Room allocation

We guarantee an offer of University accommodation to new, single, undergraduate students who have applied by the 1 July deadline.

Like most other universities, we unfortunately can't guarantee your son or daughter their preferred residence, as some residences are heavily oversubscribed.

We do everything we can to make the process fair. We don’t allocate on a “first come, first served” basis, but use a computerised auto-allocation system to select impartially from the applicants for each residence.

We only begin allocating accommodation after the 1 July deadline and most students will be emailed their accommodation offer after the A-level results in August. It takes several weeks to allocate everyone, so your son or daughter should not be concerned if friends receive their offer of accommodation before them.

If we cannot allocate your son or daughter their preferred residence, we try to offer an alternative that meets the preferences on their application form. Most students want en suite accommodation, close to campus, but we have a limited number of these rooms. So we try to take their preferences into consideration, offering eg an en suite room a little further from campus, or a room in a residence close to campus with a bathroom shared with other students.

One offer only

We only send one offer of accommodation so it's important to consider carefully the offer received. New students and parents sometimes call us because they have not been offered their first choice of residence. Unfortunately we cannot change the offer we have made.

We’d encourage you and your son or daughter to be positive. We are proud of all our accommodation and find that most students love it too once they have arrived, settled in and started to make friends. Enjoying your time in halls is often more about the friends you make and the university experience than being allocated your first choice accommodation.

If there are any medical or financial reasons why the allocation is not suitable, your son or daughter should contact us immediately. We will try to help but would expect to have been told about such factors in their application for accommodation.

Please note that if the offer we have sent is rejected, we will not be able to make another offer and your son or daughter will need to look for accommodation in the private sector.

We do not keep a waiting list, so we cannot take your son's or daughter's details to offer them something else at a later date. There are options for those students who decide after they arrive that they would like to move.

Swaps and transfers

We hope that students settle in well to their accommodation. However, sometimes people aren’t happy with their allocated room. If it’s not something the Warden or Residence staff can resolve, a room swap may be possible. Find out more here.