The neighbourhoods
Leith & The Shore
GBP 900–1,250 / month for a 1-bedThe old port — the city's best eating, a working waterfront, and now a tram line to the centre
Commute: 15 minutes to the centre on the tram or bus
- Best restaurant scene in the city, with several Michelin stars
- The tram extension to Newhaven transformed the connection
- Better value than the New Town for similar quality
- Prices have risen sharply since the tram opened
- Parts of Leith Walk are still scruffy
- Further from the university and the Old Town
Stockbridge & Comely Bank
GBP 1,100–1,500 / month for a 1-bedGeorgian and Victorian streets along the Water of Leith — delis, a Sunday market and a village feel
Commute: 15–20 minutes to the centre on foot
- Genuinely charming and walkable, with the Water of Leith path
- Excellent independent food shops and a Sunday market
- Close to the Botanics and the Modern Art galleries
- Expensive
- Limited nightlife
- Competitive for the better flats
Marchmont & Bruntsfield
GBP 1,000–1,400 / month for a 1-bedTenement flats overlooking the Meadows, traditionally student territory and now much broader
Commute: 15 minutes to the centre on foot across the Meadows
- The Meadows on the doorstep — the city's best flat green space
- Walk to the university and the Old Town
- Handsome tenement stock with high ceilings
- Heavy student concentration in Marchmont
- August Festival noise and short-let conversion
- Tenement flats often have no lift and no outdoor space
The New Town
GBP 1,250–1,700 / month for a 1-bedGeorgian grandeur — wide streets, private gardens, and a UNESCO World Heritage designation
Commute: Walk to almost everything
- Among the finest Georgian townscapes in Europe
- Central, walkable and beautiful
- Private garden access with some flats
- The most expensive rents in Scotland
- Listed-building restrictions mean single glazing and cold flats
- Heating a high-ceilinged Georgian flat is genuinely expensive
Portobello & Joppa
GBP 900–1,200 / month for a 1-bedA Victorian seaside suburb on the Firth of Forth, with a genuine sand beach and promenade
Commute: 25–30 minutes to the centre by bus
- A real beach twenty minutes from the city centre
- Strong community feel and good primary schools
- Better value than the central districts
- Bus-only — no tram or rail link
- Exposed and windy in winter
- Further from the Old Town's social life
Gorgie, Dalry & Slateford
GBP 800–1,050 / month for a 1-bedWest of the centre — the most affordable inner districts, with the canal and Union Canal towpath
Commute: 15–20 minutes to the centre by bus or on foot
- Cheapest inner-city rents
- Union Canal towpath for running and cycling
- Well served by buses and close to Haymarket station
- Less charm than the Georgian and Victorian districts
- Hearts match days bring crowds to Gorgie
- Housing stock quality varies street by street
How renting works in Edinburgh
Every private let in Scotland since December 2017 is a Private Residential Tenancy: open-ended with no fixed term, ending only when you give 28 days' notice or the landlord establishes one of a defined set of grounds. Deposits must be lodged with an approved tenancy deposit scheme within 30 working days. Letting agents cannot charge tenants fees — that has been unlawful in Scotland since 2012, considerably earlier than in England.
- 1
Understand you are not signing a fixed term
Scotland abolished fixed-term private tenancies in 2017. Your tenancy runs until you end it with 28 days' notice, at any point, for any reason. The landlord can only end it on specific statutory grounds. This is materially better than England's assured shorthold tenancy and it means you are never locked in for twelve months.
- 2
Check the landlord is registered
Scottish landlords must be registered with the local authority, and the registration number should appear on any advertisement. You can search the register online. An unregistered landlord is committing an offence, and it is the fastest quality filter available to you.
- 3
Confirm the deposit goes into an approved scheme
The landlord must lodge your deposit with one of the government-approved tenancy deposit schemes within 30 working days and tell you which. If they do not, you can apply to the tribunal for up to three times the deposit. Ask which scheme, and check you receive the confirmation.
- 4
Do not pay any letting agent fee
Charging tenants a fee for a tenancy has been unlawful in Scotland since 2012. Any agent asking for an administration, referencing or renewal fee is acting unlawfully. Deposits and rent in advance are the only lawful payments.
- 5
Budget Council Tax separately
Council Tax is paid by the occupier, not the landlord, and it is billed separately from rent. Single occupants get a 25% discount and all-student households are exempt, but both must be applied for. Check the property's band before signing.
- 6
Ask what happens in August
Some Edinburgh landlords let short-term over the Festival at several times the monthly rate, and a few structure lets to exclude August entirely. Confirm your tenancy covers the whole year, in writing, before you sign.
Upfront cost
Typically a deposit of one to two months' rent — Scotland caps deposits at two months' rent — plus the first month in advance. Letting agent fees to tenants are unlawful. So around two to three months' rent total, which is considerably less than Boston's or Mumbai's and comparable to most of Europe.
Where to search
Insider tips
- The 28-day notice right is genuinely valuable. It means you can take a flat that is merely adequate while you look properly, without committing to a year.
- Avoid moving in August. The Festival distorts the market, movers are booked out, and the city is impassable.
- Georgian and Victorian flats are beautiful and cold. Ask about the EPC rating, the glazing and what the heating actually costs in January — listed-building rules often prevent double glazing.
- Check the Council Tax band before signing, not after. It varies more than you would expect between similar flats.
- A tenement flat's stair is shared and its maintenance is shared — ask whether there are outstanding common repairs, which can be billed to residents.
- Portobello gives you a beach for less than a central one-bed. The bus commute is the trade.
Avoid these
- Assuming a fixed term exists — Scottish tenancies are open-ended and you can leave on 28 days' notice.
- Paying a letting agent fee, which has been unlawful in Scotland since 2012.
- Not confirming the deposit was lodged in an approved scheme within 30 working days.
- Budgeting rent without Council Tax, which the occupier pays separately.
- Signing a lease that excludes August, or not confirming in writing that it does not.
- Taking a beautiful Georgian flat without asking what it costs to heat.
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.