About BSHC

Birmingham Student Housing Co-operative (BSHC) opened its doors in July 2014. Since then BSHC has offered an alternative for students in Birmingham who are interested in a co-operative and democratic form of living which differs from the typical student experience of renting in the overpriced and undemocratic private sector.

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Co-Operative Living, Landlord Free!

Living at BSHC is a chance to experience housing without a landlord! The house is organised democratically with each member having an equal say on how the house operates, we have fortnightly meetings where we discuss the running of the house, resolve any issues and plan for the future!

Living co-operatively offers the chance to learn new skills and build deep friendships which enrich the student experience!

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About the House

BSHC has 9 bedrooms on two floors. The downstairs area features 4 bedrooms, a large living room, a fully equipped kitchen with dining area, and a bathroom. The upstairs area features 5 bedrooms and a bathroom. Both bathrooms feature a bath, shower, toilet, and sink. At the back of the house we have a massive garden with a greenhouse, workshop, vegetable patch, and composting facilities.

The front of BSHC on a snowy day, snow lays on the wall outside the house and above windows and the porch.
A sunny summers day in the BSHC garden. The trampoline is on a green lawn, with a few items of clothing hanging on a washing line. There is a tree full of green leaves and the back of the house in the background. The sky is blue with white clouds.
A bonfire in the garden during the evening. the sky is a dark blue and the orange fire sparks about.
Someone is hanging washing on a washing line in the garden. The photo is taken from a low angle and blades of green grass take up the bottom third of the picture.
A wide-angle shot of the garden from the back. The lawn is large and green, there is a fire pit surrounded by benches. There is also a trampoline on the grass. In the background is the house with the sun shining on it.
The firepit in the garden, is surrounded by benches and green grass. In the background is our work shed.
A wide-angle photo of the BSHC living room, showing off three large sofas, two armchairs and a coffee table. The walls are lined with various posters and banners as well as fairy lights. In this photo, you can see the door to the small kitchen.
A wide-angle photo of the living room, looking at the front of the room. Showing off three large sofas, two armchairs and a coffee table. The walls are lined with various posters and banners as well as fairy lights. The front wall features a projecto
A big brown sofa sitting in front of a progressive pride flag and a shelf containing board games. To the left of the sofa is a large window/ sliding door looking out onto a snowy garden. To the right of the sofa is a doorway and through that, a stair
A low angle photo of one of the armchairs in BSHC living room on the armchair sits a cushion with the words "To Do List: -laughing -smiling -eating -sleeping" on it. a sofa with a blanket is next to the armchair. Above the sofa is a shelf lined with
A wide-angle photo of the BSHC living room, showing off three large sofas, two armchairs and a coffee table. The walls are lined with various posters and banners as well as fairy lights.
The back wall of BSHC living room, features a sofa and an armchair in front of a fireplace. On the mantlepiece is a mirror, the letters BSHC and a mosaic of 805. Above the fireplace is a big banner for Students For Co-Operation. This banner and the b
Wide-angle photo of the kitchen, featuring a large oven with six hobs, a large island top, a fridge covered in magnetic letters and a table surrounded by chairs with a vase of red and white roses on top. The kitchen is filled with shelves full of coo
The back of the kitchen features a large table with red and white roses in a vase on its top. On the left of the photo is a fridge with magnetic letters on it, some of the letters are arranged into "welcome", there is a unit of shelves filled with fo
The front of the kitchen, it features a massive oven, with 6 hobs on its top, at the side of the kitchen there is a sink and drying rack for dishes. In the middle of the room there is a island top. The kitchen is filled with utensils hung on the wall
A photo of the kitchen taken through the hatch, in the foreground, there are washing up liquids, a pair of marigolds hanging up and a small cactus. In the background is the kitchen, with an island top, two fridges and a table surrounded by several ch
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Photo of a large spacious room, featuring a double bed. It has a desk and desk chair, wardrobe and chest of drawers. Light floods into the room through through sizable double glazed windows.
The main downstairs hallway features stairs leading upstairs on the right. A window at the back of the hall and a doorway on the left. A large map of Birmingham covers the left wall.
Our downstairs bathroom, freshly redecorated, it has light blue walls and a white ceiling, to the left of the room their is a bathtub with a bath board and accessible grab rail. On the right of the room is a toilet.
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Working Hard, Hardly Working!

Each member of the house joins one of 3 working groups, Finance, Outreach, or Maintenance. These groups offer the chance to learn new skills, share knowledge with each other, and keep the house running up smoothly!

The Finance Working group deals with everything money-related, making sure bills are paid, sorting out taxes and budgets, and keeping up with admin.

The Outreach Working group is the public face of BSHC. They ensure rooms are filled by overseeing the application process, make sure the house social media pages are up to date and organise any events that the house plans, including our famous Friday Night Dinners.

Last but by no means least the Maintenance working group keeps the house running day to day, making fixes and improvements. They decide if a job can be DIY’d or if we need to hire a helping hand. They also help to keep the garden blooming throughout the year.

 

Location, Location, Location!

Situated on the Pershore Road, BSHC is located near the University of Birmingham (30 minute walk, 10 minute cycle ride). The Pershore Road is also served by regular buses (45, 47) which run into the city centre. This also makes BSHC accessible for students studying at either Aston University or Birmingham City University’s (BCU) City Centre campus. BSHC’s close proximity to Edgbaston also makes living here a sensible option for students studying at BCU’s City South campus.

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Everyone is welcome!

We are also open - and give a warm welcome - to students in training and professional qualifications, and to apprentices. BSHC is happy to receive your application and to support your housing needs throughout your training and education!

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Our History

BSHC was born out of the Free Education Movement in 2013, a group of students who thought university housing could be better than the grotty houses and tiny flats much of the student housing market is made up of in Birmingham. They strived and created a place where students can have meaningful control of their housing, investing the cost of rent back into the house and living experience.

Follow our journey…

Over the past few weeks we have redecorated our downstairs bathroom and made it more accessible! Living without a landlord means we can make make improvements to our rooms and put our members needs first. . . . . #bshc #coophousing #coopliving #stud
Thank you to everyone who came along to Friday Night Dinner! It was great to see so many people again after such a long break! Be sure to keep your eyes out for more information about FNDs in the near future! . . . . . . #BSHC #cooperativeliving #c
This Friday (29th) join BSHC for the return of Friday Night Dinner! Sorts open at 7pm with food to be served at 8pm, we will be cooking a delicious vegan chilli and rice! If you’d like to see what landlord-free living looks like, or if you jus
Over the past few days we’ve been asked a number of questions about how the house works, so we decided to update our website with a FAQs page! You can check it out at the link in our bio! If you still have more questions, feel free to ask in th
Applications are now open for the academic year 2022-23! Birmingham Student Housing Co-operative provides low-cost, high-quality, democratically run student housing! At BSHC we have a large 9-bedroom house, with communal living space, a fully equip
Applications for 2022 tenancies are open now! Check the link in our bio!
We're very happy to announce that applications for tenancies for the 2022-2023 academic year open on January 3rd 2022! Head on over to our website, link in bio, for more information and for the link to the application form come January.
A day spent clearing the basement at BSHC!
Meet Russell, our newest member! He's the head of the rat-catching working group!!
BSHC is fundraising! To play our part in helping raise awareness and money for the ongoing campaign to build a permanent memorial to the victims of AIDS and HIV in Birmingham's Gay Village, we'll be collectively running a marathon as a house on Sat
Unfortunately, the vigils planned for today were unable to take place, but here at BSHC we wanted to support @reclaimthesestreets in whatever way we can. We'll be lighting a candle from home tonight at 6pm, and our banner will hang outside as a sign