Cardiff University Residences

Cardiff University currently guarantees accommodation for most undergraduates with a firm offer and postgraduates arriving in September. They also currently guarantee accommodation for undergraduate foundation students at the International Study Centre.

Clearing, Record of Prior Acceptance (RPA) and late applicant students will be accommodated on a first-come, first-served basis. That said, over the past couple of years, Cardiff University Residences have been able to accept the majority of students wanting accommodation with them.

Residence Life Team

All students living in University Residences will have access to the Residence Life Team, who include Residence Life Coordinators and student Residence Life Assistants. This Team works in partnership with the University’s Student Support and Wellbeing Team, Residences Management and the Students’ Union. They are in place to enhance your student experience and help create an inclusive community.

The Residence Life Team are committed to ensuring that you have the best possible time in residences and they aim to provide a warm welcome, encourage a smooth transition to university and build a community-focused culture that gives you a sense of belonging and inclusion. They provide peer to peer support and bring students together through events that enhance your learning and skills, provide practical support for your student life, as well as social and cultural activities.

Accommodation available

Cardiff University offers a range of accommodation, including University-owned shared houses and shared flats in purpose-built blocks. The Cardiff University Guide to Living in University Accommodation offers a lot of information that can help you when deciding what you want/need and you can visit residences on the University open days and see for yourself what they look like and where they are. In terms of facilities, you can choose between

• Studio or shared flat
• En-suite or shared bathroom
• Catered or self-catered.

They also offer halls and houses to meet individual needs and preferences. This includes accommodation for;

• postgraduate students;
• Healthcare students starting in March and those with an extended session duration;
• disabled students;
• those seeking a quieter living environment;
• LGBTQ+;
• Welsh speakers and learners;
• couples and families;

Accommodation is available for those with hearing impairments, or those who need wheelchair access.

You can browse all accommodation and filter your choices on the University’s website.

Guaranteed Accommodation

Cardiff University Residences currently guarantee a place for international and full session Erasmus students. Part session Erasmus students will need to look at the short term accommodation options.

Prices

Prices vary, depending on the type of residence. Fees are payable in three instalments, with due dates that fit in with your Student Finance payments. An example of the amount for a single occupancy, standard 40-week occupancy, can be found below and a more detailed summary of fees for 2020/21 can be found here.

Type of Residence (2022/23) - Total fee

Self-catered and shared bathroom: £4303.00 - £5516.00, depending on location

Self-catered and ensuite: £4690.00 - £5682.00, depending on location

Part-catered and shared bathroom: £4690.00 - £5326.00

Part-catered and ensuite: £4690.00 - £6096.00

Location

When you are browsing the accommodation available, you will see that each residence includes an estimate of travel time to both University campuses. Further information is available in the University’s Location Guide. In terms of amenities and demographics, University residences are located in the following areas:

Cathays

Cathays surrounds the Cathays Park campus and is very close to the city centre. It has a very high density of student accommodation, predominantly in shared houses, though flats are available. Cathays includes plenty of shops, pubs, takeaways and restaurants, all within walking distance. It offers a vibrant student community but can be noisy, especially closer to the Students’ Union and the city centre. The following University residences are in Cathays:

Aberconway Hall

Aberdare Hall

Colum Hall

Hodge Hall

Roy Jenkins Hall

Senghennydd Court

Senghennydd Hall

Student Houses (Column Road/Place)

Student Houses (Village)

Talybont Court

Roath

Roath is next to Cathays, moving away from the city centre. Depending on where you live in Roath, it is about a 15-20 minute walk to the Cathays Park campus and around a 25-minute walk to Heath Park. Although a bit further out, Roath is still considered an inner-city suburb, which offers a mixed community of students, professional single people and families. It is ethnically diverse and has plenty of shops, pubs, takeaways and restaurants, as well as green spaces. It offers a large range of rented accommodation and is a better place to look for flats. Residences in Roath:

Gordon Hall

Cartwright Court

Penylan

Penylan is next to Roath, moving further away from the centre and into the suburbs of Cardiff. It is a quiet, affluent area, predominantly filled with families. It is around a 35-40 minute walk to the University’s Main Building and city centre and around 25-30 minutes to the Heath campus. Although University Hall is a lot further out of the centre than the other residences, the University does run a bus service to Main Building and Heath Park campus. The closest shops, bars and fast food places are on Wellfield Road and Albany Road, which are in Roath and around a 10-minute walk away. Residences in Penylan:

University Hall

Heath, Gabalfa and Maindy

Heath wraps around the Heath Park Campus but most of Heath is further from the city centre and Cathays Park Campus. Maindy and Gabalfa link Cathays to Heath. There are still plenty of shops, takeaways, restaurants and bars but Heath is big and in parts, there are far less than Cathays and Roath. Whitchurch Road, for example, is almost entirely lined with places to eat and drink but moving closer to the hospital these become very sparse. There is generally less rented accommodation available and a much higher density of families. Residences in Heath, Gabalfa and Maindy:

Clodien House

Talybont Gate

Talybont North

Talybont South

How to choose

When considering the accommodation that would best for you, you will need to think about:

• Affordability. Student halls are generally more expensive than private rented accommodation but you will not have to pay or worry about bills. If you are new to Cardiff University, halls are also a good way to meet others in the same boat and make new friends. When working out what is affordable, you will need to consider how much funding you will get and what you will need to budget for.
• Catering. Do you want/need catered accommodation or would you rather shop and cook for yourself? This is an entirely personal choice based on your preference and budget. Catered accommodation is usually more expensive than cooking for yourself but you know that you will have access to ready-made meals, without having to worry about shopping or cooking.
• Amenities. How happy are you to share space and can you afford not to? For some, an en-suite bathroom is an absolute “must-have” but for others, it is just preferable. En-suites are more expensive and studio apartments, which offer more personal space, are more expensive again.
• Location. How close is the residence to the University and if it is far away is there adequate University or Public transport options.
• Anything else you need. Do you need wheelchair access, space for your family, or a quieter room? Is the hall available for an extended period or over the vacation periods if you need it to be?

How to apply

As soon as you have a firm offer from Cardiff University you can log in to the University online system (SIMS) and apply. When you apply for accommodation you will be invited to list your preferences. The University is very clear that, due to the high demand for some accommodation, not all students will be offered accommodation that meets their higher preferences. We recommend doing your research and thinking in advance where you will and won’t be happy to accept.

You can find out more about your accommodation options and how to apply below

Undergraduate, Erasmus or Exchange Student Accommodation 

Postgraduate Accommodation options 

International Study Centre Accommodation

Student Summer Accommodation Summer residences  are available from June until the middle of September. If you cannot find summer accommodation at Cardiff University an alternative would be a private hall of residence. 

Contact Student Advice

Advice@cardiff.ac.uk
+44 (0)2920 781410