iQ Grove is a student residence at 69 Grove Street, Edinburgh EH3 8FD, just west of the city centre near Haymarket and Fountainbridge. It has seven room types across en suites, studios and one-bedroom flats, all bills included, with a free gym, cinema and private dining rooms.
The detail that sets it apart from almost every other student building in Edinburgh: dual occupancy is free in all studio rooms and one-bedroom flats. No surcharge for a second person.
Free dual occupancy, and why it matters
Most student accommodation either bans double occupancy outright or charges a supplement for it. iQ Grove includes it at no extra cost in every studio and one-bedroom flat.
Work through what that does to the maths. If two people share a studio, the effective per-person rent halves. A studio at £250 a week becomes £125 each — which puts a private, self-contained flat in central Edinburgh below the price of a shared en-suite room in the same city.
This makes iQ Grove one of the strongest options in Edinburgh for:
- Couples studying at the same university. Rare to find accommodation that accommodates this without penalty.
- Two friends willing to share a studio. Less privacy, considerably less money.
- Postgraduates with a partner who is not a student.
The caveat to check before you rely on it: confirm in writing that both occupants are named on the tenancy, and ask what happens if one leaves mid-contract. Free dual occupancy is a real benefit; unclear liability is a real risk. Ask both questions in the same email.
The booking fee, and a warning about it
Here is something worth flagging clearly, because it will cost you money if you get it wrong.
Listing sites report iQ Grove's booking fee as both £100 and £225. Two well-known agents publish different figures for the same building. For comparison, iQ Astor House in Plymouth has been listed at £149.
iQ booking fees are not standardised across the portfolio, and third-party listings go stale. Get the current figure from iQ directly before you commit. There is no deposit required, and the property is covered by the Tenant Fees Act, which is genuinely good news — but the booking fee is a real, non-trivial payment.
The booking process itself:
- Choose your room and length of stay, using iQ's interactive floor plan to pick the exact spot in the building
- Your room is held for 72 hours
- Within that window, log into your iQ account and pay the booking fee
- You then have 7 days to sign your tenancy agreement
- Your booking is only confirmed once signed
That 72-hour hold is short. Do not start a booking while you are still deciding.
What room types are available at iQ Grove?
Seven types, spanning en suites through to one-bedroom apartments:
| Category | Room types |
| En suite | Silver En Suite, Gold En Suite |
| Studio | Bronze Studio, Silver Studio, Gold Studio, Platinum Studio |
| Apartment | One-bedroom apartment |
En suite rooms come with a three-quarter double bed and a private bathroom, sharing a kitchen and living area with flatmates.
Studios come with a full double bed and are self-contained.
That bed difference is worth noting. A three-quarter bed is narrower than a standard double, and if you are used to a double at home, it is the kind of thing you notice on night one and not before.
Rooms are furnished with a wardrobe, desk and chair. Kitchens have a fridge, induction hob, extractor hood, microwave, oven and cupboards. Induction hobs are in selected rooms rather than universal, so check which you are getting if you cook seriously — induction needs compatible pans, and if you have brought a set from home they may not work.
Where is iQ Grove and what is the commute?
Grove Street sits west of the city centre, in a student-friendly area between Haymarket and Fountainbridge. iQ describes it as more relaxed than the Old Town, which is fair.
| Destination | Journey |
| Haymarket railway station | About 6 minutes' walk (0.30 miles) |
| Haymarket bus stops | About 5 minutes' walk |
| University of Edinburgh | 12 minutes by bus, or about a 25-minute walk past the Meadows |
| Edinburgh College of Art | About 15 minutes |
| Edinburgh Napier | About 25 minutes by bus |
| Heriot-Watt | About 30 minutes by bus |
| Tesco | A few minutes' walk |
Haymarket is the underrated asset here. It is a mainline station with services to Aberdeen, Fife, North Berwick, London and Edinburgh Waverley. If you go home regularly, or your family visits, being six minutes from a station that reaches most of Scotland and London directly is worth more than most amenities in the building.
Sources differ slightly on the walk to the University of Edinburgh — iQ quotes a 12-minute bus, one agent quotes a 25-minute brisk walk past the Meadows. Both are probably right depending on your pace and which building you need. Assume 25 minutes on foot.
Princes Street Gardens and the Water of Leith are both nearby for green space, and the Grassmarket is walkable.
What facilities does iQ Grove have?
- Free on-site gym
- Separate studio space for workouts and yoga
- Cinema room
- Private dining rooms
- Lounge and study areas
- Outdoor space for warmer months
- On-site laundry
- Secure bike store
- 24/7 security and on-site management team
- 100MB Wi-Fi
- All utilities and contents insurance included
Two of those deserve comment.
The private dining rooms are unusual and genuinely useful. If you want to cook a proper meal for friends rather than crowd a shared kitchen, you have somewhere to do it. Very few student buildings offer this.
The separate yoga and workout studio on top of the main gym means you are not doing floor exercises between someone's deadlift sets. Small thing, real quality-of-life difference.
What do iQ Grove residents actually say?
The consistent theme in published reviews is staff quality, and one review is worth quoting because it is specific in a way that generic praise is not:
"The staff is fantastic! Really friendly and welcoming! They go above and beyond to help me as a tenant with a disability! This can range from opening doors for me to helping clean my room to carrying my laundry to picking up stuff for me when I'm unable to. The security staff are also great and they make me feel really safe and secure!"
For a disabled student weighing options in Edinburgh, that is more useful than any facilities list. It is one person's experience rather than a policy guarantee — but it is the kind of detail worth following up on directly with the accommodation team.
Other residents describe rooms as well laid out and spacious, staff on site 24/7, and transport links as ideal.
The honest counterpoint, also from a published review: "Although it is an expensive option when it comes to accommodation you get what you pay for."
That is a fair summary. iQ Grove is not the cheap option in Edinburgh. It is a well-run, well-equipped building at a price that reflects that.
iQ Grove or Elliott House?
Both are iQ, both in Edinburgh, and students routinely compare them.
| . | iQ Grove | iQ Elliott House |
| Location | Grove Street, west of centre | Hillside Crescent, east of centre |
| Nearest station | Haymarket, 6 min walk | Waverley area, further |
| Walk to Edinburgh Uni | About 25 min | About 30 min |
| Building | Modern purpose-built | Georgian wing plus modern |
| Dual occupancy | Free in studios and 1-beds | Bronze Studio suitable for double |
| Known criticism | Price | Cold rooms, noise |
| Room types | 7 | 8 |
Pick Grove if you want Haymarket, a modern building and the dual occupancy option. Pick Elliott House if the period architecture appeals and you want the wider studio range.
Who is iQ Grove right for?
Good fit: couples and pairs who can use the free dual occupancy, students who travel home often and value Haymarket, anyone who wants a genuinely well-equipped building, and students who cook and would use the private dining rooms.
Less good fit: anyone on a tight budget, students who need to be within a five-minute walk of the University of Edinburgh, and anyone who wants Old Town nightlife on the doorstep.
Compare more student accommodation in Edinburgh and see what student accommodation costs across the UK before you decide. If you travel home often, our student railcard guide covers a third off rail fares.
Frequently asked questions
Where is iQ Grove Edinburgh?
69 Grove Street, Edinburgh EH3 8FD, west of the city centre between Haymarket and Fountainbridge, about six minutes' walk from Haymarket station.
Does iQ Grove allow two people in a room?
Yes. Dual occupancy is available free of charge in all studio rooms and one-bedroom flats, which is unusual for UK student accommodation. Confirm tenancy and liability terms in writing before booking.
How much is the iQ Grove booking fee?
Listing sites report both £100 and £225, so confirm the current figure with iQ directly. There is no deposit, and the property is covered by the Tenant Fees Act.
How far is iQ Grove from the University of Edinburgh?
About 12 minutes by bus, or roughly a 25-minute walk past the Meadows. Edinburgh College of Art is about 15 minutes.
What room types does iQ Grove have?
Seven: Silver and Gold En Suite, Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum Studios, and a one-bedroom apartment.
Does iQ Grove have a gym?
Yes, a free on-site gym plus a separate studio space for workouts and yoga.
How long is a room held at iQ Grove?
72 hours, during which you must pay the booking fee. You then have 7 days to sign the tenancy agreement.
Do iQ Grove en suite rooms have a double bed?
En suites have a three-quarter double bed. Studios have a full double.
