When to start looking

Q: As a first-year student, when should I start looking for accommodation?

A: If you are applying for Royal Holloway accommodation, then you need to apply online by the relevant deadline. Once you have accepted Royal Holloway as your firm choice for university then you may apply for accommodation through the online application system. Details about applying for halls of residence are on the Student Housing Bureau website. If you have specific questions which are not answered here then please contact the Student Housing Bureau directly.

If you want to live in private sector accommodation, or if you have not been able to get a room in halls of residence, then we recommend that you start to consider your options in private housing as soon as possible. The Student Housing Bureau can advise all students on how best to begin your house-hunt.

Students who are reliant on A-level results will have to wait until mid-August before they can look, but others don’t. So if you’re in a position to look for a house before mid-August, do it. There will also be local factors which affect when existing students start looking for the following letting year.

Q: As a returning student, when should I start looking for accommodation for the following year?

A: If you want to remain in, or move back to, Royal Holloway accommodation then you need to contact the Student Housing Bureau website just after you return from Christmas and check what the system for returners is.

You are likely to come under early pressure from the private sector to start looking for accommodation for the next letting year as early as November or December. This pressure will largely involve alarmist messages that all the good properties are snapped up at this time of year for the following year. Beware – this is marketing puff to suck you in to paying over the odds. Also, the earlier you look for a house, the longer the period you will generally be expected to pay rent for. Although there is some element of local custom and practice, the bona fide house-hunting season doesn’t get going until after January, February and March, and we recommend that you hold off signing up until at least this time.