Accommodation costs and payments 

When you apply for University accommodation you need to ensure you have understood the cost of the tenancy and when you will be required to make payment. 

You should think carefully about what you can afford to spend on your rent for the year and ensure that any accommodation options you include in your application are within that budget. You can look into available bursaries and scholarships that may help you in covering some of the costs of your accommodation fee. 

When we make you an offer of University accommodation, the tenancy agreement will detail the total cost and when you must make the payments. Guidance on costs and budgeting, as well as how and when to pay accommodation fees can be found on the accommodation costs page. 

The tenancy agreement  

When you live in our residences, the University is your landlord. You will sign a tenancy agreement when you accept an offer of University accommodation.  

A tenancy agreement is a legally binding contract between you and the University. It outlines the dates of your accommodation contract, payment terms as well as requirements and expectations from you as the tenant. Should you need to move out before the tenancy end date, the tenancy agreement includes details on your rental liability.  

You can download a sample tenancy (PDF) and should review the terms to ensure you are prepared to accept them before making an application for accommodation. 

Tenancy dates 

The University offers fixed term tenancies, which means that your stay in residence is for a fixed period.  

The tenancy dates will vary depending on your course type (undergraduate, postgraduate or single semester). Tenancy lengths are published alongside each residence. You should check these before applying. The tenancy dates will cover most academic courses. There are a small number of courses that may continue after your tenancy end date. Please note we will not usually be able to offer any tenancy extensions so you will need to look for short-term accommodation if this applies to you.   

When you receive an accommodation offer, the start date and end date of your tenancy will be clearly stated in your tenancy agreement and in your accommodation offer email. You must check these dates before signing your tenancy agreement. 

Nomination properties 

Three of our postgraduate residences - Chantry Court, Deans Court and Woodland Court - are nomination properties. This means that you apply to live in them via the University's application process, but if we make you an offer to live in one of these properties, your tenancy agreement is with the third-party provider, and you will pay your rent directly to them. Terms and conditions for these properties can be found on the nomination properties page.

Completing the application 

The University will allocate you a room and a residence, so it is not possible to request to live somewhere specific when you apply. When you complete your application for accommodation, you need to ensure you include anything about you that affects the type of accommodation you need so that we can use this information to ensure we offer you something suitable.

Read our accommodation needs page to ensure you have thought about everything you need to include in your application. Full details are on the how to apply for University accommodation page.