Affordable areas to rent near Edinburgh city? 6 August 2016 at 4:38PM edited 6 August 2016 at 5:33PM in Scotland 4 replies 11.5K views

NorthernGal_3

Hello, I am a single woman looking to move to Edinburgh, and I was wondering where the most affordable areas are to rent a flat near the city are? I have looked at the city itself which is quite expensive especially when renting alone! so any suggestions would be very helpful. I would probably be commuting by public transport than driving to the city so this would also be a factor. Looking to spend around 500 pcm if this is realistic (or lower hopefully!)

Thanks

codemonkey

Hi NorthernGal. Rents in Edinburgh can vary depending on the area. Obviously the closer you get to the town centre, the higher the rents, and some areas demand high rents because, status (Morningside, Stockbridge) Luckily public transport is really good. I last rented in town 8 years ago and my rent was £525 for a one bedroom back then.

Honestly, £500 a month isn't going to get you much in the city unless you share, so you'd be looking at outlying areas or slightly rougher neighbourhoods . Areas in East Lothian (Musselburgh), or Midlothian (Bonnyrigg, Penicuik) are probably a good bet for that price as they're served by Lothian buses and not all that far away. In the opposite direction, Broxburn, Uphall and Livingston aren't expensive but are only served by first bus which isn't as cheap or reliable.

If you raise your rent to about £550 the following areas are ok: Gorgie, Broughton, bits of Clermiston, parts of Leith, streets off Leith Walk.

Feel free to PM me if you want to ask about any area. I'm an Edinburgh native and have lived in most parts, including some dodgy bits.

NorthernGal_3

Thanks so much for the reply codemonkey.

I would definitely be open to raising the amount of rent I could spend but it sounds like the outlying areas would be a better bet rather than actually living in the city. I've heard good things about Midlothian and I think reliable transport would be a big part as I'm probably going to give up my car before I make the move. I'll definitely take a look at those suggestions and thank you for the offer to pm as knowing what the areas are really like will be a big factor too but it's always the hardest thing to find out when moving!

indsty

You could even look at somewhere like Dunbar - much further out but good bus and train service into the city.

bettyboo71

Hi, For a one bedroom place on your own, within the city, you are probably looking at closer to £600, if not more. Midlothian is definitely a reasonable option, with decent bus services from Lothian buses, which are much cheaper than FirstBus. West Lothian might be an option if you are commuting to the city centre, because rail links are good. South Queensferry is nice, and Linlithgow is lovely.
I had a quick look on Gumtree and that might be a good idea for you, have a look on there so you can get an idea of what might appeal to you, and come back and ask if you are not sure about any areas.