Student Housing in Iceland: Options, Costs and Contracts

Student housing through FS

Félagsstofnun stúdenta (FS), the student services body linked to the University of Iceland, runs the largest dedicated student housing stock in the country. FS manages apartments across three areas: directly on campus at sites including Gamli Garður, Oddagarðar, Hjónagarðar, Vetrargarðar, Skerjagarður, Ásgarðar and Mýrargarður, in central Reykjavik at Skuggargarðar and Skjólgarður, and in the Fossvogur neighborhood at Skógargarðar. Options range from single rooms with shared facilities to studios, shared apartments, couple apartments and family units with one to three bedrooms.

Applications open on a set schedule rather than year-round for new students. Apply for FS housing from 1 June if you start in the autumn semester, or from 1 October if you start in the spring semester. Apply as close to the opening date as possible, since demand for on-campus housing in Reykjavik consistently outstrips supply, and FS itself notes that finding housing independently in the city takes considerable time and effort.

Applying to FS housing

1. Confirm your university admission first, since FS housing is tied to enrolled student status.

2. Submit your application through the FS housing portal as soon as your applicant window opens.

3. Read the instructions for your applicant category before submitting, since requirements differ by housing type and by whether you apply alone, as a couple or with a family.

4. Wait for an offer and respond within the given deadline to keep your place in the queue.

Private rentals

If FS housing is full or does not suit you, the private rental market in Reykjavik is active but expensive by European standards. Rental listings run through general platforms rather than a student-specific system, so treat a private rental search the same way you would in any other capital city: verify the landlord, get everything in writing and never transfer money before signing a contract.

A written tenancy agreement should state the monthly rent, the deposit amount, the length of the contract, and which party covers utilities. Icelandic tenancy law gives both landlord and tenant defined rights, and registering the contract with the relevant housing authority protects you if a dispute comes up later. Ask for a receipt for any deposit and confirm in writing how and when it gets refunded at the end of your tenancy.

What to budget for housing

Reykjavik consistently ranks as one of the more expensive Nordic capitals for rent, and this shows up directly in the overall student cost-of-living estimate for Iceland, which the European Commission puts at 1,300-1,900 EUR a month in total living costs, with housing as the largest single component. Costs outside Reykjavik, for example around the University of Akureyri, tend to run lower, so your choice of city affects your housing budget as much as your choice of housing type.

• Shared room or shared apartment: the lowest-cost option, common among students

• Studio or single apartment: higher cost, more independence and privacy

• Couple or family apartment through FS: available if you move with a partner or dependents

Before you sign anything

Check what a rental includes before committing. Utilities, internet and furniture are not always part of the quoted rent, and unfurnished private rentals are common in Iceland. Ask specifically about heating costs: Icelandic homes typically use geothermal district heating, cheap compared to electric heating elsewhere in Europe, but confirm whether it is included in the rent or billed separately.