Halls of residence are university owned and managed accommodation located on, or very close to, campus. They provide accommodation for students of the university and provide first year students the opportunity to find somewhere safe to live in their new university city. Not all universities will have accommodation for all their students – it may be limited to first years only, but double check with your institution. 

In terms of safety halls are often the best choice for students. Universities are under an obligation to care for their tenants, and halls of residence will be inspected and checked for fire safety and gas hazards regularly. The University will repair any problems that arise, and if you have any special needs they will usually adapt the accommodation to suit.  The cost of renting in halls will be “all in” – tax and bills will be included in the price; in some cases contents insurance will also be included.

Older halls may have additional security in place, i.e. you may have to sign in guests who dont live in halls, seek permission for friends who are staying over and be more considerate of your neighbours than if you were in a self contained flat. The new generation of halls are more laidback allowing you much more freedom and independence.

Considerations to make about halls

There are two types of halls – self catered and catered. Catered halls provide students with two meals a day during the week whereas self-catered halls will have shared kitchens, allowing students to make their own food.

If you are going to stay in catered halls, make sure that the meal times will be convenient for you – will you actually be up in time for breakfast, and back in time for dinner? If you don’t think you will be, you may end up having to pay for two extra meals a day.

Most halls now also have the option of en-suite bathrooms and again this will be reflected in the price. Make sure you visit the halls before deciding on where you want to live. Don’t choose your new home based on the photographs in the brochure. Ask current students their opinions and thoughts to gain a ‘real’ insight on what the accommodation is like.