How we tracked it
From the middle of February to the middle of August 2026, we monitored 368 unique rental property listings in St Andrews, ones that were suitable for students. In this analysis we wanted to help students (and their parents, guardians and carers) to understand the “shape” of when properties come to market. When is too early, when is the sweet spot and is there a time that’s a bit too late. Below is a graphic that attempts to answer those questions. Whilst we could have presented the analysis by week we decided that would be an unnecessary level of detail and overcomplicate matters. Rather we’ve calculated the average number of new rental properties coming to market each month (turns out it was 59 per month), and then plotted whether the number of new listings in each month was more, or less, than that average.
2026 Season — When Do Properties Come to Market?
Hover or tap any bar to see detail for that month
vs average
The best time to start looking
- It's never "too early" to start looking, although you will find far less activity in the market up until the end of February. And (what's not shown in the graphic) many of these early listings are seeking students who are able to commit to taking on the tenancy well in advance of the next academic year.
- The "height of the market" is March - April - May, with the greatest proportion of listings coming to market during those months.
- There is then a gradual easing off in activity through June - July.
- There is however, a mini-upturn in August for those who have been able to hold their nerve until that late stage. Something that the graphic doesn't show, but which is evident in our data is that the August listings (at least in 2026) were skewed towards 1 or 2 bedroom properties and also skewed towards quite central (3 streets) locations and their commensurate higher rental prices.