New Study by UniHomes Reveals Selly Oak as a Student Housing Hotspot

Editor-in-chief, Tamara Greatrix, analyses a new study by UniHomes, which finds Selly Oak to be one of the most sought after areas for student housing in 2026/27

Written by Tamara Greatrix
Editor in Chief for Redbrick and MA English Literature Student
Published
Last updated
Images by UniHomes

A new study by UniHomes has identified Birmingham as one of the most competitive cities for student housing, with Selly Oak dominating the city’s most sought-after student streets for the 2026-2027 academic year.

The study comes as UniHomes seek to understand the most in-demand areas to help ease the pressure of student house hunting.

UniHomes analysed over 7 million listing views on its platform during the 2026-27 letting season (which ran from October 2025 to September 2026) and compared this to the 2025-26 letting season (October 2024 to September 2025) to spot national and city trends and discover the most sought-after student housing locations across the UK.

 

Selly Oak has cemented its reputation as one of Birmingham’s student housing hotspots, with nine of the city’s ten most popular student streets located in the student hub, according to new research by UniHomes. The area’s enduring popularity with students is no surprise. It has affordable housing, it’s extremely convenient for the University of Birmingham campus and it’s a thriving area with plenty of takeaways, shops and a student-exclusive nightclub.

Lian Chambers, Head of Marketing at UniHomes, said “the student housing demand is concentrated so strongly” in Selly Oak, with “four of the five top streets” in the area being positioned back to back. Chambers believes this creates a “really strong student identity and community” which is a unique selling point compared to other cities.

Selly Oak has cemented its reputation as one of Birmingham’s student housing hotspots

Perhaps unsurprisingly to many living in Selly Oak, Dawlish Road is the city’s most popular street. It ranks as the 14th most in-demand student street in the country, with 13,121 total listing views on UniHomes in the 2026-27 letting season. It was also top of Birmingham’s charts last year, showing its huge presence in student housing hunting. Neighbouring Hubert Road and Tiverton Road are close behind, with over 10,000 views each in 2026-27, putting them in the top 30 streets nationally (26th and 27th). All these streets are great options for students who value convenience and affordability.
It’s easy to see why a Birmingham street is the 14th most popular in the country for student house hunters; the city is full of culture, landmarks and opportunities.
While Selly Oak does dominate Birmingham demand, making up nine of the top 10 streets by listing views, Chambers asserts that other parts of Birmingham have great options too.

It’s easy to see why a Birmingham street is the 14th most popular in the country for student house hunters

She added, “It’s important to remember that other parts of Birmingham have great student accommodation options too, and may be less competitive and closer suited to your needs.” The city centre has the added convenience of major national transport links, and Digbeth is a hotspot for student nightlife.

House-hunting doesn’t have to be gruelling, and UniHomes has shared tips to make the process smoother. The only stressful part will be figuring out how you’ll get the traffic cone you picked up on a night out to your new place… Here are their top tips:

  1. The most important thing is don’t panic. Take your time ensuring the people you’re choosing to live with are compatible with your routines. It’s no good living with a night owl if you’re up for hot Pilates and a matcha at 6 am!
  2. Knowledge is power, so be informed. Searching with UniHomes takes out all the admin; you can easily access Birmingham-specific tips to be the first to know when properties go live, how popular specific areas are, and when demand peaks.
  3. Be organised; the early bird catches the worm, after all! Make sure you’ve sorted a guarantor, deposit, who you’re living with and what kind of accommodation you’re after before you start property hunting. This makes the process much smoother for letting agents, and maximises your chances of securing the perfect house for next year!

 

Birmingham students can find more local insights and FAQs about finding student accommodation on UniHomes’ Birmingham page, and read the National Report to see UniHomes complete findings.

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