For a student from England on the maximum 2026/27 Maintenance Loan, rent of £180 a week on a 44-week contract takes about 73% of the £10,830 loan outside London, and about 56% of the £14,135 London loan. At £220 a week on a 51-week contract, rent costs more than the whole outside-London loan.
Maximum Maintenance Loan for 2026/27 (England)
These are GOV.UK’s maximum amounts for full-time undergraduates from England in the 2026 to 2027 academic year:
| Where you live while studying | Maximum loan 2026/27 |
|---|---|
| Living with your parents | £9,118 |
| Living away from parents, outside London | £10,830 |
| Living away from parents, in London | £14,135 |
Your own amount depends on your household income. GOV.UK says you “have to give details of your household income” to get your loan worked out. Its guide to student living costs says students with a household income of £25,000 or less get the maximum, and those with higher incomes get less. The minimum amounts for 2026/27 are £4,013 (with parents), £5,048 (away, outside London) and £7,039 (away, in London).
The loan “is paid directly into your bank account at the start of each term”. Rent is often due on a different timetable, so check both dates.
How much of the loan goes on rent
We worked out a full contract’s rent for three fictional weekly rents, on a 44-week and a 51-week contract, and compared each with the maximum loan for students living away from home.
| Weekly rent (fictional) | Contract | Total rent | Share of £10,830 (outside London) |
|---|---|---|---|
| £150 | 44 weeks | £6,600 | 60.9% |
| £150 | 51 weeks | £7,650 | 70.6% |
| £180 | 44 weeks | £7,920 | 73.1% |
| £180 | 51 weeks | £9,180 | 84.8% |
| £220 | 44 weeks | £9,680 | 89.4% |
| £220 | 51 weeks | £11,220 | 103.6% |
| Weekly rent (fictional) | Contract | Total rent | Share of £14,135 (London) |
|---|---|---|---|
| £150 | 44 weeks | £6,600 | 46.7% |
| £150 | 51 weeks | £7,650 | 54.1% |
| £180 | 44 weeks | £7,920 | 56.0% |
| £180 | 51 weeks | £9,180 | 64.9% |
| £220 | 44 weeks | £9,680 | 68.5% |
| £220 | 51 weeks | £11,220 | 79.4% |
These rents are fictional examples, not real prices. Check the actual rent and contract length for any room you are offered.
Why contract length matters as much as the weekly price
Seven extra weeks at £180 adds £1,260 to the year. That is the difference between a 44-week and a 51-week contract, even though the weekly price is the same.
- A cheaper weekly rent on a longer contract can cost more in total. £150 for 51 weeks (£7,650) is only £270 less than £180 for 44 weeks (£7,920).
- A longer contract can make sense if you would stay over the summer anyway, for work or to avoid moving out.
- Always compare the total for the contract, not the weekly figure.
If a landlord quotes a weekly rent and you want a monthly figure, use our guide to converting weekly rent to monthly. Multiply by 52 and divide by 12: £180 a week is £780 a month.
Worked example (fictional)
Maya is from England and is starting university outside London in September 2026. Her household income means she gets the maximum loan of £10,830. She finds a room at £180 a week on a 44-week contract.
| Item | Sum | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Rent for the contract | £180 × 44 | £7,920 |
| Loan left after rent | £10,830 − £7,920 | £2,910 |
| Spread over 52 weeks | £2,910 ÷ 52 | £55.96 a week |
| Spread over the 44 contract weeks | £2,910 ÷ 44 | £66.14 a week |
That remaining money has to cover food, travel, phone, course costs and anything not included in the rent. If her rent does not include bills, they come out of the same £2,910. GOV.UK’s own guide says “for some students even the maximum amount of Maintenance Loan may not be enough to cover all their living costs”. It points to part-time work, savings and university bursaries as other sources.
If Maya instead took a 51-week contract at the same price, rent would be £9,180, leaving £1,650 for the year, or £31.73 a week over 52 weeks. All names and figures here are fictional.
Students from Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
Students from Wales get a mix of grant and loan. Welsh Government rates for 2026/27 (students who started on or after 1 August 2018) give maximum total living-costs support of:
- £10,685 living with parents
- £12,590 living away from parents outside London
- £15,720 living away from parents in London
Part of this is a grant you do not repay: up to £8,260 outside London and £10,325 in London, and every eligible student gets a base grant of £1,020. Against £12,590, the fictional £180 a week for 44 weeks (£7,920) is about 62.9% of total support.
We could not check the 2026/27 figures for Scotland (SAAS) or Northern Ireland (Student Finance NI) on their official sites, so we have not included them. Check SAAS or Student Finance NI directly.
Check what rent your budget can take
Use the rent affordability calculator to test a weekly or monthly rent against the money you will have, including your loan and any part-time earnings. If a landlord asks for a UK guarantor and you do not have one, see renting as a student without a guarantor.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Student finance for undergraduates, new full-time students (England), checked 4 October 2026
- GOV.UK: Understanding student living costs (England), checked 4 October 2026
- Welsh Government: Rates of undergraduate student support (2018 cohort) for 2026 to 2027, checked 4 October 2026
This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. Report a possible error.