This week we are focussing our attention on prospective postgraduate students as we have been preparing for the Postgraduate Online Open Day which is taking place on Tuesday 22 November 2022. If you haven’t done so already then you can book your place and find out about other upcoming postgraduate events here.
Guarantee
We do have an accommodation guarantee to some postgraduate students who are starting their course in September. We will guarantee to make an offer of accommodation if you apply by the guarantee deadline and are:
- An unaccompanied international postgraduate in your first year of study for the full academic year starting in September as a full-time student. Note: You are defined as an international student if you pay international fees.
- An unaccompanied incoming study abroad or exchange student studying at the University of Exeter for the full academic year starting in September
You can find out whether you would be covered by the guarantee by checking here. Even if you are not covered by our guarantee we would still welcome you to submit an application to us, as we will be able to assess our availability and send you updates during the summer.
By submitting an application within the guarantee deadline, it does not mean that we will definitely be able to allocate you to one of your preferences or within on-campus accommodation, but you would be guaranteed a bedspace with us. Applications for accommodation are processed in order of receipt (first come, first served), and we allocate you to your highest preference of residence subject to availability. If your preferred residences are full then you will be allocated to the next available residence.
If you don’t accept your course offer until after the guarantee deadline, please still apply to us for accommodation! We continue to allocate remaining rooms throughout the summer and by applying we will be able to keep you updated as to our remaining availability.
Residences
Before you submit your application, we would recommend that you review our postgraduate accommodation guide and the information on our website to understand the options available to you. We offer self-catered accommodation to postgraduate students in standard (shared bathroom facilities), en-suite and studio rooms. Some of our residences are dedicated to postgraduate students only, while in other larger residences we will allocate whole floors or blocks to postgraduate students.
Private sector
Many postgraduate students choose to look at accommodation in the City rather than opt for University accommodation and there are a wide range of options available in the private sector. Many of the options are located very close to both the University and the city centre as shown on our walking distance map.
When you are ready to start your search, you may wish to use Studentpad, which is a website administered by us and where local landlords can place adverts for their properties. There is also a Message Board on Studentpad where students may advertise rooms available within a property which they have already secured, or you can say that you are looking for a room.
A large number of students live in the City and there is a support network available via our Wellbeing and Community teams similar to that offered within University accommodation. And remember, Exeter is a relatively small city so the most popular student residential areas are still within easy reach of campus.
Arriving with partners or dependants
There are very limited places in university owned accommodation on our Exeter campus for students with partners; this would be in either a double studio or small 1-bed flat. We will no longer be able to offer accommodation suitable for families with children after June 2023, meaning the vast majority of new students who are accompanied with others will have to seek private accommodation. In this instance the University cannot guarantee accommodation or accept any responsibility for housing couples, students with families or single parent families.
Currently, the demand for accommodation suitable for families in the South West of England exceeds the supply available and securing accommodation will be difficult, take time to find and be expensive.
Therefore, we would strongly recommend that you do not bring dependants with you to Exeter unless you have secured accommodation.
Contracts
All students need to understand that they will be forming a contract for accommodation and when you have confirmed the acceptance of your booking you will be committed for the whole contract period.
This does mean that once you have agreed to the contract, even if you have not paid money or moved in, then you will be expected to pay in full for the contracted rent. This includes if you move in and then decide to leave at a later date.
Our Students Guild Advice team have lots of helpful information about contracts on their housing webpages.
So we would recommend not agreeing to any contract until you are sure if it right for you. Please remember, that if you have an agent or parents looking into the accommodation for you, once they have agreed to the contract you will be responsible for it and you may not be able to end the contract at a later date. Discuss and agree between you beforehand who will be responsible for securing the accommodation and make sure you know if they will be accepting a contract on your behalf.
Help and advice
A good starting point would be to take a look at our Postgraduate FAQ page . The Accommodation team are also available to give help and advice about seeking accommodation whether it is with the University or in the private sector.
In most cases we will only be able to signpost you to information as the University cannot find accommodation for you and the final decision about which accommodation you secure will be yours. However, there are lots of options in Exeter for you to explore so take some time considering what works best for you.
Accommodation Meridith