Accommodation

What you need to know

• Deadlines and when to apply for accommodation

  There’s currently no set deadline to apply for accommodation although it’s good to apply as soon as you can.

  If you’d like to be close to campus for the Autumn term, we recommend that you apply for accommodation now even if you’re waiting for final details about how your course will be taught. This way you’ll have the best chance of getting the accommodation that you want and you can make the most of any opportunities to come to campus. We’re planning to be flexible about refunding any advance payments if you change your mind and do not take up your place, providing you let us know as soon as you can. If there's no teaching taking place on campus for your course, for any reason, then you won't be required to take the room for the Autumn term.

  If you decide to wait until the new year to start on campus, then you can apply in November for accommodation starting from January. In previous years, we have prioritised accommodation for students who started in the Autumn term, meaning there were less places for January. We'll keep this under review this year based on demand for places.

• Deposits and rent payments

  You won’t need to pay a deposit when you apply for accommodation. Instead we’ll ask you to make an advance rent payment when you accept an offer of accommodation. If you need to cancel the room before the start of term, and there’s enough time for student to take it, then we’ll refund any money you’ve paid.

  You’ll only be charged for the terms when you occupy your accommodation. If you don’t take your room, for example if there is a second wave of the coronavirus outbreak and there is no teaching on campus, then you will not be charged for that term.

  We understand that it’s difficult to make plans at the moment and we’ll be as flexible as possible as things change – in your personal circumstances and around the world. The most important thing is to tell the Accommodation team as soon as possible and we will work with you to find a solution.

• Support for different accommodation needs

  Get in touch with our Accommodation team if you need different kinds of support with your accommodation.  They’ll put together a support plan for you and make a recommendation to the Accommodation team.

• Staying safe in halls of residence

  We’re aiming to make your experience of living in halls of residence as normal and fun as possible. We don’t know what the government guidelines around social distancing will be for the start of Autumn term. We expect that you’ll form a social bubble with students in the rooms around you and you’ll share a kitchen. This means that you’ll be able to spend time together without keeping social distance from each other.

  We understand some students will be looking forward to living with and getting to new people in their accommodation and others will be worried about the potential risk. We’ll keep you posted with the information that you need to make your decision about living in halls.

  Our Accommodation team and the great teams in our halls of residence will help you to adjust when you arrive so you’re as comfortable as possible.