Returning students

Only students that started their course before the academic year 2018-19 are eligible to apply for guaranteed returning accommodation in 2020-21.

You're guaranteed accommodation as long as you apply by 5pm on Friday 10 January 2020. Before completing an application, please make sure you've read the application guide (.docx) carefully.

Selecting your preferred accommodation

On the application form, you will be asked to select your preferred locations. Please select these in order of preference and don't select any location which you wouldn't be prepared to accept. We cannot guarantee that you'll be offered your first choice of accommodation.

Living with your friends

You're welcome to request an allocation with your friends. You should list their PRIDs in the 'additional information' field on the online application form. Each of your friends must also submit their own separate application and have the same preferences as you. Please note that we cannot guarantee we will be able to allocate you and your friends as a group.

You're guaranteed accommodation as long as you apply by 5pm on Friday 10 January 2020. Before completing an application, please make sure you've read the application guide (.docx) carefully.

Selecting your preferred accommodation

On the application form, you will be asked to select your preferred locations. Please select these in order of preference and don't select any location which you wouldn't be prepared to accept. We cannot guarantee that you'll be offered your first choice of accommodation.

Living with your friends

You're welcome to request an allocation with your friends. You should list their PRIDs in the 'additional information' field on the online application form. Each of your friends must also submit their own separate application and have the same preferences as you. Please note that we cannot guarantee we will be able to allocate you and your friends as a group.

We don't have any availability for 2020-21. However, you can apply via the waiting list when this opens in September 2020, or if you want to secure accommodation early in the private sector, contact SU Homes.

In order to apply you must be a fully registered, full-time postgraduate student and continuing your current course of study in 2020-21. If you are commencing a new course of study in 2020-21 you should apply as a new postgraduate student when new student applications open on 7 January 2020.

The accommodation application deadline is 5pm on Friday 10 January 2020.

How to apply

Download and complete the application form (.pdf)

If you're unable to secure University accommodation you have the option to live locally in privately owned rental properties. The Students' Union's house-finding service SU Homes will be able to help you find the perfect place to live.

SU Advice can offer information about tenant rights and responsibilities, about repairs, repossession, eviction, harassment by landlords, contracts, deposits and much more.

If you have withdrawn temporarily from Essex (intermitted) during the first term of the first year of study and decide to return the following academic year, you may re-apply for accommodation.

How to apply

Contact us in January of the year in which you intend to return to your studies.

What you need to do

Once your application has been submitted you will be added to either the postgraduate or undergraduate waiting list and we will contact you as soon as we are able to offer you accommodation.

We will email all those on both the postgraduate and undergraduate waiting lists with an updated list each week once we have started to allocate to the waiting list so that you can see your position on the list.

The waiting lists will not be published online.

Room details and charges will be emailed to your University of Essex email address.

If you no longer wish to remain on the waiting list please contact the Student Services Hub and we can remove you from the list.

What you need to do

In order to be made an offer of accommodation before the beginning of the summer term, you need to return your online application.

You must do this before the closing date of 11 January 2019.

We appreciate you would like to know if you have been successful as soon as possible. We will begin allocating accommodation shortly after applications close and all successful applicants will receive their offers by the start of the summer term. Please make sure you check your email account regularly for your offer.

Accepting your offer

You will need to accept your offer of accommodation before its expiry date in order to confirm your allocation for the next academic year. The offer expiry date will be clearly specified in the offer letter.

An accommodation advanced rent payment is no longer required at the point of application. Instead, it will be payable when you accept your offer.

Once you have accepted the offer you have formed a contract which is binding and you will not be able to give notice on the room unless you withdraw from the University.

Paying your advance rent payment

You will be able to make your advanced rent payment as part of your online acceptance, alternatively, you can contact the Student Services Hub.

Important: Do not try and pay your advanced rent payment separately via Online Student Payments. We will have difficulty in tracing such payments and we may not therefore be able to confirm your offer of accommodation.

At this time we do not have any availability for returning EU/UK undergraduate students for 2019-20 at the Colchester Campus.

What you need to do

In order to be considered for an offer of accommodation you need to return your application by the closing date of 11 January 2019.

There will be a number of rooms available for returning postgraduates and allocations will be made on a first-come-first-served basis.

We appreciate you would like to know if you have been successful as soon as possible. We will begin allocating accommodation from early April.

Accepting your offer

You will need to accept your offer of accommodation before its expiry date in order to confirm your allocation for the next academic year. The offer expiry date will be clearly specified in the offer letter itself.

An accommodation advanced rent payment is no longer required at the point of application. Instead, it will be payable when your offer is accepted.

Once you have accepted the offer you have formed a contract which is binding and you will not be able to give notice on the room unless you withdraw from the University.

Paying your advanced rent payment

You will be able to make your advance rent payment as part of your online acceptance, alternatively, you can contact the Student Services Hub.

Important: Do not try and pay your advanced rent payment separately via Online Student Payments. We will have difficulty in tracing such payments and we may not be able to make you an offer of accommodation.