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The University of Alabama at Birmingham anchors about 22,563 Blazers in the heart of Alabama's largest city, where campus and downtown blur into one. The Campus Green, shaded by thousands of trees, is where students sprawl out between classes, and traditions like SpringFest and the Gurney Derby keep things loose. Birmingham runs on its neighborhoods: Southside hums next to campus, Five Points South and Highland Park carry the historic homes, and Avondale draws the night crowd. Railroad Park, a 19-acre stretch of green downtown, is the city's front lawn, and the Rotary Trail links it toward Avondale. Vulcan watches from atop Red Mountain. Most days you walk or bike, and a free zone bus loops the academic core.
UAB requires first-time freshmen to live on campus for their full first year if they graduated high school the same year or the year before they enroll. Freshmen land in McMahon, Gold, or Blazer Hall.
If you have a real reason to live elsewhere, like commuting from a family home nearby, you file an exemption form with your Blazer ID and wait on a decision, so do not sign a lease until it clears. Most students move off campus starting sophomore year once the first-year requirement is behind them.
The process is straightforward: apply, pass a credit or income check, and put down a deposit. Plenty of newer by-the-bed complexes near campus rent per person and bundle in furniture, while older houses in Southside and Highland Park lease by the whole unit and run cheaper for groups. Watch leases for who covers parking, and read the sublet and early-termination clauses closely before you sign.
Housing policies change frequently. Always verify current requirements directly with University of Alabama at Birmingham before signing a lease.
Birmingham's student leasing runs earlier than a lot of newcomers expect. The big by-the-bed complexes near campus open their renewals and new signings in the fall, and the better units with parking and good locations get claimed through winter for the next August. If you want first pick in Southside or near the Campus Green, start touring in October or November. Aim to sign by late winter to land a convenient spot.
The better units get claimed through winter for the next August, with demand concentrated on Southside and the addresses near the Campus Green. Classes start in mid-to-late August, so move-in clusters right before then. The well-located by-the-bed units with parking clear fastest. Sign by late winter to avoid the semester crunch.
If you are searching late, like May or June, you will find fewer of the popular spots, but the houses in Highland Park and Avondale turn over later and can open up. Spring is also when sublets appear, especially from students leaving for co-ops, study abroad, or grad programs, which is a solid fallback for a partial-year lease. Summer-start leases exist but get thin fast, so lock something down before the semester crunch.
Southside sits right against campus and stays busy day and night, the default for students who want to walk to class and skip the parking hassle.
Five Points South mixes historic apartments with a lively district feel and easy access to the academic core, while Highland Park leans quieter and tree-lined, full of renovated older buildings.
Avondale draws a younger crowd with its parks and nightlife and runs a bit higher for newer units, while Lakeview puts you near the entertainment strip and Homewood trades walkability for calmer streets.
Common questions from students searching for housing.
A shared room or by-the-bed spot near UAB usually runs about $600-$1,000/month per person. Older houses in Southside and Highland Park sit at the low end for groups, while newer downtown and Avondale complexes land higher. Budget another $40-$120/month for utilities depending on whether they're capped.