How living with mates can break your heart and your bank

By Sophie Lee, Third Year, English

You’ve finished your first month at university and you’re ready to start looking for a second-year house! It's with people that you’ve only really known for a couple of weeks but whilst the rental market can feel fun at times, navigating finding somewhere to live can reveal cracks in relationships, as the class divide at university becomes only too real.

A housing survey conducted by Bristol SU revealed that students not only have to deal with the typical issues of exploitative landlords and poor living conditions, but also rent increases are pricing many students out of reasonable accommodation. With the university lifestyle becoming ever more expensive, how are students navigating the twin issues of friendships and financials?

'This can often affect friendship dynamics for the rest of the academic year, as this student went on to say that she felt excluded from her flatmates that had found a house together, as they began planning their decorations and move-in dates.'

Around reading week, it can suddenly feel like every fresher is desperately trying to find people to live with. Some people get lucky and manage to find a group of flatmates, course mates, or society friends to live with easily. But for others, it isn’t just a question of finding people to survive with, but ones that you’re going to enjoy living with for a year (or possibly more). With Bristol being one of the most expensive cities in the UK for living, it can be difficult to find accommodation, and even more difficult to have the initial discussion about finances with potential flatmates. One student Epigram spoke to, detailed how she initially wanted to live with her flatmates from first year halls, but quickly had to back out when she realised that the rent prices they were looking at were far too expensive for her. This can often affect friendship dynamics for the rest of the academic year, as this student went on to say that she felt excluded from her flatmates that had found a house together, as they began planning their decorations and move-in dates.

Some students have the privilege of being supported financially while at university, meaning their priorities when looking for housing are often proximity to campus and bedroom size. However, these students are often blind to the struggles of those that are less monetarily secure. With the rental market reaching a crisis in Bristol, often less well off students are forced to live further and further away. Not only does this have an impact on travel, which can often be a monetary burden (that bus pass isn’t cheap…), but also it can affect social lives. These students have less time to spend with friends before having to get home. Even after you’ve found a group of people to live with, the trouble can still sometimes continue and invade other areas of student life.

For wealthier students at university, it can be easy to forget that accommodation isn’t just a matter of finding somewhere to live. In 2024, 32% of students reported paying between £601 and £700 per month on rent, excluding bills. 37% of students have stated that the cost of their housing has had a ‘significant negative impact’ on their university experience. With more and more students being forced into part-time work to afford living in the city they study in, more should be done about this rental crisis.

Outside of renting, money can lead to many difficult conversations. There are so many preconceived expectations of what the typical university experience should look like. At Bristol this often includes things like: going to the Cheltenham races, going out every Wednesday night, sampling many of Bristol’s famous restaurants, and having pub nights with your mates. However, while socialising is obviously a key part of university life, so many of these options have financial implications, and can provide little to no support for students who want to take part, but lack the money to be able to. Bristol SU offers an Activity Hardship Fund, which allows students to apply for up to £200 per year to enable you to get involved with Bristol SU societies and activities, but these applications are highly competitive, and often do not even cover the initial costs a student is faced with. When societies such as Men’s Hockey and Women’s Rugby can charge over £250 for a year’s membership, many students are simply priced out of university societies. With the University constantly pushing students to join societies, the question arises of how they can justify encouraging students to join societies that they cannot afford, while barely managing to cover basic living expenses? Working class students are consistently allowed fewer opportunities, impacting all aspects of their university experience.

So where do we go from here? Economic differences between friends can often lead to difficulties not only in renting and finding post-first year accommodation, but can also bleed into all aspects of student life. Despite university initially seeming like a level playing field, cities such as Bristol create an economic conundrum for working-class students, as people often have to pick between having a social life they can’t afford, or spending all their free time working. Perhaps it is time to call on the University to provide more support for financially compromised students, ensuring that everyone can enjoy their university experience, regardless of background.

If you’ve been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, feel free to use any of the contacts listed below: