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.

Study Abroad Students

Study Abroad students starting in September are guaranteed an offer of accommodation in University of Bristol accommodation as long as they apply by the deadline listed on the accommodation website. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee an offer of accommodation for all students starting in January, however we make every effort to place as many students as possible.

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

Erasmus+ Students

Erasmus students are not guaranteed an offer of accommodation in University of Bristol halls and unfortunately it is highly unlikely that we will have accommodation available for you. If you are interested in University accommodation, you should still apply but please bear in mind that we will not be able to let you know whether you have an offer until very shortly before the start of the semester. We advise Erasmus students to start looking for private rented accommodation as soon as possible and you can find more information on our accommodation pages.

Health needs or disabilities

Your choice of accommodation may be influenced by ill health or disability. If this is the case, 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 wish to share with other mature students, you should indicate this on the accommodation application form. 

Please note that while we will do our best to ensure that your flat is made up of mature students, most of 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. During September we run an Accommodation Help Desk to help you look for housing.

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.

Please 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 can be found here.

Accommodation contents insurance

If you are renting in the private sector, we recommend you take out contents insurance. Information about insurance companies can be found in our contents insurance factsheet.