14 Best Student Accommodation Websites to Find Your Home Abroad

Dorothy said it best: There’s no place like home.

Whether you are looking for roommate-matching platforms, solo studios, shared flats, university dorms, or homestays, there is a website just for you to ease the process of securing accommodation abroad. Long gone are the days of showing up in unmarked student housing buildings in tucked-away university corners; take comfort in having the power of internet filters and friendly chat platforms to arrive on location to exactly what (and who!) you want.

Our favorite student accommodation websites

1. Spotahome

Find your dream apartment in Europe with Spotahome!

Spotahome is a 100% online booking platform, offering an exhaustive list of apartments, rooms, studios, and student residences in 100 cities around Europe. The Spotahome experience removes the need for in-person viewings, saving both tenants and landlords time and expense as Spotahome verifies the apartments for you via Home Checkers. There are real, authentic photos and high-quality videos of the home and neighborhood, as well as floor plans and detailed descriptions about the home and local area. Save time, energy, and money with Spotahome!

• Pros: Fully online process. Visits included, verified rooms and apartments, comprehensive listings with honest photographs, videos and descriptions, safe payments, fraud protection, flexible cancellation policies, and great customer support.
• Cons: Only present in Europe and minimum stay of one month. 

2. Uniplaces

Uniplaces is perfect for easy access to study abroad housing options.

Started in 2013, Uniplaces soon became the most-used international student housing option in Europe. While they claim to want to offer the most personalized experience to every individual, filters seem basic and there is not much offered beyond a simple room. Not so many matching options (some houses seem to rent out multiple rooms, so there is not really a way of knowing who you will end up with), but lots of users, so lots of options. We think that this was probably one of the first platforms of this sort, so it has one of the largest user followings, but some of the newer websites actually seem more accessible and friendly to use. Then again, there is definitely advantages to cited as a reliable service in various leading publications throughout the continent.

• Pros: Simple interface, minimal requirements for navigation/use, very fast communication with customer service, widespread usage, reputable name.
• Cons: Only available in Europe, some search glitches experienced/reported (trouble loading pages), limited landlord interaction prior to arrival, higher service fee than others.

3. University Living

Find Student Homes, tailored to your vibe in 515+ Global Cities

University Living is a global student housing marketplace that brings you the comfort of home across borders. Find & book an accommodation that matches your vibe in minutes. Their properties are managed by professionals, vetted by experts, equipped with modern amenities, located close to universities, and have all-inclusive bills- so no extra bills! Get access to the best offers in 2 Mn+ rooms across the world & a chat with experts feature. What’s more? Their services go beyond accommodation. Think of them as your personal study abroad concierge who’ll help you through every step of your journey.

• Pros: Instant booking, offers student housing/private apartments/homestays, Price match guarantee, Search - Compare – Book feature, 360° view & virtual tours, 24/7 assistance, referral offers 
• Cons: Students have to book as early as possible, as rooms get sold out quickly.

4. AmberStudent

Browse thousands of rooms on AmberStudent with one click!

AmberStudent is a one-click platform that includes over 150K+ rooms across the UK, over 200+ luxury residences in Australia's upscale neighborhoods, and countless properties in major academic hubs worldwide, like the United States, Ireland, and Germany. Their catalogue includes private studios, shared en-suites, and various single and dual occupancy rooms near major educational institutions in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and beyond. They provide students worldwide a complimentary, hassle-free, 24/7 end-to-end service and a free cancellation policy explicitly designed to assist students during the Covid-19 situation. They've also partnered with various service providers (forex, luggage transfer, airport pickup/drop, international SIM, and so on) to assure our students' comprehensive well-being.

• Pros: Easy to use user interface, prompt and courteous customer service, a strong referral from former customers, an online platform for numerous student benefit solutions, free cancellation policy, and a significant catalogue of properties to choose from.
• Cons: They have a large number of properties in the United Kingdom, but they are still working on expanding their operations to the rest of Europe.

5. Homelike

Looking for your dream apartment in NYC?

Homelike is an online booking platform for monthly rentals of furnished apartments. With 100,000+ apartments in 500+ cities, they cover both the European market and New York City! Homelike is suitable for students, digital nomads, and other people on the move who are in need of accommodation from one month onward, with flexible move in and move out dates. With no extra customer fees (except in Spain) and all the utility costs already included in the rent, they make sure everyone can find suitable accommodation in a fuss-free way! 

• Pros: Instant booking, online payment, pet friendly filter, and a selection of free cancellation and deposit-free listings.
• Cons: They have not yet expanded to Portugal and Italy.

6. Study Abroad Apartments

Find accommodation abroad with Study Abroad Apartments

Study Abroad Apartments offers most of the study abroad housing options: dorms, complete apartments, shared flats, even roommate arrangements. It’s nice that you can search solo or as a couple, and the map feature of results is helpful in understanding exactly where your new house will be. What is really cool is that there are local representatives in SAA’s listed cities, so there is always someone local to chat with (go ahead and ask for the hippest neighborhoods, about transportation options, and for the best café in town), both before and after the booking process. While there is a limited number of cities, this would be a super easy option for international student housing if it gets more listings!

• Pros: Efficient live chat, nice page layout, roommate finding service, local knowledge rep, verified listings, all listings come fully furnished, “Only for couple” filter option
• Cons: Only in 13 cities, most of the listings seem a bit pricier than other sites  

7. Housing Anywhere

Check out study abroad housing options through Housing Anywhere!

Starting out as a subleasing platform on which exchange students could let out their own rooms while going to study abroad, Housing Anywhere has soon grown to be one of the biggest names of study abroad housing options. Its large user base and extensive coverage (in over 400 cities across the globe) means that there is plenty of current traffic to wade through- for once, a good thing! It collaborates with over 130 universities, so they’re pretty legit, and there are plenty of different accommodation options (rooms, studio apartments, etc.).

• Pros: Super fast & friendly customer support (who wants dozens of template e-mails as replies?), large and trusted user base, lots of filter options, easy to use, 48 hour safety cancellation policy, nice map view of listings.
• Cons: Service fee to ensure scamless bank transfers (but that’s not such a bad guarantee when dealing with a lot of foreign money, or?), not so many options in all countries 

8. Uhomes

Find hundreds of student apartments on Uhomes.

Uhomes is the largest marketplace for student accommodation in the world, listing more than 2 million beds in over 500 cities worldwide. Whether you’re looking for a shared flat or a private studio, you can find your ideal student home on Uhomes. Their easy-to-use filters let you find a room for your specific needs and budget. With the map function you can see which housing options are close to your university, or in a part of town you’d like to live in. Uhomes is dedicated to making your global student experience unforgettable! No matter where in the world you're studying, they can help you book across borders and regions with ease. Say goodbye to the stress of searching for student housing, and hello to the adventure of a lifetime!

• Pros: Virtual reality property viewing, detailed floor plans, special cash back and gifts, and expert customer assistance.
• Cons: Not all listings provide on-site verification, and some properties lack visible reviews from previous occupants.

9. Home & Co

Home & Co offers beautiful and modern living spaces in Germany, Portugal, and Spain

Home & Co offers more than just a place to live. Their goal is to make students' lives as easy as possible with simple and comfortable booking. They offer modern, fully-furnished residences throughout Germany, Spain, and Portugal. Rooms are equipped with comfortable beds, spacious desks, ergonomic chairs, shelves, wardrobes, and private bathrooms. Home & Co aims to foster a sense of belonging, with dynamic communal areas for communication and exchange, as well as private spaces for peace and tranquility. 

• Pros: Fully furnished residences, co-working spaces, and 24/7 on-site management for safety and assistance.
• Cons: Only based in three countries in Europe and limited options/availability.

 10. Roomi

Roomi can help with international student housing.

If you wanna start your study abroad experience with new BFF’s, Roomi is a great way to do so. While it is only for those that don’t mind sharing a flat (or room) with others, the amount of housing filters and opportunities to find the perfect vegan yoga guru are quite impressive (this list goes all the way down to pet type filters, in-unit washers, and wifi connection types). The ability to connect directly with other users is super fast, simple, and efficient, so you don’t need to wait for long and awkward “you’ve been matched!” results; you decide who you want to be friends with. Seems great for friendship, as well as real estate.

• Pros: Very welcoming website design (great balance between chic and effective), in-depth roommate matching process, easy to review house rules and amenities at a glance, 24/7 customer support, live blob, cute user videos, awesome chat service for new (potential) roommates, good duration filter (instead of exact dates, you can pick general “short-”, “medium-”, or “long-stay” options)
• Cons: Not many cities (yet, but it seems to be growing constantly), only shared housing options, automatic connection to Facebook profile (for those wanting more privacy…), pay for background checks (optional) 

11. 4stay

4stay, bay-bay!

With over 100,000 listings in cities all across the globe and close to over 3,000 major universities, 4stay has a lot of different study abroad housing options once you really start to scroll down (because the initial homepage view made me feel like something cold and inaccessible). There are lots of thorough reviews by both study abroad students and interns, and they have been featured in a lot of reputable publications (Forbes, Washington Business Journal, etc.), which gives them credibility and a big dash of professionalism. The webpage was founded by former study abroad students, so they kinda know exactly what is most of a hassle when searching for accommodation abroad, but they also have an interface and user base that seems more professional than just college fish. Furthermore, they have been backed by the same Silicon Valley investors that initially financially supported Dropbox and PayPal, so it should go on to be great by the laws of some logic or another.

• Pros: Insurance guarantee, no deposit required, flexible cancellation options, different housing options, lots of legit business partnerships, various housing options, enthusiastic customer service reviews, various housing types.
• Cons: Repeated page loading errors for advance search (maybe current maintenance?), limitations in date searching.

12. University Rooms

You can use University Rooms to find accommodation abroad.

The concept of University Rooms is that empty dorm rooms are rented out, with availability mostly during summer months, but also during the academic year. This provides people (not just students) the option to stay in otherwise-empty college dorm rooms: shared rooms, single, studio apartments. This sounds like a valid option for college activities or visits, especially with a large groups, for shorter visits abroad. While the design is kinda serious and not so welcoming, this is an alternative in student accommodation websites in that it caters strictly to university campuses.

• Pros: Guaranteed cleanliness, possibility to stay in campus-lodgings even if you are not a student, large group options.
• Cons: No off-campus accommodation options, based mostly in the UK, kinda box-y layout, very limited result options for more cities, mostly short-stay options.

13. Homestays

Gain a second family to love while abroad.

Mi casa es su casa. For the most authentic accommodation abroad option, Homestay offers… well, authentic homestay experiences in over 160 countries across the globe. What is really cool is that you can filter by the type of host that you are interested in (pet lover, yoga teacher, spot fanatics) or housing type (historical house, downtown location, “weird & wonderful”). This is also a good choice for those seeking real connections with locals (cue hip lingo and delish meals), and time periods are very flexible since it is not catered solely to students. In addition, there is an option for an “insider travel tips” mailing lists, which sends travel inspiration and featured discounts straight to your inbox. For those looking for the bundle experience in addition to just four walls, this seems the best bet.

• Pros: Great concept for local housing options, cultural immersion opportunities, extensive listings in various countries (and some very off-the-grid),
• Cons: Several reviews about less-than-great conditions, so maybe verification process is not so strict. Obviously, only homestay options. Technical issues with the app, some complaints about (lack of) customer service.

14. Facebook/”Craigslist” Page

Good ol' Facebook could come in handy while searching for study abroad housing options.

Maybe the least professional and guaranteed, but also one of the easiest to use (and fastest transaction options). There is usually a local page for Apartments/Rooms to Rent in (Insert City name here) on Facebook or the country’s equivalent for Craigslist (finn.no, gumtree.com, etc.), and direct communication with those posting the ad is always nice. While you cannot filter through anything and it’s up to you to check constantly and use your noggin to see if posts seem legit, the lack of a third party makes this option a nice change of rhythm. Just be sure that all contracts and agreements made offline follow local guidelines and give you some sort of guarantee as well. However, since there is no fee for tenants, there are lots of options listed on these two sites that don’t make it to the “fancier” student accommodation websites.

• Pros: Lots of options, updated on a daily basis, direct communication with host, availability to see place before committing (if searches made locally)
• Cons: No guarantee, need to update results constantly, no filter for dates or accommodation types

Find your home sweet home—abroad

Home is where the WIFI connects automatically.

With these great sites, international student housing options are basically as simple and fun to browse through as AirBnb. And even better: they are created especially for you, confused and excited student, so they focus on taking away all the doubts and hassle out of the house hunting.

Now that accommodation abroad is just another fun step in the process, enthusiasm for study abroad can be back in full throttle. Whether it is Kansas or Amsterdam that you are relocating to, get ready to say home, sweet, home in whatever new language you are about to tackle!

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