Student accommodation in Holylands, Belfast

As Belfast student accommodation in the Holylands is just a short walk away from the Queen’s University Belfast campus, the area is extremely popular with students.

While there is some crime in the area, as long as you take sensible precautions like walking with friends after dark and properly securing your accommodation when you leave, you should feel perfectly safe living in Holylands student houses.

The Holylands is an area in inner-south Belfast, to the south of Belfast city centre, and bordering the River Lagan and Queen’s University Belfast.

The Holylands is an excellent place to live, with a convenient location close to the university campus, efficient transport links, close proximity to the botanical gardens, and plenty of pubs and restaurants to enjoy. As a result, student accommodation in Belfast’s Holylands is in high demand.

Queen’s University Belfast has several halls of residence on or close to the campus. Typically, students will live in halls in their first year before moving into private student houses in the Holylands and the surrounding areas for the rest of their time at university.

As there are four universities in Belfast, there isn’t one specific area where students live. Typically, they will live in student accommodation in the Holylands, Belfast city centre, Queen’s Quarter, and Stranmillis.

Many student houses in the Holylands are now advertised with bills included in the price. Where this is the case, your rental price could include electricity, gas, internet, TV licence and water bills and this is clearly stated on the listing. Properties without bills included are also available, giving you the flexibility to choose your own energy and water suppliers and internet service provider.

It is normal for property managers to require you to pay a security deposit at the time of booking or before you move in. Where a deposit is required and you are signing a tenancy agreement, your property manager must protect your deposit in a legally recognised tenancy deposit scheme. As long as you look after the property and have no deductions for damage or unpaid rent, your deposit will be returned to you after your tenancy agreement ends. Whilst tenancy deposits are legally capped at five weeks' rent per person, it is more common for student deposits to be in the lower £100-250 range.

The majority of student accommodation in the Holylands can be rented for fixed contract lengths. For purpose built student accommodation, 43 and 51-week fixed-term contracts are the most common. For shared houses, 52-week contracts are the most common and generally start in July to September.

Short-term student rentals in the Holylands are becoming more popular every year. As a result, property managers are increasingly offering shorter tenancy lengths, whether for the summer period or for individual semesters and terms. This is more common in the purpose-built student accommodation sector than in shared student rental houses across Belfast.