Staying in student halls for your first year of university is sort of like living in a noisy, messy, but ultimately happy, little bubble. You’re located close to the campus; your bills are pre-paid and you don’t need to deal with landlords or council tax exemptions. But, with the end of the trimester fast approaching, it might be time to start thinking about where you’ll go next and the responsibilities you’ll need to take on. We’ve compiled an area guide to Glasgow’s top renting locations for students, alongside some tips on the important things you should think about once you find your ideal flat.
Dennistoun
Dennistoun is a fascinating area of the city with a wealth of local history and friendly residents from a variety of backgrounds. Located east of the Merchant City and Townhead areas, and around 1.5 miles from the city centre, flats here are an easy half hour walk or ten-minute train journey from GCU. If you’re keen to try life in a traditional Glasweigan tenement at a significantly lower price than over in the west end, this is the spot for you. Most two-bedroom flats here rent for between £500 and £700 per month.
The area offers some of the city’s most underrated eateries and bars. Check out trendy Redmond’s pub, the ever-popular Coia’s Café and Deli, local favourite Drygate brewery and the original Celino’s up on Alexandra Parade. For chill-out days, pay what you want café Stan’s provides delicious homemade cakes and coffee from Dear Green. Alexandra Park’s vast greenery offers spectacular views over the east end and there’s extremely reasonably priced charity shops galore.
Finnieston
Arguably one of the top spots for Glasgow’s younger generations, Finnieston benefits from its location between the city centre and west end. From Finnieston, GCU is a comfortable walking distance at around a mile and a half, but the area is served by both Charing Cross and Exhibition Centre train stations if you have to go further afield. The Hydro is also a ten-minute stroll down the road, making post-gig travel arrangements that bit easier.
Bars, restaurants, cafes and trendy shops are aplenty in Finnieston. The Hidden Lane, a series of studios belonging to all kinds of independent makers, opens its doors to the public from time to time and is conveniently tucked away just behind Argyle Street Tesco. Its café is open throughout the week and is also well worth checking out for its impressive variety of homemade sweet treats. Bear in mind though, living in such a busy metropolitan place comes at a price – most two beds here push a bit closer towards the £1000 mark. However, it is easier to find a three or four-bedroom spot in Finnieston, so if you’re happy to take on a few more flatmates it mightn’t be too costly.
Partick
A little further away from the bustling streets of Finnieston, and less pricey than its neighbouring Hillhead, Partick offers a more relaxed take on the west end lifestyle. At just over two miles from GCU, you should be realistic about whether you’ll find the walk doable on a twice-daily basis, but due to Partick’s wealth of public transport options from Subway to train to bus, it shouldn’t matter too much.
Partick is a practical place to live, featuring a range of cafes, restaurants and supermarkets. Siempre Bicycle Café is a relaxing chill-out spot, Roastit Bubbly Jocks is a local favourite and the charity shops along Dumbarton Road are excellent for afternoon rummaging. For cheap days out nearby, The Hunterian, Riverside Museum and Kelvingrove are all less than 15 minutes’ walk away. Two beds rent at a little higher than Dennistoun here, but like Finnieston the mix of new and older builds mean you’re more likely to bag a flat for more people to keep within budget.
What you need to know
- When looking for privately rented flats, use Rightmove to see what’s out there. The website features flats from a variety of letting agents and allows you to filter searches to price, number of rooms, furnished or unfurnished and more. Most letting agents allow you to directly enquire about a property through the site too, which keeps things simple.
- If you’re looking for a place where more than three people will live, you need to make sure the landlord has an HMO license for the property or you may be liable to pay further costs.
- Go and view a few flats in different areas before making a decision. Ask questions at the viewings. What’s the noise like at night time? Does the flat heat well? When was it last updated? Have there been issues with damp? Questions like these are important – it’s better to know more and move in prepared than know too little and find yourself frustrated once you settle in and discover things too late.
- Do your research before picking an internet provider. Use sites like Money Saving Expert to see if there are any student deals you could be missing. Make sure you arrange for the internet to be set up as soon as possible after you move in, otherwise you’ll find yourself internet-less which is not ideal right after a big move.
- Once you’re moved in, use the Glasgow City Council website to apply for council tax exemption as soon as possible. Leave it too late and you could find yourself stuck trying to prove your student status with a large debt hanging over you.
