Accommodation FAQs

Look at your budget, you will see that there are a variety of room types available at the RAU at different costs; you will need to choose a room that is affordable for you. Have a think about whether you would be happy sharing your toilet and showering facilities or whether you would prefer your own en-suite bathroom. If you decide that you would like to share a room with another student please contact accommodation@rau.ac.uk as we do have a limited number of twin rooms available. Price to be discussed at the time of communication.

We endeavour to offer all first-year undergraduate students accommodation on campus; however, we cannot guarantee this. Accommodation applications are dealt with on a first come, first served basis so it is vital that you apply for accommodation online via myRAU at the earliest possible opportunity. We have a limited number of rooms in a quiet block on campus (half board only) and, whilst there is not such a strong demand for these, they are also dealt with on a first come, first served basis. If you are not allocated accommodation on campus, the accommodation office will support you in finding alternative accommodation in Cirencester or the surrounding villages.

myRAU will ask you to list the room types on offer in order of your preference; you then have the opportunity to choose your catering type. Every effort is made to allocate you your first choice of room type (taking into consideration your preferred halls of residence); however as accommodation applications are dealt with on a first come, first served basis, if all of the rooms are allocated, you will be allocated your second choice and so on.

A non-refundable pre-payment of £200 will be required to confirm your application which will be deducted from the annual accommodation fees due.

The pre-payment will be non-refundable in the event of withdrawal from a place at the university. However, if the place is still conditional and conditions of the offer are not met, the pre-payment will be refunded.

Please have a look at the accommodation charges. Most of our accommodation is catered so the outgoings you will need to budget for will include payment of toiletries, travel, clothes laundering, etc.

UK students can pay in three term instalments if a payment plan is set up on the student portal at the beginning of the year.

EU and International students will be required to make payment upfront and it is advised that this payment is made prior to their travel to the Royal Agricultural University.

Our accommodation contracts are for 37 weeks. For catered accommodation, you will have three weeks over the Christmas period and two weeks at Easter when the full catering facilities associated with residency are not available and therefore no meal plan charges are made.

Where you have requested catering then you will receive a daily credit on your Unicard to pay for your meals. To change your catering arrangement please email accommodation@rau.ac.uk. Changes to your accommodation and catering can only be requested at the end of the term.  

All bedrooms are fully decorated and furnished to include a single bed, desk, chair, bedside table, wardrobe with some coat hangers, wall mirror, notice board, lamp, kettle, duvets, sheets, pillows and covers, curtains, Wi-Fi connection for PC/laptop (you will need to register all computers upon arrival before you can access the internet).

You might like to bring: hand sanitiser and essential cleaning products, alarm clock, bed linen is provided although you may like to bring your own, clothes airer, laundry basket, coat hangers, towels, hairdryer, mini fridge, coat, waterproofs, wellies, throw and cushions, rug, blanket, if you are in self-catered you may like to bring your own cutlery, crockery and mugs, extension lead, laptop/desktop PC, printer, TV/DVD player and TV licence, TV aerial/cable. Please ensure that all of your portable electrical appliances are PAT tested prior to arrival. (This service will be available on campus during the first 2 days of your arrival and can be arranged via Porter's Lodge after this time.)

Heater, electrical cooking items e,g, toaster/sandwich maker, candles, blu tac (you are requested not to stick/pin or glue items to the walls in your accommodation).

The arrival date for first year stidents will be Sunday 11 September. Unless alternative arrangements have been made.

Yes, you may access the internet from your computer/laptop with a network cable, or by connecting to the university's Wi-Fi network (providing your anti-virus software is up-to-date). If you’d like to access the Wi-Fi through your smartphone or tablet, you will first need to register the device with IT Services.

Yes, if you bring a TV or laptop which you can use to watch TV programmes you must purchase a TV licence (the easiest way being through the TV Licensing website).

No, the University has a smoking ban in all of its buildings, including student residences.  

You may have one guest to stay for up to three nights in your room. You must notify Accommodation prior to their arrival and fill in a responsibility form at Porter's Lodge. You will be fully responsible for your guest and they should remain in your company for the duration of their stay.

We have a shop on campus selling stationery, books, food and drink, toiletries, RAU clothing and gifts. It is a 20-minute walk into Cirencester town centre which has a huge variety of shops.

Yes, located between Bledisloe Court and Coad Court. This is for use by resident and non-resident students. The machines are not cash operated, all machines work via an app that you can download on your mobile phone from www.circuit.co.uk. If you don't have an IOS or Android phone you can purchase laundry cards from the Porter's Lodge.

Yes, bins are available in each hall of residence and there are a variety of recycling bins on the campus.

Yes, during the normal working week you will have the support of the student support services manager, accommodation officer, tutors and, on published days the university nurse. Out of hours, the Porter's Lodge and security staff are available on the following numbers:

• 17:00 - 20:00 - Porter's Lodge: 01285 652531
• 20:00 - 07:00 - Security: 01285 889834 / 07960 031821

All maintenance and damage issues should be reported via email to accommodation@rau.ac.uk, or in case of an urgent need/emergency, report to the Accommodation and Estates admin office in Old House. Any damage left unreported will become the responsibility of the resident and you will be charged for it.

You will have access to your room for the full academic year, whether you choose to stay during the Christmas and Easter breaks, or just leave some of your belongings, is up to you. If you choose to stay on campus during either break – please inform accommodation@rau.ac.uk.

If a resident chooses to terminate the contract prior to the contracted date of the agreement (to move to an alternative residence, withdraw from studies, attend a sandwich placement or another reason), then they shall remain liable for all charges associated with the accommodation. A refund of the remainder of the accommodation fee will only be made once a suitable replacement resident is found, who is not already a resident on campus, who meets with the approval of the Accommodation Office. 

There is a wealth of privately owned accommodation in Cirencester and the surrounding villages.

Please visit Urban Fox to have a look at the properties currently available. Also, talk to current students to find out where they are living and what are the best areas and most accessible to the University and town centre. You can also contact Accommodation for links to current local letting agents.

The campus is only a short walk from some of the residential areas of Cirencester. There is a University shuttle bus which operates through the term times – the timetable and other transport information about can be found on Gateway.