All students that are studying full time at Royal Holloway and affiliated institution students will be able to apply for accommodation in Halls. These groups are:

• New undergraduate students including visiting students, Royal Holloway International Study Centre students and University of Law students studying at Royal Holloway.
• New postgraduate taught, postgraduate research and guest researchers.
• Continuing undergraduate and postgraduate students

Accommodation applications for all students groups are now open!

Royal Holloway will guarantee you an offer of accommodation if you are in one of the following student groups:

• New undergraduate student, new international postgraduate taught*, Integrated Foundation Year or International Foundation Year students progressing into year one. 

To meet the guarantee, you’ll need to either:

• Submit a preference-based application by 10am on Monday 14 July 2025
  OR
• Self-select a room and complete the booking process by 10am on Monday 14 July 2025

*If you are an international postgraduate taught student studying primarily on the Egham Campus and
starting your studies in September 2025. The guarantee does not apply to students who will be starting their studies in January 2026.

No, if you make Royal Holloway your insurance choice you will not be able to apply for accommodation until Royal Holloway is your firm choice.

Yes, UCAS asks for your preference on this for their own data reporting, it will not impact your ability to register and apply for accommodation at Royal Holloway. 

Accommodation fees are paid in termly installments on the following dates:

3 October 2025

23 January 2026

15 May 2026

12 June 2026 (PG only) 

To apply for a room with adaptations, please go to our Online Accommodation System, register for an account and then begin the application process. In the application, you will be asked if you have a disability for which you require either adaptations to your accommodation or have other specific accommodation requirements as a result of your disability. After answering 'yes' to this question, you will be asked to submit a preference based accommodation application.

You will also need to register your disability or neurodiverse condition with our Disability & Neurodiversity Team. They will be able to offer further information and advice on how you can be supported in your accommodation and your studies at Royal Holloway. As part of registration, the accommodation team may be able to offer you a campus visit so that view our adapted accommodation and we can offer you a suitable room.

For further information, please see our adapted accommodation webpages.

Choosing the best student accommodation depends on your personal preferences, whether that’s location, budget or facilities.

When considering accommodation, it is important to consider:

• Do you want a catered or self-catered accommodation?
• What length of contract do you want?
• Do you want an ensuite or shared bathroom?
• Do you have any additional living preferences?

Our choosing the right accommodation webpage contains all the information you need to choose your favourite Hall!

You have the option to specify one additional living preference in your accommodation application, if you want to. If you do choose an additional living preference, we'll aim to place you in a flat or house with other students who've made the same preference. 

For the 2025/26 academic year, the following additional living preferences are available:

Single gender accommodation

If you'd prefer to live with students of the same gender, you can indicate a preference to live in single gender accommodation. 

Single gender accommodation only applies to the other students living in your flat or house. You, and your housemates, are permitted to have students of a different gender stay in the accommodation and in addition, staff or contractors from the University, who are of a different gender, may enter the accommodation if required. 

Quieter accommodation

If you'd prefer a quieter living environment, you can indicate a preference to live in a quieter flat or house. 

Students living within designated quieter accommodation will maintain a quieter living environment at all times, keeping excess noise to a minimum in their room and communal areas. Any guests are also expected to comply with this guidance. Quieter accommodation only applies to the flat or house that is designated and does not include the surrounding flats or external spaces. 

Alcohol-free accommodation

If you'd prefer to live in an alcohol-free environment, you can indicate this preference in your application.

Students living in alcohol-free accommodation are expected to not store or consume alcohol in their room or communal areas. Any guests are also expected to comply with this guidance.

Show Flats

Throughout the year, the University hosts Open Days and Offer Holder Events, where we showcase our accommodation to prospective students. By opting to live in a show flat, your flat and room will be included in these tours, shown to groups of visitors on pre-arranged dates and times, typically from October to the end of April. Event dates will be communicated to you at a later date. Additionally, there may be ad-hoc visits arranged throughout the year.

As a Show Flat resident, you will receive a £150 rent reduction against your Term 2 accommodation fees. Additionally, your flat's communal areas will be cleaned prior to each Open Day and Offer Holder Event.

Disclaimer: Please note, we cannot guarantee that you will be allocated to a room that meets your additional living preference. Due to building constraints, demand and availability, we may not be able to offer additional living preferences at every Hall.

Self-catered

Self-catered Halls have shared kitchens where you can make your own meals. Kitchens have two fridge freezers, a kettle, a toaster, a microwave, an oven and a hob. If you're in self-catered accommodation, you can still eat at any dining hall on campus and enjoy a 20% discount if you pay using your Student ID card. 

Catered

Your rent includes one meal per day, plus a weekly catering allowance of £25, which will be added to your Student ID card. This allowance can be used at various cafés and dining halls around campus. It resets every week, cannot be carried over or used at the SU shop or for alcohol.

Our dining halls cater to most dietary requirements (e.g. vegan and halal). If you need assistance finding an option that suits you on the menu, just speak to a member of staff at the food counter and we will be able to assist you.

Sample menus:

Sample lunch menu (12-2pm)

Sample dinner menu (5-7.30pm)

All catered Halls have pantries, which can be used to make drinks and snacks and have a microwave, kettle, toaster and larder fridge.

Once you've made Royal Holloway your firm choice, you'll be able to register and apply via our Online Accommodation System. Please note, it can take up to 48 hours after you’ve accepted your offer before you can register for an account.

These are the most common reasons that student are not able to register for an account on the online accommodation system: 

Have you made Royal Holloway your firm choice?
In order to be able to register and apply for accommodation, you need to have made Royal Holloway your firm choice.

Have you recently made Royal Holloway your Firm Choice?

If so, you will need to wait up to 48 hours after making Royal Holloway your firm choice, before being able to register and apply for accommodation.

Are you entering the correct details? 

When registering for an account, please ensure that you are using your nine-digit Royal Holloway student ID number. You will also need to use the date of birth and surname that you used when applying to study at Royal Holloway

If you are still not able to register and apply after following the above guidance, please contact us.

You will need to login to the online accommodation system to accept your offer and then follow these steps: 

• Go to the View and Accept Offer button on the left under Application & Contract
• Carefully read the room details and the terms and conditions
• Make the £300 online prepayment as part of the acceptance process
• Tick to confirm that you have read and accepted the terms and conditions
• Enter your student ID number and date of birth in the boxes provided
• Accept

Once you’ve accepted your offer, you'll receive an automated confirmation email.

It’s important to note that accepting this offer will form a binding contract between you and the university so make sure you've read our terms and conditions before accepting.

In order to accept your offer of accommodation, you will need to make a £300 prepayment.

The prepayment is deducted from your term 1 accommodation fees and is not a deposit.

The prepayment will only be refunded under the following circumstances:

1. a student does not meet the conditions outlined in their offer to study at Royal Holloway; or
2. a conditional offer holder who is not accepted onto their chosen programme and rejects our offer
   of a suitable alternative programme; or
3. in cases where students must decline a place at Royal Holloway due to a research council’s
   rejection of their grant application (supporting evidence to be provided); or
4. a student’s visa application has been rejected or refused (supporting evidence to be provided). 

Student who choose to defer their studies or not attend Royal Holloway will not entitled to a refund.

Unfortunately, you will not be able to view your exact room before accepting your offer. We offer accommodation tours at our open days and applicant visit days.

We also have a range of pictures on our accommodation webpages.

New Undergraduate and New International Postgraduate Taught students will be offered the opportunity to self-select their own room during their accommodation guarantee window. During this period, you will be able to choose your Hall, flat and room as part of the application process. Once you’ve started the booking process, you won’t be able to change your room or Hall.

We’ll be releasing a balanced number of rooms from each Hall on these dates, to make sure all applicants have the opportunity to book the room type they’d prefer.

Rooms will be released at 10am BST on:
24 March 2025
14 April 2025
12 May 2025
9 June 2025

Please remember that once you’ve booked a specific room, you won’t be able to change your mind, even if another room you prefer becomes available later. Be sure to carefully consider your options before finalising your reservation!

Your room number will be confirmed in your offer acceptance email.

The arrivals period for students moving into Halls will run from Friday 19 to Sunday 21 September 2025.

If you have accepted an offer of accommodation, we will send you an email at the beginning of September asking you to complete the Induction and Arrivals modules on the Online Accommodation System. When completing the modules, you will be able to view the arrivals availability and book your arrival slot.

Once you have completed these modules, you will be given a designated check in zone and when you arrive on campus, you will be able to drive to this zone and check into your halls.

If you are joining the New to the UK or Head Start to University Study programmes, you will be able to move into Halls from Wednesday 17 September. We will send you an email at the beginning of September with arrival information.

If you cannot arrive over arrivals weekend, you will be able to check in at your Hall reception the following week. If you arrival is going to be delayed for over a week, please notify the Student Accommodation Team.

Please note that you will be charged from the start date of your contract, even if your arrival is delayed.

Please ensure that you bring a valid photo ID and a digital copy of your arrival pass on a mobile device. 

Car

Royal Holloway is situated just two miles from junction 13 of the M25. On arrivals weekend, local signage will direct you towards Royal Holloway and if you are using a sat nav, please use the postcode on your arrival pass.

Plane

Royal Holloway's closest airport is Heathrow. The International Advice team at Royal Holloway will be providing a free airport pickup on selected dates.

For details on travelling to Royal Holloway from Gatwick or via public transport from Heathrow, please see our arriving to the UK webpage.

Public Transport

The nearest railway station to Royal Holloway is Egham, located in Egham town centre. Trains from Egham to London Waterloo are direct and take about 40 minutes.

There are three local bus services that that depart from Egham town centre and stop outside Royal Holloway: 8, 441 and 500.

You can order bedding, kitchen and bathroom packs through UniKitOut to make moving into Halls as easy as possible. You can save 10% using code RHUL10 and have your order delivered to Halls before you arrive.

If you live in university accommodation, or in a house where everyone is classed as a full-time student, you don’t need to pay Council Tax.

No, your Hall fees include utilities. 

If you live in a catered Hall, your rent includes one meal per day, plus a weekly catering allowance of £25, which will be added to your Student ID card. This allowance can be used at various cafés and dining halls around campus. It resets every week, cannot be carried over or used at the SU shop or for alcohol.

If you live in self-catered Halls, your rent does not include food and you will need to purchase this separately. 

Launderette facilities are available at the following locations on campus:

• George Eliot Halls
• Gowar and Wedderburn
• Highfield Court
• The Hub
• Tuke

Laundry is not included in the price of your rent and is pay-as-you-go.

Yes, the communal areas in Halls are cleaned once per week, provided all rubbish and recycling has been removed, washing up has been done and counter tops are clear before they arrive. 

Cleaners will not clean inside student rooms or in ensuite bathrooms.

No, student who live in Halls are not eligible to apply for a parking permit.

Yes, Royal Holloway has over 600 spaces to park your bike across campus. 

The following is included in all student rooms as standard:

• bed with storage
• wardrobe
• drawers
• desk and lamp
• desk chair

You should bring the following items:

• duvet and pillows
• sheets
• duvet cover
• pillowcases
• towels
• cups
• plates and bowls
• pots, pans, roasting tins and cooking utensils (if self-catered)
• cutlery and other utensils
• washing-up materials and tea towels

For guidance on electrical items, please see our list of approved electrical items in Halls. 

Please see our list of approved and prohibited items in Halls. 

Yes, Royal Holloway allows students to have overnight guests. 

To ensure that all students get the opportunity to know one another and establish your own flat agreement around guests, guests are not allowed during the first few weeks of the Autumn Term. There will be other times when guests will not be permitted, and these will be notified in advance to you. These may be during exam season, Summer Ball, and any large University-wide event.

For further details, please see our guest procedure.

Students who accept an offer for a 38 or 50-week accommodation contract, can remain in their rooms over the Christmas and Easter vacation periods.

If you accept a 30-week contract, you will be required to vacate your room over the Christmas and Easter vacation periods. If you require accommodation over the vacation periods, please contact Student Accommodation.