Paying for your accommodation

How to pay for your time in residences depending on your arrangement.

If you are staying in Unite accommodation, details about paying will be included in the information sent to you by Unite once you have been allocated a place.

Rent is payable by one of the following methods:

• Credit/debit card in full in advance or on arrival
• Direct debit from a UK Bank Account (payable in a maximum of 3 instalments on set dates, depending on your contract period). Your Direct Debit needs to be set up with us by 1 October, otherwise you will need to make payment by credit/debit card.
  Please note: this Direct Debit covers rent only. You will need to complete a separate mandate for your tuition fees.

The only exceptions to these payment methods are:

Sponsored students

If your rent will be paid directly to us by your sponsor, select ‘Instalments paid by sponsor’ as your payment method and forward a copy of your Affidavit letter confirming your sponsored status to Campus Services Income: studentconnect@cardiff.ac.uk. After your arrival in Cardiff we will invoice your sponsor for your rent.

NHS Bursary/monthly stipend

If you will be in receipt of a monthly stipend from the NHS Bursary, you can request to pay your rent in equal monthly instalments by a monthly payment plan. Select ‘Instalments by Direct Debit’ and then ‘No UK bank account’ button on this screen. Forward confirmation of your bursary to Campus Services Income: studentconnect@cardiff.ac.uk. They will confirm acceptance of your payment plan after evidence of your monthly stipend has been received and shortly after your arrival.

If neither of these options suits your circumstance, select ‘Instalments by Direct Debit’ option and then ‘No UK bank account’ button on this screen. Contact Campus Services Income who will go through other payment options with you.

Paying by direct debit

When you accept your contract online, you will be asked to complete your direct debit information.

If you wish to pay by direct debit from a UK bank account (payable in a maximum of three instalments on set dates, depending on your contract period) you should select the ‘Instalments by Direct Debit’ option when accepting your online contract. You will then be able to complete your direct debit details online. If your rent will be paid out of a bank account in someone else’s name, then you should also select this option and the account holder will be able to complete their direct debit details online.

If you are an overseas student and do not yet have a UK Bank Account, please select the ‘No UK bank account’ button. Once you have opened your UK bank account log back into the SIMS student portal to provide these details. If you do not set up a direct debit by 1 October 2024, you will need to pay your rent instalments by credit/debit card.

Banks/building society accounts

If you will be paying your rent by direct debit and you do not have a UK Bank or Building Society account, then you will need to open one as soon as it is possible for you to do so. Several of the major banks have branches which are easily accessible on the main campus. Alternatively, you may be able to open an account online before you come to Cardiff. In order to open a bank account you may need to provide proof of address.

Our guidelines on paying for residences include details of banks in Cardiff with Student Advisors.

Payment advice

A couple of weeks before each payment date you will be emailed a Payment Advice advising you of the date and the amount that will be taken by Direct Debit for that instalment. This enables you to ensure there are sufficient funds in the account.

This will be emailed to your Cardiff University email address and also to any other email address we hold for you. It is important for you to check your email accounts regularly. Please note some email providers may treat the email as spam, check your spam/junk mail folder as well as your inbox.

The payment dates for the 2024/2025 session are:

• 23 October 2024
• 22 January 2025
• 7 May 2025

If you anticipate difficulty paying your rent, for example, as a result of the late arrival of your student funding, or because you receive a monthly NHS Bursary, contact the Campus Services Income by emailing studentconnect@cardiff.ac.uk as soon as you are aware of this. Have your student number to hand whenever you contact us.

If you have a problem with your funding, contact the Student Funding and Advice Team for help.

Rent queries

Contact Campus Services Income if you have any queries or if you wish to obtain a receipt for your payment.

Have your student number to hand whenever you contact us.