Student Accommodation Options in Bristol

We have a number of accommodation options to suit different lifestyles and budgets. Most are within easy reach of the school, normally a 20-30 minute walk or bus ride.

All of our accommodation options as standard are from Sunday arrival to Saturday departure.

Homestay accommodation
Summer Residential accommodation
Getting around in Bristol
Become a Host Family

Our accommodation officer is always on hand to help you find the best kind of accommodation for your needs and to sort out any issues that may arise.

Homestay accommodation

Most of our students stay in homestay accommodation with a British host and experience UK culture first-hand. We have chosen our hosts because they have clean, comfortable homes near the school and they offer a friendly welcome to our students. We want you to feel like one of the family. This is a great way to help you practise your English in a natural context. We visit all our hosts regularly to make sure the accommodation they offer is of the highest standard.

Our homestays are varied. They include families, couples and single people from a variety of backgrounds. All our hosts are British and English is always the main language spoken. Most hosts live within 30 minutes of the school on foot or by public transport.

All our hosts will:

include you as a member of their family;
show you how to get to school on the first morning;
provide a well-lit space for you to work and somewhere for you to put your clothes;
never host more than four students at a time;
not host students who speak the same first language, unless by prior arrangement.

Students on the adult course (including some 16-17 year olds) will have:

a private room;
breakfast and dinner provided by the host.

Students on the junior course will have:

a room, which may be shared with another student;
breakfast and dinner provided by the host every day, as well as lunches on the weekend;
lunches provided by the school on weekdays;
a bus pass and map to school.

Self-catering students:

live with a host but buy and cook their own food.

Bathrooms:

are likely to be shared – ask your host for the best time to use it;
must be kept clean and tidy by the student – be careful to clear up any water or mess you leave;
may have a limited supply of hot water – try not to spend too long in the shower!

Laundry:

will be provided, though the arrangements may vary between hosts – some may do it for you, and some may ask you to use the washing machine;
is usually one load a week.

Students are expected to:

read and comply with our terms and conditions;
tell us about allergies, dietary requirements or medical conditions when booking so we can best match them with a host;
remember they are staying in a home, not a hotel, so respect hosts’ reasonable house rules;
communicate to hosts when they will be home, as hosts will need to know in advance whether students are eating dinner with them and may worry if they are not home on time;
leave the areas they use clean and tidy;

ask in advance if they can have a visitor, as some hosts may not allow strangers in their home;
be polite – ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ are used frequently and being on time is important in the UK;
communicate worries, problems and reasonable requests to the host or the school so we can help you feel comfortable.

Holidays:

must be booked more than one week in advance;
can only be booked for full weeks;
will be refunded at half the cost of the accommodation, provided you do the above.

Changes to your original accommodation booking:

will be subject an administration fee;
must be booked more than one week in advance – students will pay for the remainder of the week in accommodation fees if they do not give enough notice;
can take several weeks to arrange, depending on the number of special requests and the availability of hosts at that time.

Please note, our hosts are popular and get booked up months in advance, so you may need to move to a different homestay if you extend your booking.

Our friendly staff will:

do all they can to make our students feel happy and supported;
understand that moving to the UK and into someone else’s home is a big change - most of us have experienced living abroad for extended periods of time;
give advice on UK culture and customs to help you get the most from your host;
assist with any miscommunications between yourselves and the host.

Please ask us if there is something you are unsure or worried about. We are here to help.

Carmen, one of our most experienced hosts had the following to say:

"It’s great to see life back to normal and having so many young people travelling and meeting youngsters from other cultures. They’re very fortunate to be able to experience it.

We can’t believe how grown-up, articulate and intelligent they are. I definitely wasn’t when I was their age.

You provide for them such a great and full experience!!

You are always amazing, and the young people we meet make us feel really hopeful and positive that the future of our world is in great hands."

See here for 2022 homestay prices

Summer residential accommodation for adults - Unite | Saturday 17th June 2023 to Saturday 2nd September 2023

Unite House is a modern, comfortable university residence, in close walking distance of the school. IH Bristol rents 'IH Bristol-only' flats for our students each summer. Students from other schools will also be in the same building but in seperate flats. Flats have en-suite bedrooms with shared kitchen facilities. Each flat has approximately 7 bedrooms.

What can I expect?:

Excellent location in the heart of the city centre, less than 2 minutes' walk from Park Street and various shops, restaurants, cafes and bars
2023 price: £227 per week, plus £48 accommodation placement fee (additional nights £35/night)
A 15-minute-walk from our Queens Avenue adults centre (Unite House residence: Frogmore St, Bristol BS1 5NA)
For adults 18 years and older only
Single rooms with private ensuite bathrooms (shower, wet-room)
3/4 bed (this is larger than a single bed) with additional storage space under the matress
Bedding, and 2 towels included
Self-catering, shared kitchen (shared between approximately 7 other IH Bristol students in each flat)
Kitchen equipment included (pots, pans, cutlery, glasses, cups, mugs, plates, bowls and utensils, kitchen tea towels)
Students clean their own rooms during their stay; communal areas are cleaned by IH Bristol cleaning team once per week (we will replace tea towels with clean ones each week)
Laundry facilities available on site (students pay for this on site each time, or use a local laundrette)
Shared communal areas - includes table tennis, table football, American pool, cinema room and access to PS4 & Netflix, quiet study space
Secure bike storage available on site - students can register for this for free
Reception service + 24/7 access to Unite residence emergency contact centre
Free Wi-Fi

Photos below of Unite House from 2022.

For an independent alternative, why not try either of the following local accommodaton providers (18 years+ only):

Clifton Short Lets - private rented rooms, flexible dates, all year

Clifton Short Lets offer private rooms within a 10 minute walk in the heart of Clifton and a five minute walk to IH Bristol on Queens Avenue. They offer a variety of room sizes, with bathroom and kitchen facilities shared between residents.

International House students are able to receive a 10% discount on their rates which include WiFi, bills, council tax and VAT by using the code 'INTHOUSE'.

Only available to students aged 18 years and over, prices start from around £140 per week. Students book direct with Clifton Short Lets (this is not IH Bristol's own accommodation).

To book click here: Clifton Short Lets

Your Apartment - serviced apartments across Bristol

Your apartment provide a variety of serviced apartments located across Bristol. The company provid apartments in the city centre, Temple Meads, near Bristol University and in the famous Clifton Village. Your Apartment offer short-term letting across all of their serviced apartments in Bristol, meaning that you can rent an apartment for as little as two nights to 6 months.

International House students are able to receive a 20% discount on their rates.

Your can find the full list of properties with their specifications: here

List of destinations:

To book click here: Your Apartment

Long Term Apartment Rentals:

There are plenty of real estate agencies in Bristol who will help you find an apartment to rent. Bear in mind that the minimum stay is usually 6 months and you will probably need to pay council tax plus a security deposit .

More information about Council Tax here: http://www.bristol.gov.uk/page/council-tax.

Getting around in Bristol

The best way to get around Bristol is on foot or by bike, but if you prefer to take the bus then First Buses offer an excellent service with student discounts. You can 'pay as you go', or the easiest and cheapest way to buy a ticket is in advance via the FirstBus app. Once bought, the tickets are stored in your app and you must activate each one before using it, so that you can scan the QR code on the bus. Ticket prices as of January 2022 are as follows:

Ticket Type	Single	Day	Week	Month
Child (0-15 years)	£1.10	£2.70	£10.80	£39.20
Student*	£1.50	£3.70	£15	£54.90
Adult (16+)	£2.20	£5.30	£21.50	£78.40

*Note that you do not need to show a student card to buy a student ticket via the app, but you must have it with you if you buy a student ticket on the bus. Your IH Bristol student card will be accepted.

For more information about travelling to Bristol see our helpful guide here

Become a host

Are you based in easy reach of IH Bristol and interested in hosting international students in your home? Find out more information about hosting here or click the button below to enquire

Become a host