Hello, my PhD pays £12000 per year and I wondered how much I could afford to spend on accomodation. I've seen a lot of nice places for about £600pcm, and lots of horrid places too. How much could I reasonably afford off my stipend?

It's easiest if you make a list of your outgoings i.e. add up how much you will spend per month on food, clothes, hair cuts/toiletrys, petrol/car insurance or public transport etc etc. You'll then have a better idea about how much you can afford to spend on housing.

hi,

I'd say try to spend as little as you can.
Flat is probably least important of all things during studies.
The less you spend on it the more money you are going to have for going out, traveling and anything else you might want to buy.
I consider accomodation as a place to sleep and maybe to do some work. If it's really bad I could always work in the library.
But surely cheap places are often outside the center which means added commuting expenses.

Good luck:)