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The best area to rent in Bournemouth depends on where your days happen. Students do best near the bus routes to Wallisdown in Winton and Charminster; commuters by train in the town centre, East Cliff or Springbourne; families in Southbourne, Queens Park and the Poole suburbs; hospital staff on the Castle Lane side of town; and anyone who wants the beach on the doorstep on the West Cliff, at Alum Chine, in Boscombe or in Southbourne. Below, each group gets its shortlist with the homes you will find and how you get about.
Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch run together along the coast, served by one council, one bus network and the main railway line to London Waterloo. Few journeys inside the conurbation take long, so the choice is less about distance and more about the street you come home to.
Students
Bournemouth University's main site, the Talbot Campus at Fern Barrow, and Arts University Bournemouth's single campus sit side by side at Wallisdown, inland on the Poole side of the boundary. The university's Lansdowne Campus, home to its health and social sciences teaching, is in the east of the town centre.
- Winton. Victorian and Edwardian terraces off Wimborne Road, many let as shared houses, with a long everyday high street and buses to the campus and the centre.
- Charminster. Larger converted houses along and off Charminster Road, with the town's most international run of restaurants and food shops.
- Moordown. Further north on Wimborne Road, a little quieter, with interwar semis and bungalows.
- Springbourne. For the Lansdowne Campus: cottages and newer flats either side of Holdenhurst Road, a walk from the station.
Planning rules shape this market: BCP Council has Article 4 directions requiring planning permission to turn a family house into a small shared house across Bournemouth (since 2011) and in Talbot Village (since 2013), so the supply of student houses grows slowly. Landlords should read our student lets guide.
Young professionals and commuters
- Town centre and East Cliff. One and two-bed flats in purpose-built blocks and converted villas, close to Bournemouth station, the Lansdowne office district and the beach. East Cliff is the calmer of the two at night.
- West Cliff. Flats between the Square and Durley Chine, near the BIC; quiet most evenings, busy on event nights.
- Westbourne. Converted villas and mansion blocks around a Victorian arcade and a working high street, on the bus corridor between Bournemouth and Poole, with Branksome station a walk away.
- Ashley Cross and Lower Parkstone. Poole's version: a green ringed by bars and delis, with Parkstone station for trains to Bournemouth, Southampton and London.
If you drive, check parking before you fall for a flat. Much of central Bournemouth is in residents parking zones and most allow one permit per property.
Families
- Southbourne. Edwardian and interwar houses, converted flats and a clifftop above a long, quieter beach. Southbourne Grove covers the daily shopping, and Pokesdown station is close.
- Queens Park and Talbot Woods. Larger detached houses on tree-lined avenues, with the park, the golf courses and the Wessex Way for driving out of town.
- Broadstone. A self-contained Poole suburb of detached houses and bungalows with its own shopping street and heath on the doorstep.
- Christchurch. Cottages near the Priory and the Quay, riverside flats and suburban bungalows, with its own station on the main line.
Family renters usually care about schools first. Places are given by the admissions authority, often with distance or catchment as a criterion, so check the school's own admissions policy before you sign. Our guide to schools and universities sets out how it works here.
Hospital and NHS staff
University Hospitals Dorset runs two main sites. The Royal Bournemouth Hospital on Castle Lane East is being developed as the area's major emergency hospital, with the new BEACH building housing the emergency department, maternity and children's services. Poole Hospital on Longfleet Road is becoming the planned care site.
- For the Royal Bournemouth: Charminster, Queens Park, Moordown and Littledown, all a short drive or bus ride along Castle Lane.
- For Poole Hospital: Parkstone, Ashley Cross and Poole town centre.
Staff on placements or rotations of a few months often find a furnished stay simpler than a tenancy; see long stay or tenancy?.
People who want the beach
The bay is one long sandy beach, but the streets above it differ.
- West Cliff. Closest to the pier and the town, with Durley Chine below. The cliff means zig-zag paths or the seasonal lift.
- Alum Chine. Apartment blocks above a calmer, family beach, with Westbourne's shops up through the chine.
- Boscombe. Victorian villas split into flats and newer blocks by Boscombe Pier; the most for your money near the sea, with a livelier main road.
- Southbourne. The quietest sand of the central bay and a stretch where dogs are allowed on the beach all year.
- Canford Cliffs and Sandbanks. The top of the market, with fewer homes to rent and higher demand in summer.
Comparing the areas at a glance
| Area | Typical homes to rent | Getting about | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Town centre and East Cliff | Flats in blocks and converted villas | Station and bus hub on foot | Commuters, no car |
| Westbourne | Converted villas, mansion blocks | Main bus corridor, Branksome station | Professionals, couples |
| Winton and Charminster | Terraces, converted houses, shared houses | Buses to Wallisdown and the centre | Students, hospital staff |
| Boscombe | Converted flats, newer blocks | Christchurch Road buses, Pokesdown station | Value near the sea |
| Southbourne | Houses, converted flats | Coast road buses, Pokesdown station | Families, dog owners |
| Queens Park and Talbot Woods | Detached family houses | Car, Wessex Way | Families |
| Ashley Cross and Parkstone | Villas, terraces, flats | Parkstone station | Poole commuters |
Where to start
Spend a weekday evening in your two favourite areas before you commit: walk from the bus stop or station, look at the parking, and try the shops. If you are moving from further away, a furnished stay of a month or more gives you time to do that properly; the Flexiestays apartments in central Bournemouth and on the West Cliff come with bills included and no fixed term.
For the step-by-step process once you have chosen, read how to rent a home in Bournemouth, or browse property to rent and register with our letting agents.
