There used to be a time when slumming it in your university digs was something to be proud of, when you wore your greasy hair and filthy jersey as a badge of honour. But not any more — tenants of all descriptions are demanding better accommodation. So why should those in higher education be any different? These days, luxury student living is no longer an oxymoron. At universities such as St Andrews, the best student accommodation comes complete with plasma screen televisions with cable access, leather sofas and dishwashers. Dirty laundry is picked up and returned the same day. A cleaner comes in weekly — a far cry from the world of The Young Ones in the 1980s.

Luxury student living happened by accident in St Andrews and has nothing to do with Prince William’s influence as an undergraduate. Instead, the first house was renovated by St Andrews Student Residences for the Open Championship in 2000, with high-spending, comfort-seeking golfers in mind. Afterwards Brian Skea, who manages the company, realised that there was a market for high-quality student accommodation, which it duly supplied (see picture below). St Andrews Student Residences now lets 93 rooms, either individually or to groups of students. A full-time caretaker does the things — such as changing lightbulbs — that seem to tax the capabilities of the tenants. If the students are drawn to the plasma TVs or glass-fronted drinks fridge in each bedroom, their parents are soothed by the knowledge that the houses conform to Scotland’s strict Houses in Multiple Occupation regulations, including fire doors and regular testing of smoke alarms.

Rents for the company’s rooms start at £500 and rise to £1,000 a month, depending on the size of the room and whether it has an en suite bathroom. Most of the tenants are foreign students, with Americans leading the way. “I’ve shown Scottish people round and they pass out when they hear the price,” Skea says.

He adds: “If you were looking to spend £30,000 on an Ivy League university or had spent £20,000 a year to send your son to Eton, £500 a month doesn’t seem so unreasonable. These days students see their degree as part of a career plan, and this is the investment part.”

Skea is very excited by Hepburn Hall, a baronial-style mansion just outside the city walls and his company’s latest purchase. “They can have parties. They can have barbecues. They aren’t going to impact on the neighbours. It’s perfect for students,” he says, as he shows off the tree-filled, two-acre garden.

Hepburn Hall was run by the university as student accommodation of the traditionally austere variety, and was acquired by St Andrews Student Residences in 2004; there are now 36 rooms where there used to be 50. The accommodation is divided into nine flats and the decor has been upgraded. There are oak floors, granite work surfaces and leather sofas and headboards. Baths have been replaced with showers and wardrobes enlarged. “They bring so much stuff these days — the idea of them having a rucksack and a few clothes is long gone,” Skea says.

Philip Baiocchi, who comes from Philadelphia and is reading Classics and Ancient History, is one of 14 students who live in a house in Hope Street owned by the company. He’s a fan of his luxury student lifestyle: “The laundry is taken out every Thursday and it comes back on Thursday evening. It’s a big plus, as is the fact that the cleaner gives the bathroom a good scrub.”

Needless to say, his is an en suite bedroom. Some things don’t change, however. Downstairs, in the kitchen, some pans are soaking in a sink, and on the landing there is a large dent in the plaster work which, rumour has it, was caused by a basketball.

St Andrews Student Residences: 01334 477644

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