en-suite rooms at Abode and Student Castle York, and York St John lists Abode as a partner provider from £208 a week on 48 weeks, below its direct starting price, so a room arranged through a university may be in one of these buildings, on the university’s terms and at the university’s price.

Private student accommodation in York suits second and third years, postgraduates, and first years who missed a guarantee or want a studio. Each provider lets its rooms directly, usually on longer contracts than college rooms, and you choose your building rather than being allocated one.

Cheapest areas for York students

Rents start at much the same level in all three areas, so the bigger difference is what you pay for a studio over an en-suite room, and for a shorter contract over a longer one.

  • Lawrence Street:Raffles Hall on James Street has en-suite rooms from £225 a week, and the shared flats at Vita Student York start at £247. The centre is a longer walk than from Walmgate, though Campus West is closer.
  • Fishergate:Fusion York on Blue Bridge Lane has en-suite rooms from £240 a week on a 46 week contract, and Waterloo House on Fawcett Street is studios only, from £265.
  • Walmgate: inside the walls, Student Castle York has en-suite rooms from £229 a week and Abode from £235, almost level with the two areas outside them.

Heslington, Hull Road, Tang Hall, Fulford and South Bank are where many students rent later in their course. The three areas above are closer in.

Best areas for York students

  • Walmgate: inside the walls, this is where to look for student accommodation in York city centre. Student Castle York is on the street itself and Abode on Percy’s Lane a short walk away. Fossgate, with The Blue Barbakan and Ambiente Tapas, is the street for independent places to eat, and York St John’s Lord Mayor’s Walk campus is a 15 to 20 minute walk across town.
  • Fishergate: a residential stretch south of the walls between Fishergate Bar and the River Foss, with Fusion York by the Blue Bridge and Waterloo House a few streets away. The riverside paths lead into the centre and Walmgate Stray is on the way to Heslington. The southern end of the area, from Blue Bridge Lane down, is in the Environment Agency’s River Ouse at Fulford flood warning area.
  • Lawrence Street: the main road out from Walmgate Bar towards Hull Road, with Vita Student York set back in the grounds of a former convent and Raffles Hall on James Street just off it. It sits on the U1 bus route to the University of York and is the side of the centre nearest Heslington.

Best areas by university

University of York

The University of York teaches at Heslington on Campus West and Campus East, having moved its last departments out of King’s Manor, and Hull York Medical School teaches its York students on Campus West too. Much of the student accommodation near the University of York is out along Hull Road and in Heslington itself, and Lawrence Street is the closest of the three areas to campus. Vita Student York is a 15 to 20 minute walk from the University Library on Campus West and Raffles Hall 20 to 25 minutes, along Green Dykes Lane and University Road. From Fishergate allow 20 to 25 minutes on foot to the same point by Heslington Road, and from Walmgate about 25. Campus East is another 20 minutes or so beyond the library on foot, so most people take the bus there. By bike, Campus West is within 10 minutes of any of the three areas and Campus East within 15 to 20. Our University of York page sorts the rooms by distance to Heslington.

York St John University

York St John University teaches on Lord Mayor’s Walk, just outside the walls on the north side of the centre, and has taken on King’s Manor on Exhibition Square, a few hundred metres away. Walmgate is the closest area, with Student Castle York and Abode a 15 to 20 minute walk from either site through the centre. From Lawrence Street allow 20 to 25 minutes and from Fishergate about 25. York St John students who live out tend to go north, to The Groves, Haxby Road and Clifton; the rooms listed are south and east of the centre instead. Our York St John University page sorts the same rooms by distance to Lord Mayor’s Walk.

Getting around York

Bus times below include the walk to the stop but not the wait.

  • To the University of York: First York’s U1 and U2 run between the city centre and both campuses, and between them come every 7 to 8 minutes during the day. The U1 goes out by Lawrence Street and Green Dykes Lane, with stops opposite Student Castle York and on Lawrence Street, so Campus West is about 10 minutes from Lawrence Street and 15 to 20 from Walmgate. The U3 runs along Fulford Road past Fishergate to Campus East. In term the UN1 night bus runs from Campus East into the centre by Lawrence Street, seven nights a week.
  • Fares: the University of York says travel is free within the campus zone when you tap on and off, and that the zone ends at Green Dykes Lane, so from these areas you pay. The university single fare is £1.60, and First York sells student day, week and month tickets.
  • To York St John: most students walk, as no university bus runs to Lord Mayor’s Walk from these areas.
  • Cycling: York is flat and the surfaced path across Walmgate Stray is the traffic-free way from Fishergate towards Heslington. There has been no public bike hire in York since the e-scooter and e-bike trial ended in 2024.

York station is on the far side of the centre from all three areas, a 20 to 25 minute walk from Walmgate or Fishergate and 25 to 30 minutes from Lawrence Street; the U1 links Lawrence Street and Walmgate with the station. For weekends away, Leeds is under half an hour by train, Newcastle about an hour, Manchester about an hour and a half, and LNER says its fastest trains reach London King’s Cross in a little under two hours.

What is included and the room types

Rent at these buildings is bills included, which means utilities and internet, and some providers add contents insurance, laundry, housekeeping or breakfast. A TV Licence, if you need one, is paid separately, and every room comes furnished.

Shared student flats in York work the same way in each of these buildings, with an en-suite bedroom of your own and the kitchen and living space shared with your flatmates. Raffles Hall, Fusion York, Student Castle York and Abode offer them, and Vita Student York’s shared flats are the same arrangement. Studios give you your own kitchen as well as your own shower room.

What gets called luxury student accommodation in York is the top of the studio range, the larger, top-floor and city-view studios and the twin studios. Vita Student York’s Ultimate Studio is listed at £419 a week on a 51 week contract, and Student Castle York has a twin studio for two from £406 a week. Fusion York, Vita Student York and Abode also allow dual occupancy in selected studios, with a supplement at some. Among these buildings, student studios in York start at £249 a week at Student Castle York and £265 at Waterloo House.

Contracts, deposits and guarantors

From 1 May 2026, most assured tenancies in England’s private rented sector became periodic rather than fixed term. Under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 and the Student Accommodation (Miscellaneous Provisions) (England) Regulations 2026 on legislation.gov.uk, a student letting is not an assured tenancy where the provider belongs to the ANUK/Unipol National Code, so a contract in a member building can still run for a fixed term. The providers here are all on the National Code register, though membership can change, so check before you sign.

  • Contract lengths: contracts for the current year run from 51 weeks down to 12, and Fusion York already shows 2027/28 contracts of 45 and 51 weeks. Raffles Hall and Student Castle York both offer shorter stays of 12, 16 or 26 weeks for a single semester or a placement. A lower weekly price on a longer contract can still cost more over the year: Raffles Hall’s Classic Ensuite is £225 a week over 51 weeks, £11,475 in total, against £235 a week over 26 weeks, £6,110.
  • Deposits: the Tenant Fees Act 2019 covers these student lettings, according to the Act’s definitions on legislation.gov.uk, and GOV.UK guidance caps a tenancy deposit at five weeks’ rent where annual rent is under £50,000 and a holding deposit at one week’s rent. Deposits here run from £99 to £250, and two providers take an advance payment instead. Ask how yours is held; our guide to getting your tenancy deposit back explains what to do at the end of the year.
  • Guarantors: York St John University warns that its partner providers ask for a UK guarantor or a guarantor service, unlike its own rooms. Whether a provider accepts a guarantor service or rent paid upfront varies; our guarantor guide covers the options.

Student life in York

Each university’s students’ union runs its own venues and societies. York SU has The Courtyard in Derwent College and The Lounge in James College on Campus West, and The Glasshouse in Langwith College on Campus East. The colleges also run events for members living off campus. York St John’s Students’ Union building on Lord Mayor’s Walk has its own bar and lounge. For sport, York Sport Village on Campus East has an eight lane pool and a floodlit cycle track, and York St John’s Sports Park on Haxby Road has 3G pitches and padel courts.

From Walmgate and Fishergate the centre is a few minutes’ walk. Shambles Market has a seated food court open every day, and the city walls are open from 8am until dusk if you want a quieter way into town. Rowntree Park, across the river from Fishergate, has tennis courts and a reading café.

Student accommodation in York FAQs

How much does a private room cost in York?

Starting rents run from £225 to £265 a week, with bills included. Studios cost more, and the highest-priced studios cost well over £400 a week.

Is York expensive for students?

Save the Student’s 2026 National Student Accommodation Survey put average rent for University of York students at £572 a month, against a national average of £575, so it sits close to the middle.

Which private rooms are closest to the University of York?

Lawrence Street is the nearest of the three areas to Heslington, with a 15 to 25 minute walk to the University Library on Campus West depending on the building. The U1 stops on Lawrence Street.

Can first years book a private room?

Yes. Both universities guarantee first years a room if they meet the deadlines, but you do not have to take it, and a private room is open to any year of study.

Are these student halls in York run by the universities?

No. They are private buildings, each run by its own provider. The universities do place some students in Abode and Student Castle York, but if you book directly, your contract is with the provider.

What does bills included cover?

Electricity, heating, water and internet as a minimum. Student Castle York and Abode add contents insurance, Fusion York adds laundry and housekeeping, and Vita Student York a weekday breakfast. The property page for each building lists what its rent includes.

Do I pay council tax in a private student flat?

Full-time students can be exempt from council tax. A flat where everyone is a full-time student gets a full exemption from City of York Council; in a private student building the provider often handles the paperwork, but check, as the council needs every occupant’s student status confirmed. A household that mixes students and non-students may still get a bill, with a discount available. Our guide to whether students pay council tax has more.

Do I need a TV Licence?

You need one if you watch or record live television on any channel or use BBC iPlayer, and GOV.UK gives the fee as £180 a year from 1 April 2026. If you need one, your own room needs its own licence; a building’s licence does not cover you.

Can international students book without a UK guarantor?

Often, but not always. Fusion York only asks for a guarantor if you pay in instalments, and other providers accept a guarantor service or rent paid upfront, subject to each provider’s eligibility rules.

Does York flood?

Parts of it do. The Environment Agency’s River Ouse at Fulford warning area covers properties off Fishergate and Fulford Road from Blue Bridge Lane southwards, and the Foss Barrier, upgraded in 2021, protects the streets near the River Foss, including Walmgate. Register for flood warnings for your postcode when you move in.

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