We guarantee an offer of accommodation in a single-occupancy room to all students who fulfil all of the following criteria:
- are new undergraduates or new postgraduates
- are over 16 years of age
- make the University their firm or insurance choice
- apply for accommodation contracts of 38 weeks or longer and meet the conditions of their academic offer by 31 August
Our guarantee is extended to the following groups:
- pre-sessional English students who do not receive their results until after August 31
- students on study abroad and exchange programmes who need single-semester contracts
To be covered by the Accommodation Guarantee, you must submit your accommodation application by 11:59pm UK time on 1 July 2025.
Accommodation applications for 2025/26 are expected to open in April 2025.
The Guarantee extends only to an offer of a room in halls. There is no guarantee that a particular type or price of room will be available.
We reserve the right to extend the Guarantee to other cohorts of students as deemed appropriate, and the terms of this Guarantee may change from year to year.
The accommodation offer must be accepted by the deadline stated on the accommodation portal. The Guarantee does not extend to any further offer that may be made at our discretion.
Groups not covered by the Accommodation Guarantee
Returning students
A limited number of rooms are made available for Returning students each year. No Returning student is guaranteed accommodation.
Students with medical conditions or disabilities which present difficulties in finding suitable alternative accommodation will be prioritised, as will students requiring accommodation for part of the year due to placements or Study Abroad.
Returning students with outstanding accommodation debt or unsatisfactory misconduct record (including certain criminal convictions) may not be offered a place in halls. We reserve the right to withdraw an offer of a place in halls at any time.
Late Applicants
Applications are welcomed from students applying after the guarantee deadline date, but they are encouraged to consider other options in the event that we are unable to make an offer.
Clearing/Adjustment students
Please check your Clearing/Adjustment offer to see whether it includes a guaranteed place in halls.
Students under 16 years of age when their course commences
Where possible, an accommodation offer shall be made when the student turns 16 years old. There is no guarantee of a specific room type or hall being available on that date. Such students may find alternative accommodation such as Homestay more suitable due to the adult nature of halls accommodation.
Family members accompanying a student otherwise covered by the Guarantee
We have a limited amount of accommodation suitable for couples and families. Though we do not guarantee to accommodate a student’s family, we welcome applications for these accommodation options.
Allocation of accommodation
Students will be offered one of their preferences of accommodation (combination of hall/room type/contract length) wherever possible, however we do not guarantee that any preference will be available at the time of the offer.
Any offer made will be the closest match to the application preferences that can be made on that date.
In addition to hall/room type/contract length options, students may select Quieter Lifestyle, Alcohol Free, Single Gender or LGBTQ+ accommodation.
Students selecting one of these options will be placed in a flat with others who have chosen that option. These additional options are not available at every hall, due to constraints around the configuration of buildings and for reasons of demand.
Contract lengths available include
For undergraduates:
- 38 weeks (September to mid-June)
- 41 weeks (September to early July)
For postgraduates:
- 41 weeks (September to early July)
- 51 weeks (September to September)
Limited Semester 1 and Semester 2 contracts are available for students on recognised courses of study requiring them to be in Southampton for a single semester only.
Factors influencing allocation
We aim to create flats where the residents are at similar levels of study and of similar ages, but diverse in course of study, nationality, and gender.
As far as possible, undergraduates will be allocated in different flats to postgraduates, and new students in different flats to returning students. Flatmates will be of similar ages. Unless the flat is Single Gender, the balance of male/female students within a flat is aimed to be no more than 60% one way or the other.
Students will live with people on different courses to their own as far as possible, and with a diverse range of nationalities where this can be achieved.
Students with medical needs or disabilities who are supported by our Student Disability and Inclusion team may be prioritised for specific rooms with required adaptations.
Rooms are not offered on a first come, first served basis due to the complexities of the allocation process as outlined above.
We will prioritise allocating a student into a flat with residents they are likely to enjoy living with above ensuring a student’s first preference is met.
