Accommodation for Postgraduates

At some stage after you have applied to study at Cardiff University, you are likely to ask yourself “where should I live?”. Because we know that a single option won’t fit all our postgraduates’ needs, this post will give you some ideas on what our current postgraduates did to find their accommodation.

House Hunting

Anna, MSc Sustainability Planning and Environmental Policy

“I attended the house hunting event, which was a great opportunity to meet other postgraduates. The event itself left it up to us to talk to each other and get to know one another without those awkward icebreakers. On the first day dinner was provided for us and we spent the evening socialising in the Woodville, which was when most people decided on their housing groups.

The next day was a chance for us to go on viewings with Cardiff Student Letting and by lunchtime we had decided on a house and paid the deposit (but no fees) – yes it really was that easy! The rest of the event was a chance to continue to get to know other postgraduates and explore the city. Overall, I had a great time and it was reassuring to get accommodation sorted so quickly and easily”

University Halls

Martin, MA Digital Media and Society

“Since I am from Germany, it was difficult for me to look for private housing. For that reason I focused on accommodation that was provided by Cardiff University. One of the advantages of university residences is that it is generally close to campus which is important to me – my accommodation is especially close to everything. I also wanted to live with other students which makes it easier to get to know people early on.

The application process was easy.  EU and international students are guaranteed a single occupancy place in university residences. I just compared all possible residences and filled out the application on the university website. About a month before I arrived to Cardiff, I received the offer for my residence place and accepted it online.

I would advise students to at least look at the university residences since a single room is guaranteed  (for EU and international students) and the application process is pretty simple. Moreover, if you have any question, the accommodation team responds to your questions quickly and is a big help. However, I would look for possible accommodation rather early. If you do not like the university residences and want to live in private accommodation, you should start house hunting early”

Private property

Lowri, MA Languages Communication Research

“I found my house via Gumtree but as I live in Cardiff with my partner anyway this was some time ago, and not a decision linked to university necessarily. Having rented for some time in Cardiff, I know where to look and who to trust. If I was coming to Cardiff from somewhere else, I’d recommend going through the uni for advice, or even contacting other students through Cardiff University Facebook groups if they wanted some pointers. Personally, I go through independent landlords now to avoid extortionate and unnecessary agency fees.

I’d suggest thinking about whether you want to be living with other students. If the former, private property in Cathays would be suitable, whereas for those who would rather be in a house with professionals or older people, Roath is great. Both are within easy walking distance of the university and have plenty of shops, cafes and bars of their own. Canton, Pontcanna and Grangetown are also good areas with an up and coming social scene, but as these are further from uni (buses or bikes recommended) you’ll be less likely to be in close contact with other students so might feel a bit more isolated unless you proactively seek out people to meet and places to go”

Ben, MSc Operational Research, Applied Statistics and Financial Risk

“My housemates and I found our accommodation independently. The process of finding a house for university is simple but ever so important in how you go about it. It’s crucial to start finding houses early, since naturally all of the best places will sell early in the year. Something else that’s very important is asking questions – when you’re viewing a house you need to be as inquisitive as possible (the agents won’t tell you unless you ask), ask about anything you see that isn’t clear, the quality of the house, the neighbours surrounding and the condition you may get it in.

Ensuring you get a well-maintained house is very important – you don’t want accommodation where the poor quality distracts you from your work and makes you feel uncomfortable. Also remember that the further from the university you go, the cheaper the houses – you essentially pay more to live closer, even if the standard of the house isn’t as high”