Apply for undergraduate and exchange student accommodation
We can guarantee a place in university accommodation with other first year undergraduates.
You can apply for university accommodation after you have accepted your offer to study here. You can do this via the Cardiff University online system (SIMS). You will need your username and password which was emailed to you shortly after we received your application.
How to apply
We offer a variety of student halls and houses for you to choose, depending on your lifestyle and budget. You may find it useful to consider the following factors when deciding on your living space:
- self-catered/meals provided
- availability of ensuite shower/toilet facilities
- rent
- how close it is to your academic building, the city centre, or your choice of social or sports facilities
- and for some students, especially those from overseas, the availability of residences during the summer vacation (all of the university accommodation allow you to stay during Christmas and Easter vacations)
You can apply for a place in university accommodation after you have a firm offer to study.
You can do this via the Cardiff University online system (SIMS). You will need your username and password which was emailed to you shortly after we received your application.
To ensure you are guaranteed a single occupancy place in University accommodation, you must:
- submit your online application by:
- firm students - Monday 31 July 2023
- insurance students - Thursday 31 August 2023
- full session exchange students - Monday 31 July 2023
- receive/accept an unconditional offer to study by Thursday 31 August 2023
When applying online, you will be able to detail your order of preference for the accommodation available. We will make every effort to ensure that you get into one of your preferred choices. If this isn’t possible, we will offer you an alternative room based on availability.
- Please note: If your online application is received after the deadline or you receive/accept an unconditional offer to study after Thursday 31 August 2023, we will do our best to accommodate you and your application will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis.
Due to the embargo periods for both Scottish and A Level results, UCAS applicants will not be able to apply online during the following times:
- 18:00 Monday 31 July to 09:00 Tuesday 8 August
- 17:00 Thursday 10 August to 08:00 Thursday 17 August
Application order
Your application is processed in date order, according to two dates:
- the first is the date we receive confirmation from Admissions of your unconditional offer to study
- the second is the date of receipt of your application
We will try to offer you one of your higher preferences when allocating you a place in university accommodation.
If there is not a vacancy in your first choice of accommodation, we will consider all your other choices in priority order until we can locate a vacancy for you.
Because the residences vary in the numbers of students they accommodate and some are more popular than others, obtaining your higher preferences can't be guaranteed. If your preferred accommodation is no longer available, we will make you what we consider a suitable alternative offer.
It is our policy to house students in mixed flats in terms of gender and nationality/race wherever possible, including bedrooms on the ground floor. If you would prefer to live in a single gender flat, please let us know in your online application.
If you will be living in Unite accommodation the following does not apply and you will receive further information directly from Unite.
In late July/August/September, you will receive an email telling you that your application has been processed and asking you to view and accept your room offer online.
You must accept your online room offer within five days or your offer will expire and the room will be allocated to another student. Therefore, it is important for you to check your email account during this period.
Please note some email providers may treat the email as spam, so please check your spam/junk mail folder as well as your inbox.
Your online room offer consists of the following information:
- contract
- written statement/terms and conditions
- arrival Information
- paying for residences guidelines
Once you have accepted your room offer, your room will be reserved for you and you will receive an email confirming this.
You will be offered a place for a set period and once you accept your room offer, you become liable for the rent for the contract period stated on your contract.
To finally guarantee your place in university accommodation, you must arrive and collect your room key within the dates/times specified in the arrival information.
If you are unable to arrive within the specified dates, your room offer will be withdrawn and your room allocated to another student. We will no longer be able to guarantee you a place in university accommodation and you will need to contact the Residences Office when your travel date is confirmed to check room availability.
Key dates
Task | Deadline |
---|---|
Firm applicants must submit their online application | Monday 31 July 2023 |
Full session Exchange students must submit their online application | Monday 31 July 2023 |
Insurance applicants must submit their online application | Thursday 31 August 2023 |
Receive/accept your unconditional offer to study | Thursday 31 August 2023 |
Accept your room offer (online) | Within five days of your room being allocated |
Collect your room key | Within the dates/times specified in the arrival information |
Clearing, RPA and late applicants
We accommodate Clearing, Record of Prior Acceptance (RPA) and late applicant students (i.e. apply after the above mentioned deadlines) in student accommodation on a first-come, first-served basis.
We will keep you up-to-date about the availability of rooms and do our very best to find you suitable accommodation. If we cannot provide you with university accommodation, we will let you know as soon as we can and provide guidance in securing private sector accommodation.
Find out more about accommodation for students who join us through Clearing.
Key dates | |
---|---|
Friday 30 June 2023 | This is the deadline for applications to study made through the normal UCAS admissions cycle. If you have applied after this date, university accommodation will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis |
Friday 1 September 2023 | We will have started processing late applications for accommodation. Once you have accepted your offer to study on a firm basis, we will email you with instructions on how you can apply for university accommodation online. |
Part session exchange students
Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee exchange students a place in university accommodation if you are coming for autumn or spring semester only.
There are a fixed number of rooms available in university accommodation each semester and you will receive specific information about accommodation from the Global Opportunities team when you hold a formal offer to study with us.
European students can also find out more on the European Exchange web page.
Global Opportunities
Log in and apply for your University accommodation now.