One of the most common accommodation questions we’re asked is about our procedure for allocating rooms to students. Have a read below to find out the process and what you can do in your application to help us to allocate the most suitable accommodation for you.
How are accommodation applications processed and when will I hear back?
Undergraduate students applying by the guarantee deadline (31st July)
Once your study offer status becomes Unconditional Firm then the system will select an application at random to be processed, taking into account the preferences specified in that application where possible.
Unless you are coming as a deferred student, most undergraduate students who are waiting for exam results during the summer will then receive an offer of accommodation during the week after A level results day.
Undergraduate students applying after the guarantee deadline (1st August onwards)
Applications will be processed in date order. You won’t be able to specify which residences you want to live in, but you can state your preferences of room type and we will try our best to allocate somewhere that matches them.
Most undergraduate students who are waiting for exam results during the summer and who applied for accommodation after the guarantee deadline will find out whether we are able to make an offer of accommodation or not during the last week of August.
Find out about timescales for other types of applications on the When will I hear? webpage.
Postgraduate students and exchange students coming to Exeter for one semester
Applications are processed on a first come, first served basis.
You’ll usually receive an offer of accommodation within two weeks of submitting your application.
What preferences can I choose when applying?
When you apply for accommodation, you can put down 4 preferences of residence. If a residence has more than one room type then these count as separate preferences. For example, you could select 2 preferences at Lafrowda – Lafrowda en-suite and Lafrowda standard.
There are also a number of lifestyle-related preferences which you can select. It depends whether enough students also select these additional preferences as to whether we will be able to meet this request, but it does help us to be able to group similarly-minded students together.
- If you need to live in a single sex rather than mixed sex flat
- If you would prefer a quiet flat (to live with other people who have mentioned this within their application)
- The ages of people you wish to live with: either under 21 years or 21 years and over
- If you would prefer to live with people who do not drink alcohol (you would need to add this into the Notes section of the application)
We know that some residences are very popular and receive far more applications than we have beds available, so finally we ask you to give us the main priority factor you would like us to consider if we have to look beyond your application preferences. Is it the location, room type, cost, catering basis, or are you open to anything?
How does the process of allocating accommodation work?
- Once the system has chosen an application, we look at that person’s top residences choices and the additional accommodation preferences in that application to allocate a room. This process continues until the number of students needed to fill a residence is reached.
- Our team of allocators are each assigned a particular residence to allocate students to. Each allocator is given a randomised list of applications where the student’s first choice was that residence, and they work through each application individually.
- If we are unable to allocate your first preference of residence to you, we will try to offer your second preference. If this is also full, we will look at allocating you to your third preference, and so on.
- Every time a student is allocated into a bedspace, the list reshuffles, making it as fair as possible.
- For postgraduate and single semester exchange students whose applications are processed in date order of receipt, the list doesn’t reshuffle, we just work our way through the list looking at first preferences until all the spaces have been filled.
- Each application is read by a member of our team (not a robot!) so please do put any important information you think we should know in your application!
Do you prioritise certain students?
Whilst we do allocate rooms randomly, students with disabilities or health needs will be prioritised and considered on a case-by-case basis, as long as the student has gained support from our Wellbeing Services team. If you have a condition that will affect your choice of accommodation, please read our blog on arranging accommodation adjustments and contact Wellbeing Services.
If you want more details about anything we’ve covered here, read our full Room Allocation Procedure webpage.
Interested in what our students have to say about their accommodation? Check out our Student Stories webpage.