1. Applying for Accommodation
Applications for University accommodation are accepted on the basis that students are from an eligible group, detailed as follows for 2025/26 academic year:
- New first years studying a full-time undergraduate course
- New full-time Foundation Degree in Sports Performance (C601) students
- New full-time MA Contemporary European Studies (Euromasters) students
- New full-time overseas, fee-paying postgraduates
- Returning students with specific medical conditions or disabilities who have been assessed as eligible to apply for university accommodation
- Students leaving care provided by the State or other organisations
- Students that are estranged, refugees or asylum seekers in receipt of a Sanctuary Scholarship
- Exchange or visiting students nominated for student accommodation by the International Mobility team
- Students attending a pre-sessional programme
Applications for our nomination accommodation are accepted on the basis that students are from an eligible group, detailed as follows for 2025/26 academic year:
- New overseas, fee-paying postgraduates
New UK fee paying postgraduates
New UK fee paying postgraduates are eligible to apply for University managed accommodation and nomination accommodation . There is limited accommodation available to UK postgraduate students, these are allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. If availability runs out, you will remain on the waiting list. We will try to house as many UK postgraduate students as possible.
Non-eligible groups
If, during the application verification processes, an application is found from a non-eligible student, the application will be withdrawn, and confirmation will be sent to the student by email. Assistance can be provided in finding private sector housing by visiting our Private Sector Accommodation webpages.
1.2 When to apply
First year undergraduates
Applications are accepted after Bath is registered as your first choice through UCAS.
Those who have made Bath their insurance choice can only apply after they have changed Bath from insurance choice to first choice.
All other eligible groups
Applications are accepted after you have made a 'firm' acceptance of course offer with the University of Bath.
1.3 Guarantee deadline
Students from eligible groups need to have applied by the 1 July to be guaranteed a room in University accommodation or nomination accommodation.
Postgraduate Students applying before the 1 July must hold an ‘unconditional firm’ offer by the 31 August in order to be guaranteed accommodation. If your course status is still ‘conditional firm’ after 31 August, you are eligible to apply for our accommodation, but you are not guaranteed a place and the offer of such accommodation will be subject to availability, if and when your course status becomes ‘unconditional firm’.
There is limited accommodation available to UK postgraduate students, these are allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. If availability runs out, you will remain on the waiting list. We will try to house as many UK postgraduate students as possible.
Please note this is a guarantee of a room, not a specific type of room or location.
1.4 Applying after the guarantee date
Accommodation applications received after the 1 July are accepted on a non-guaranteed basis.
Whilst we cannot guarantee a room in University accommodation for applications made after the guarantee date, we make every effort to place you in our accommodation. This could be an offer of a temporary shared accommodation so that you are able to attend the University whilst we work with you to find a suitable permanent room.
1.5 Applying with additional requirements
Students wishing to apply for accommodation based on disability, medical condition or additional support needs should complete an Additional Requirements application form and upload it in the account section of your accommodation portal.
The guarantee date of 1 July still applies for additional requirements applications. We will still try to help as much as possible for applications received after 1 July, but finding available accommodation that is suitable may prove challenging. If you hold an insurance offer with us and have a condition that requires a specific type of room, you must download and email the form to reslife@bath.ac.uk before the 1 July.
Returning students for academic year 2026/27 will need to submit an Additional Requirements application form, which will be assessed by a panel of Student Support and ResLife teams. This panel will evaluate the application for eligibility to remain in University managed accommodation. Students who want to apply must have emailed the relevant additional requirements form to the ResLife team by the deadline of 31 December 2025.
If a returning student application is approved on additional support needs, they will be given the most suitable room available for their needs.
We are committed to providing a safe and happy environment for students to live in, whatever their choice of accommodation. We value diversity and inclusivity and want everyone to be treated with respect. Our ResLife team is available to help if you need any support with your application.
1.6 Assistance Animals
Students with a disability who utilise an approved assistance animal and who want to live in University accommodation must advise the ResLife Team as part of their additional requirements application.
Approved assistance dogs (guide dogs, hearing dogs, service dogs) are allowed into University accommodation under the control of their owner.
There is currently no recognised accreditation of emotional support animals. The University therefore reserves the right to refuse access to any animal at its discretion that is not accredited. However, in exceptional circumstances and when there is clear medical evidence, consideration will be given to requests by students to bring emotional support/ therapy animals to University. Any approval is at the University’s sole discretion. Consideration can only be given to animals that can be appropriately, safely and hygienically kept in a student’s bedroom. For further information contact reslifesupport@bath.ac.uk.
1.7 Applying for couple accommodation
For students attending accommodation with a partner, details will need to be provided of the second occupant. At least one of the occupants must be a student eligible for University of Bath accommodation. If one occupant leaves the accommodation, the remaining occupant must also leave if they are not a University of Bath current student. If the remaining occupant is a University of Bath current student they will be liable for the full cost of the room.
1.8 Additional Preferences
When completing an application for accommodation, there are additional preferences available to select alongside your accommodation and room type choices. Some of these are available to certain student types only, and they wont necessarily be able to be accommodated together. They are also subject to availability and demand. Selecting these preferences is not a guarantee that you will be accommodated in this type of accommodation. Priority will always be to fulfil the gender requirements specified on the application. Whilst every effort is made to allocate into a selected accommodation and room type preference, room allocations will be made taking preferences into account as a priority over selected accommodation and room type.
The additional preferences available to choose from are:
Single Sex accommodation
We offer single sex flats for students who do not wish to live in a mixed sex environment. Students living in single sex accommodation can have visitors of the opposite sex in their accommodation, but must show particular consideration to and be sensitive to their flatmates. In addition, University staff or contractors of either sex may enter the accommodation from time to time.
Quiet accommodation
Applicants for quiet accommodation do so on the basis they will need to show extra consideration to their flatmates and neighbours in keeping noise to a minimum wherever possible. Applicants who do not request quiet accommodation will not be assigned it.
For most of our accommodation it is expected that no noise or music should be heard in adjacent corridors or rooms after 11.30pm. However, for those assigned quiet accommodation it is expected that no noise or music should be heard in adjacent corridors or rooms after 10pm.
There is no guarantee in quiet accommodation that there will be no disturbance from external sources outside of our control, such as street noise.
Note - Residents using kitchens or bathrooms after 10pm should show special consideration to other students in the accommodation group who may be trying to sleep.
Alcohol-free accommodation
We offer some designated alcohol-free flats/groups for new undergraduates, subject to sufficient demand. When living in an alcohol-free flat or group you, or your guests, are not permitted to keep, drink or bring alcohol into your accommodation. No applicant will be placed in alcohol-free accommodation if they have not applied for it.
Mature student accommodation
New undergraduate applicants aged 21 years or above will be allocated with other students 21 and above where suitable accommodation is available to do so. We cannot guarantee there will be no students younger than 21 living around you.
LGBTQ+ accommodation
Our LGBTQ+ accommodation provision is open to first-year undergraduates of all genders, and is exclusively for those who identify as LGBTQ+. You can select the option regardless of which gender identity/identities you hold and can expect to live with students of other gender identities that fall under LGBTQ+. If you wish to live in single sex accommodation, then please select that option when applying rather than LGBTQ+.
1.8 Show flats
We have a number of accommodation blocks that are used as show flats for University Offer Holder days and Open Days throughout the year. If you are allocated into a room within a show flat you will need to ensure your flat is ready for viewing on these occasions. By accepting an offer of an allocation into room in a show flat you agree to adhere to the expectations set out on [show flat link] and the information in the Accommodation Terms and Conditions
2. Room Allocations
2.1 Room allocation procedure
We only allocate rooms after an applicant’s course offer changes to unconditional firm.
Rooms will be allocated randomly by the accommodation database according to course offer status, room type preference and group gender preference.
Our accommodation is located on campus and in and around the city centre.
Some accommodation/room types/locations are oversubscribed which means we cannot allocate everyone a place in one of their preferred accommodation options.
Postgraduates
Postgraduate allocations are completed when an applicant’s course offer changes to unconditional firm. Offers for postgraduate accommodation are sent out weekly on a Wednesday following the course offer changing to unconditional firm. Offers are sent to the applicants registered email address.
Students also applying for accommodation for their pre-sessional study need to have completed and additional application for their pre-sessional requirements. Allocations will not be processed until both applications are submitted.
Euromasters students
Eligible Euromaster students that apply for accommodation prior to the deadline of the 1 July, will receive their allocation into Pulteney Court accommodation on Wednesday 2 July.
Applications received after this date will be allocated into Pulteney Court, subject to availability. After which, allocations will be into other Single Semester accommodation.
Exchange students
Eligible Exchange students that apply for accommodation prior to the deadline of the 1 July, will receive their allocation Aquila Court or Pulteney Court accommodation on Wednesday 2 July.
Applications received after this date will be allocated into this accommodation subject to availability. After which, allocations will be into other Single Semester accommodation.
First year undergraduates and all other eligible groups
When allocating undergraduate rooms, priority is not given to the date and time that students submit their accommodation application. First year undergraduate room offers will be sent after the guarantee deadline of 1 July, and only once your course offer becomes unconditional firm.
All offers are sent out weekly on a Wednesday.
All first-year undergraduate students whose course status changes to unconditional firm prior to the 5 August will receive their offer up to and including the 6 August.
After the 6 August, as the majority of first-year undergraduate allocations are completed after waiting for A level results, room offers will be sent out to all remaining first-year undergraduates eligible for guaranteed accommodation on Wednesday 27 August.
Undergraduate waiting list allocations will take place from the 28 August, daily, as and when a suitable room becomes available.
2.2 Delays affecting your offer of accommodation
Delays to your offer becoming unconditional firm will likely affect your chances of getting your preferred room. Delays can include things like not achieving your offer grades and going through an appeal process.
You will need to contact us to inform us of any delay, otherwise your accommodation applications may be withdrawn.
2.3 Offering you a room
University Accommodation
The date upon which you may receive an offer or University accommodation will depend on your student type and offer guarantee status.
The details of your expected offer date will be included in the email you receive once you submit your application.
Accepting our offer of accommodation
If you are offered accommodation, you will receive an email inviting you to login to the Accommodation Portal to view and accept your offer. The email and offer will confirm the date by which you need to accept or decline your offer. The deadline is four days of your offer date. If you miss the deadline, your offer will expire, and your room will be allocated to another student. Once your offer has expired you will need to contact us if you still require accommodation, and you will be placed on the waiting list, in which case you will only be assigned a room subject to availability.
If you wish to secure a room in our accommodation, you must accept your offer and move into the accommodation. We are unable to process any room changes once a room has been allocated. If you are unhappy with your room allocation, you will then be eligible to apply for a room transfer from October 2025. Before the room transfer applications open, the ResLife team can offer support with any concerns or worries that you may have.
If your offer of accommodation does not meet your needs due to a medical condition or disability that you have not previously made us aware of, you are advised to contact us and we will endeavour to help you. We cannot guarantee that your preferred room will be available. You will be required to provide medical evidence in support of any medical conditions that impact on your choice of accommodation.
Your accommodation offer will include all the information about your contract with Us. You will need to read the offer of accommodation carefully and make sure it is suitable for your needs.
If you no longer require the accommodation we offer you, please notify us as soon as possible, so we can re-allocate the room to another student.
In order to confirm the room allocation, postgraduates and returning Undergraduates are required to make an advanced rent payment of £500 when they accept their accommodation contract. More information about this payment can be found in section 1.3 of the Student Accommodation Terms and Conditions.
Rejecting our offer of accommodation
If you reject your accommodation offer you will not be given an alternative offer and you will need to look for accommodation in the private sector.
Temporary shared accommodation
Whilst We will make every effort to place You in our accommodation, this could be an offer of temporary shared accommodation so that You are able to attend the University, whilst we work with You to find a suitable permanent room in our accommodation. Once a room becomes available in our accommodation You will be contacted with arrangements to move into your permanent accommodation. This will be an offer of a room in any of our accommodation blocks, located in the city or on campus. You must accept the room as per 2.3, and move into the accommodation. If required You will then be eligible to apply for a room transfer from October 2025. Before the room transfer applications open, the ResLife team can offer support with any concerns or worries that you may have.
There is no option to remain in Temporary Shared accommodation beyond the date your permanent room becomes available.
Non University of Bath Managed Accommodation
These buildings are secured on a nomination agreement with the University of Bath for use by our students:
The ResLife Team at the University of Bath will decide allocations, and then inform the nominations accommodation management of the details. At this point they will contact students directly with room offer details and a room contract.
The individual management team for each building will then be your first point of contact for any queries you may have.