Accommodation
Accommodation guarantee
The University guarantees to provide an offer of accommodation for new, full-time undergraduate students during their first year of study in Bristol provided they meet the conditions required.
Read the accommodation guarantee for full details of the guarantee and the conditions required.
From May the Accommodation Prospectus is sent out to applicants who have firmly accepted their offer of study.
Accommodation Office
The Accommodation Office provides a service throughout the year to all full-time students, advising on all accommodation matters. Please contact the office directly if you have any enquiries relating to accommodation, tel +44 (0)117 954 5740, email accom-office@bristol.ac.uk.
The Accommodation Office also provides advice and assistance for those who fall outside the categories outlined in the accommodation guarantee. All students should apply for accommodation as early as possible. Some may be found a space in University accommodation and others will get help with finding a private rental.
Students with disabilities or health needs
The University has a number of adapted rooms for students with hearing, sight or mobility difficulties. We will also make special arrangements to accommodate students with other specific needs as they arise.
A home from home
When you start university, one of the things you want to be certain of is where you will live. At Bristol, we have around 3,500 residential places for undergraduate students.
Accommodation for first-year undergraduates is provided in halls of residence, student houses and partnership residences. Most study bedrooms have data and telephone points to enable you to connect to the University network and keep in touch with friends and family.
Our Accommodation Office will help you find somewhere to live, and can advise you on both University and private sector accommodation. Students with particular needs, such as disabled students and those with young families, will be given advice about accommodation that meets their requirements.
If you are planning to live at home or in private accommodation, the University is able to provide lots of opportunities to meet new people through the University's welcome events or through the Orbital Student Society (society for students living out of halls).
University accommodation
Full information about accommodation is given in the Accommodation Prospectus sent out to applicants who have firmly accepted their offer to study from May. The most recent Accommodation Prospectus can be viewed on the accommodation website together with other useful advice and information.
Student residences
The main complex of residences is located at Stoke Bishop, where there are self-catering halls (arranged as flats for five to seven students) and catering halls. There are three halls in Clifton: two are self-catering (one arranged as flats, one as a hall) and one is a catering hall. Some of the residences have rooms with en-suite facilities. The University's student houses provide one third of the self-catering places available for first-year undergraduates.
The residences offer a variety of social and sporting facilities, such as TV rooms, bars, launderettes, and squash and tennis courts. The residences provide friendly, caring environments where you can meet people from different backgrounds, pursue sporting and cultural interests and develop social and managerial skills.
Friendships and a strong residence identity develop from the first day, and each residence has a team of tutors or senior residents providing support and guidance. Details of all student residences can be found on the accommodation website.
Typical costs 2009/10
Catered accommodation
| University accommodation | Length of let | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| Single room - shared bathroom | 38 weeks | £4,400-£5,030 |
| Single en suite room | 38 weeks | £5,500 |
| Shared room | 38 weeks | £3,600 |
Self-catered accommodation
| University accommodation | Length of let | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| Single room - shared bathroom | 38-46 weeks | £3,040-£4,328 |
| Single en suite room | 38-46 weeks | £3,610-£4,598 |
| Shared room | 38 weeks | £2,000-£3,000 |
Costs include heating, lighting, electricity and hot water, and, in the case of catered halls, two meals a day.
Private sector accommodation
| Private sector | Length of let | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| Single room | 52 weeks | £3,840 |
Average £40 additional monthly cost for heating, electricity and hot water and water rates.
Couple and family accommodation
The University has a small number of flats for couples and families with up to two small children. Priority is given to new international postgraduate students.
Private sector accommodation
Nearly all students move into private accommodation after their first year. Prices vary according to location and type of accommodation. The Accommodation Office provides advice, support and a range of resources to help you find private accommodation, and runs a housing fair for first-year students early in the second term. For more details, please visit the accommodation website.
Getting around
The University precinct and the parts of the city where students tend to live are linked by a comprehensive daytime bus service, and most are within walking distance of each other. The Students' Union website provides details of travel offers for students. Car parking is difficult and first-year students are advised not to bring a car to Bristol unless they have been allocated a parking space. Many students find a bicycle the best way of getting about.
Cost of living in Bristol
The cost of living in Bristol varies as much as student lifestyles. Accomodation is usually the highest single cost in a typical weekly budget. Most students rely on part-time employment, support from parents or savings to supplement the student loan. For more information on tuition fees, student loans, hardship funds and other sources of financial support, please visit the Student Funding website. International students seeking more detailed guidance on the estimated costs of living in Bristol should consult the pre-arrival guide for international students or email os-as@bristol.ac.uk.
Your other living expenses will depend on your way of life. Most students spend something in the region of £6,500 to £9,000 a year on their living expenses, including accommodation.
The figures in the table below are based on 2008/09 costs for a single first-year undergraduate, assuming a stay of 38 weeks in a University residence (please note that catered accommodation is charged at 30 weeks' full rate, including meals, and eight weeks' vacation rate, cost of meals additional).
| Type of cost | Self-catered | Catered |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation | £1,976-£4,750 | £3,484-£5,184 |
| Food | £1,170 | £599 |
| Books/photocopying | £300 | £300 |
| Clothes/toiletries | £846 | £846 |
| Other (entertainment, local travel, etc) | £1,530 | £1,530 |
| Travel to/from University beginning/end term for UK resident students | £150 | £150 |
| Total | £5,972-£8,746 | £6,909-£8,609 |
In addition to the above costs, University accommodation will attract additional fees in the form of Caution Money, insurance and a Junior Common Room subscription fee. In 2008/09 these fees added approximately £260 to the costs highlighted above.
Badock Hall (catering)
Northwell House (self-catering)
Durdham Hall (self-catering)
Goldney Hall (self-catering)
Hiatt Baker Hall (catering)
Unite House (self-catering)
Manor Hall (self-catering)
Wills Hall (catering)
Woodland Court (self-catering)
Richmond Terrace (self-catering)