Accommodation

Whether you're looking for a city centre experience or a quiet part of town, we'll help you find a place to call home.

University accommodation

Living in a university residence offers you the chance to join a student community. Residences organise their own sporting and social activities, and a team of staff and students is on site to offer you support and practical help. You'll live with undergraduate students from other countries and cultures, including the UK.

Take a look at the residences available to Study Abroad students.

Accommodation guarantee

Study Abroad students

Direct enrol (non-exchange) students are guaranteed an offer of a place in University accommodation for both September and January entry, if you apply by the deadline.

Exchange students from institutions outside of Europe are guaranteed an offer for September entry, if you apply by the deadline. We cannot guarantee an offer for January entry but we aim to place as many students as possible in a university residence or support you in finding private accommodation.

Exchange students from our European partners are not guaranteed an offer for September or January but are still welcome to apply. If we cannot provide a place in a university residence we will support you in finding private accommodation.

If you start in January

We try to place as many students as possible in a University residence or help you find private accommodation.

If are offered a room in a University residence, you might not be able to move into your allocated room immediately. There is no gap between autumn and spring semesters at Bristol, which means that autumn semester students live in university accommodation right up until the start of the spring semester. This gives time for autumn students to move out, for us to clean.

You may to be temporarily housed elsewhere until your accommodation is ready for you to move into, usually one or two weeks of term. You will be told before the start of the semester if this will affect you.

If you are in temporary accommodation you will usually be able to move into your allocated room after one or two weeks of term. If you have any questions about this, contact the Centre for Study Abroad inbound team.

STABEL students

If you are on the STABEL programme you will need to apply for university accommodation twice: once for the pre-sessional English course, and once for the Study Abroad Programme. It may not be possible to stay in the same room for both courses. The Centre for Study Abroad inbound team will contact STABEL students with more information.

Health needs or disabilities

Your might want a specific location for your accommodation if you have a disability or ill health. It is important that you apply as soon as the accommodation applications open so that we can make you a suitable offer.

Find out more about what accommodation is available for students who have a disability and/or health need.

Mature students

If you are 21 or over and want to live in accommodation with other mature students, you should indicate this on the accommodation application form. We will do our best to make sure that you live with other mature students, but most often the students living around you will be 18 or 19 years old.

Living in private rented accommodation

If you want to be more independent, you may prefer to find private rented accommodation. Most rental contracts are for a minimum of nine months, so this is most appropriate if you are coming for a full year.

There is a lot of competition to find private rented accommodation in Bristol in September. To give yourself the best chance of finding somewhere suitable to live, start looking as early as you can. If possible, we advise that you visit the UK when looking for accommodation.

Our Accommodation Office offers information and guidance on where to look for accommodation and how to make sure you find a safe place to live. We also recommend Bristol SU lettings, a lettings agency run by the Students' Union.

Note that if you are living in privately rented accommodation, you will be liable for paying council tax for any dates outside your official university registration. You may be exempt from council tax during university term dates, but you will need to apply for this exemption.

More information on living in privately rented accommodation.