Student accommodation in Cardiff: rent, campuses and Welsh tenancies
Cardiff is compact: Cardiff University's Cathays Park campus, the University of South Wales city campus and most private student properties sit within a short walk of each other. Cardiff Met teaches further out, at Llandaff and Cyncoed. Rooms start at around £145 a week, and Wales has its own renting law.
Is student accommodation expensive in Cardiff?
Cardiff rents sit well below Bristol and close to Leeds on our pages. Start with the typical weekly rate, then see where the cheap rooms are, what studios and two person flats cost, and what couples or premium renters pay.
How much student accommodation costs in Cardiff
Not by big city standards. Most Cardiff contracts on our pages sit between about £180 and £220 a week, far below Bristol across the Severn. Plan around £200 a week, which means roughly £10,200 over 51 weeks, or about £850 a month, before food and travel.
Cheapest rooms on City Road
City Road, between Roath and the centre, holds some of the lowest rents on our Cardiff pages, with rooms in shared apartments from around £145 a week. Livin is one example, with studios only a little dearer. Shorter 39 week contracts here suit students who go home for summer.
Studio prices in Cardiff
Cardiff studios start at around £150 a week, cheaper than in most big UK cities. Mid range studios of around 20 square metres, with a two ring hob and combi oven, cost about £200 to £220. Higher floors and larger layouts push the price up from there.
Flats for just two students
Some Cardiff flats hold just two people, each with a private room and shower room and a shared kitchen. Canvas The Parade is built around this layout, and its rent has included weekday breakfast. Twodios, where two people share a larger studio, are another option at a few properties.
Can your partner live with you?
Cardiff couples need a property that allows dual occupancy, usually a large studio or a one bed apartment of 30 square metres or more. Some charge per person, so a shared rent can double. Ask for the joint occupancy terms in writing before you pay anything.
Top end studios near Park Place
Cardiff's top end studios cost from around £450 to over £500 a week, mostly around Park Place near Cathays Park. Vita Student Park Place is one example, with king size beds and extras such as dishwashers. Check the contract length, as the top rates often come on shorter terms.
Which Cardiff areas suit Cardiff University students?
Cardiff University teaches mainly at Cathays Park in the city centre, with health courses at Heath Park. This section walks through Cathays, Roath, City Road, Heath, shared houses against managed blocks, and checking a private landlord.
Cathays Park, the main campus
Cardiff University's Main Building stands in Cathays Park, and Cathays station sits in the middle of the campus. The university puts Cardiff Central a 20 to 30 minute walk away, so a room in Cathays or the city centre cuts most daily trips. Check which building hosts your school.
Cathays houses or a managed block?
Cardiff University names Cathays and Roath as popular student areas, where private landlords let shared houses. A managed property gives you one contract, bills included and staff on site instead. Crown Place on St Andrew's Place is a managed option right in Cathays, with studios and flats.
Roath for a neighbourhood feel
Roath, east of Cathays, is a mix of terraced streets, Roath Park and independent cafes along Albany Road and Wellfield Road. Many second and third years share houses here. It is a longer walk to Cathays Park than Cathays itself, but often a quieter street.
Heath Park for health courses
Some Cardiff University courses, mainly in medicine and health, are taught at Heath Park, about three miles from the city centre. Heath High Level and Heath Low Level stations are roughly 20 minutes away on foot. Check your timetable before choosing a room by the main campus.
City Road, between campus and centre
City Road runs from the edge of the city centre up towards Roath, a few minutes from Cathays Park. Several purpose built blocks line it, with apartments that keep the bedroom apart from the living space. City Heights is one example, with one bed apartments on its upper floors.
Shared house checks in Cathays
If you rent a Cathays house from a private landlord, check that the landlord or agent is registered with Rent Smart Wales, as Welsh law requires. Look for working smoke alarms, and ask who handles repairs and how bills are split. A viewing in person, or by video, helps you spot damp early.
Where should Cardiff Met, USW and RWCMD students live?
Cardiff Met teaches at Llandaff and Cyncoed, the University of South Wales has a city campus, and the Royal Welsh College sits by Bute Park. Here we set out each site, the buses that link them and the streets near Cardiff Central.
Living near the Llandaff campus
Cardiff Metropolitan University's Llandaff campus is on Western Avenue, about two miles from the centre. Buses 62, 63 and 66 run from Westgate Street to a stop about three minutes from campus, the university says. A room on the west side of the centre keeps that ride short.
Cyncoed, north of the city
Cyncoed, Cardiff Met's other campus, sits on Cyncoed Road in the north of the city. Service 52 runs there from Customhouse Street, and the M1 links Cyncoed with Llandaff. Heath High Level and Heath Low Level stations are each about 25 minutes on foot. Your timetable decides which campus to live near.
Near the University of South Wales
The University of South Wales teaches in Cardiff at its city campus, home to the Atrium building, near Adam Street and Newport Road. Eclipse on Newport Road Lane is among the student properties within a short walk. It is also close to Queen Street and the station.
Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama
The Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama sits beside Bute Park, on the edge of Cathays Park and a short walk from the city centre. Rehearsals and performances run late, so many students choose a room within walking distance of the college. Ask about soundproofing if you practise at home.
Getting around Cardiff without a car
Cardiff is compact enough that many students walk or cycle everywhere in the centre. Local trains link Cathays, Heath and Cardiff Central, and buses run out to Llandaff and Cyncoed. If your campus is outside the centre, price a bus pass into your budget before you sign.
Near Cardiff Central and Bridge Street
The streets around Cardiff Central, Bridge Street and Tyndall Street suit students who travel home by train or work in town. Newer blocks here sit a short walk from St David's shopping centre and Cardiff Bay buses. It is a longer walk to Cathays Park, so check the route first.
What is different about renting student accommodation in Wales?
Wales has its own renting law, so some rules differ from England. Inside this tab: your contract, safety checks, deposits, January starts, contract lengths and studios for longer stays.
In Wales you are a contract-holder
Under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act, renters are called contract-holders. Welsh Government guidance says your landlord must give you a written statement of the contract within 14 days of the occupation date. Keep it, as it sets out your rights and how the contract ends.
Safety checks your home must pass
Under Welsh rules, your home needs mains wired smoke alarms, and you should receive an Electrical Condition Report within 14 days of moving in. Ask for both if they do not arrive. Report repairs in writing, and keep photos from the day you collect your keys.
Deposits and holding deposits in Wales
A deposit must be protected in an approved scheme within 30 days of payment, Welsh Government guidance says. Holding deposits are capped at one week's rent under the Welsh fees rules. Ask which scheme holds your money and keep the confirmation email until you move out.
Starting in January in Cardiff
Some Cardiff properties take January arrivals on contracts of around 33 or 34 weeks, ending in late August, so you skip the autumn rent. The Fitzalan on Newport Road has offered two bedroom flats this way. Weekly rates often sit close to the full year rate.
Picking the right contract length
In Cardiff the same studio can cost less per week on a long contract yet more overall. At Arofan House on Vere Street, for example, the 51 week option has had the lower weekly rate but the higher total. Multiply each option out before you choose.
Studios at Capital Quarter
Capital Quarter, off Tyndall Street near the centre, has newer studio buildings that suit students who want their own space. Lumis Student Living is one example, with studios of around 17 to 24 square metres. A 51 week contract here also covers a summer dissertation.
よくある質問
Best Student Hallsでは、カーディフにある学生向け宿泊施設を、週あたり£145から17件掲載しています。家賃、光熱費、大学近くの宿泊施設選びに関する情報もご覧いただけます。
Best Student Hallsでは、カーディフの物件を17件掲載しており、スタジオタイプや専用バスルーム付きの部屋などがあります。スタジオタイプには専用の調理スペースとバスルームがあり、専用バスルーム付きの部屋は通常キッチンを共有します。間取り図、家賃、受講期間中の空室状況を比較検討してください。
