Cardiff Apartments & Rooms for Rent
The capital of Wales is an increasingly popular option among expats, whether they’re moving to Cardiff for work purposes or just to enjoy all the perks of living in Wales’ biggest city. In Cardiff, you get to enjoy everything that comes with living in a big city, while still being surrounded by the famous Welsh countryside, which you can easily take trips out to from within the city.
Employment opportunities are plentiful in Cardiff for workers with experience in a variety of fields. It’s a great commercial centre with opportunities in media, tourism, industry, and cultural organisations, to name a few. It is also a good option for students, with Cardiff University at the centre of the city representing the country as the only Welsh university listed in the Russel Group; a list of the top 24 universities in the UK. Cardiff’s students also enjoy a vibrant nightlife with lots of bars and clubs to choose from on the city’s many student nights.
When you’re looking to move to a major UK city, London may be your first thought. However, when you realise that apartments in Cardiff are almost half the price on average than those in London, your mind may soon be changed. Of course, this isn’t the only reason to choose Cardiff, but the availability of affordable flats to rent in Cardiff is certainly a perk. You can save even more money by looking for rooms for rent, Cardiff having plenty of these available in shared flats.
Types of Accommodations in Cardiff
Moving to Cardiff
Whether you’re moving from within the UK or somewhere else around the globe, moving to Cardiff can be a big step for you. If you’re coming from an English-speaking country, then moving to Cardiff shouldn’t present too much of a culture shock. Although Welsh is the country’s official language, pretty much everyone is fully fluent in English and, especially in major cities like Cardiff, Welsh is heard less often.
You can find property to rent in Cardiff either by looking online or visiting a real estate or letting agent once you arrive in the city. It’s a good idea to do some research before you move, but it can also be better to see the room or flat in person before committing. If you can, you should visit Cardiff before you move to familiarise yourself with the areas of the city and what kind of accommodation is available.
Best Areas for Flats to Rent in Cardiff
Apartments in Cardiff City Centre for Rent
Cardiff’s city centre is a wonderful mix of the modern and the traditional, with high-rise apartment blocks, office buildings, and shopping centres intermingled with the likes of Cardiff Castle, a medieval castle originally built in the 11th century. The city centre is a famous shopping district, rivalling other major cities and currently placed as the sixth most successful in the UK. This was expanded recently when redevelopment took place in St. David’s shopping centre in 2009.
The city centre of Cardiff also contains the city’s central business district. As well as the numerous jobs created by retail and hospitality in the city centre, it is also home to many office blocks where various companies are housed. This makes it popular for expats working in the city centre who don’t want to spend time commuting into the city every day. There are also some Cardiff serviced apartments in the city centre for people travelling to the city on short-term business trips.
Apartments in Cardiff city centre for rent are mostly found within apartment blocks. Since the year 2000, much more city centre accommodation has been created thanks to the development of the first high-rise apartment buildings in the city. These new developments will not have the most cheap apartments in Cardiff city centre, but you can generally find one-bedroom apartments in the city starting from £500 per month. If you’re working on a budget, then rooms to rent in shared apartments would be your best choice.
Cardiff Bay Apartments
The area surrounding the Cardiff Bay of water south of the city is also generally referred to as Cardiff Bay. Cardiff Bay has undergone significant developments in recent years, including the creation of hundreds of Cardiff Bay apartments in order to bring more residents into the area. It is an attractive place to live, particularly with the tall apartment buildings offering spectacular views over the Bay. Bay side hotels, bars, and restaurants are also a popular attraction for people visiting or living in the city.
Among the developments of Cardiff Bay were a number of attractions and a large leisure complex. It is also home to numerous listed buildings, which serve as interesting tourist attractions and heritage sites. The Cardiff Bay area is well connected to the city centre by bus, and there is even a waterbus service that crosses the Bay. The area has lots of nice parks on offer as well as nearby amenities scattered throughout the Bay area. It is also home to the Wales Millennium Centre, opened in 2004, which hosts a variety of performance from comedy and dance to opera and musicals theatre.
Cardiff Bay accommodation is generally in high demand, so keep an eye out for available listings that suit what you’re looking for. There are a range of sizes of apartments, whether you’re renting by yourself, as a couple, or with a family, so you can equally find a studio apartment or 2-bed apartments in Cardiff Bay.
Apartments in Splott
Within the inner city to the east of the city centre is a district of Cardiff called Splott. This area is mostly residential, with a variety of houses and apartments, parks, schools, and local shops and other amenities. You can reach Cardiff city centre from Splott in around 20 minutes by public transport or less than 30 minutes walking, so it is a prime location to access the city while still having your own corner of peace and quiet away from it all. The population of Splott is rising steadily with each year, and the demographics are generally well-off and educated people.
As a residential area, most residents will go into the city centre for entertainment facilities and nights out, although the area does have its share of local pubs, cafés, and restaurants. Industrial estates were also developed in the last century, providing additional employment opportunities for residents in the area.
The majority of accommodation in Splott is made up of Victorian-era terraced houses, allowing a high number of residents to live in a relatively small area. There are also some detached houses if you’re looking for somewhere to live with a little more space, as well as a small number of apartments and rooms to rent available in Splott, Cardiff. Accommodation in Splott is a good choice for young families relocating to the area.
Apartments in Llandaff, Cardiff
The district of Llandaff is located approximately two miles north west of Cardiff’s city centre. It is home to the Llandaff Campus for the Cardiff Metropolitan University, as well as various primary and secondary schools. These institutions make the area popular among students as well as families with children attending the local schools. They also provide a lot of employment opportunities for those working in education, proving to be a draw for expats moving to the area to teach or carry out academic research. The area is quite rich in employment opportunities, with other industries thriving in the area such as retail, finance, construction, and social work.
Llandaff lies along the River Taff, from which part of its name is likely to have derived, and is home to masses of parklands, some of which are used as sporting fields. Llandaff Meadow is a particularly nice attraction if you enjoy walks through nature and picnics in grassy areas. Llandaff Cathedral is one of the most notable points of interest in the district of Llandaff. The Cathedral was built in the 12th century but has undergone extensive redevelopments to repair damages that occurred at various points in time. As a result, the remaining building features a combination of different building materials and architectural styles.
There is a wide range of housing available in Lllandaff, including terraces as well as detached and semi-detached houses. Modern apartments are less common, but you will find homes that have been converted into flats for rent.
Student Accommodation in Cardiff
Student Houses & Lettings in Cardiff
Between Cardiff University, Cardiff Metropolitan University, and the University of South Wales, Cardiff is home to thousands of students, and all of them are looking for affordable and sociable accommodation in the city. Cardiff University is located just outside of the city centre, so many students choose to stay in the city centre for its proximity to their lectures and the party scene in the city.
But, city centre accommodation can be expensive, so an area just north of the campus called Cathays is a popular choice. This mostly consists of terraced houses that are rented out to students at affordable rates. It’s close to campus, has a variety of pubs to choose from, and is also close enough to the city centre. Other popular student areas in Cardiff include Roath, a slightly quieter area for students who want to knuckle down, and Heath, for its proximity to the University’s Heath Park Campus.
Student apartments in Cardiff offer comfortable living at affordable rates, whether you want to share with course mates or if you have the budget to live on your own. Finding single rooms to rent is another popular option for students living on a budget.
Cardiff Public transport
Public transport is widely used across Cardiff, whether that’s for commuting to work, into the city for a night out, or out to visit other areas around Cardiff. The bus network is comprehensive across the city and is mostly operated by Cardiff Bus. A single trip costs just £1.90, or you can get a monthly travel pass for £50 or more, depending on the type of pass you choose.
For a more novel experience, Cardiff also has an Aquabus service that travels along the River Taff from the Taff Mead Embankment in the centre of the city to Cardiff Bay. The city also has its own Metro network that connects the wider districts to the city centre, as well as national rail lines leading out of the city from Cardiff Central Station. This goes to cities in Wales as well as English cities including London, Manchester, and Nottingham.