Freshers allocated accommodation an hour from campus after University runs out of rooms
As many as 1,000 incoming Warwick freshers have been allocated accommodation in blocks as far as an hour away from campus after being told that University rooms were “fully allocated”.
The affected students received emails from the University informing them that “rooms on campus are fully allocated” and that they will be “offered accommodation with one of our partner providers” instead.
This off-campus accommodation includes rooms in blocks such as City Village, Longwood Place, and Albany Student Village.
Of these alternative options, Longwood Place is the closest to campus with it being a 15-minute walk from the University. On the other hand, City Village and Albany Student Village – both located in central Coventry – are located between 45 minutes and an hour walk away from campus.
The University’s decision to house new first years off campus has left parents and students ‘distraught’ and ‘disappointed’
In the email sent to the affected incoming students, the University stated that the partner providers offer “good quality housing located near to the University of Warwick”.
This was reiterated by the University in a comment to The Boar. The University said: “Our partner providers make every effort to accommodate Warwick students together in good quality housing located near to campus and public transport, so that students can feel confident in their home away from home.”
Despite this claim, the University’s decision to house new first years off campus has left parents and students “distraught” and “disappointed”. Some families have even travelled to the area to visit the alternative accommodation to “reassure” their children and evaluate the options.
All incoming undergraduate students who chose the University as their ‘firm choice’ by 19 August were “guaranteed an offer of university-allocated accommodation”, according to the University’s Allocation Principles.
While these guidelines warn that some students may be offered “partnership accommodation” if campus residences are fully allocated, parents have said that “a very clear heads up” should have been given about this when applying to Warwick and for accommodation at the University.
Recent closures of some on-campus accommodation, including Whitefields and shared bathroom rooms in Westwood, have likely had an impact on the number of rooms available on campus this year
In response, the University told The Boar that the allocation of partnership accommodation is “a standard part of the Warwick accommodation offer that has been used in previous years”.
Recent closures of some on-campus accommodation, including Whitefields and shared bathroom rooms in Westwood, have likely had an impact on the number of rooms available on campus this year. A number of Claycroft rooms are also unavailable this year due to ongoing renovation works.
When asked by The Boar, the University did not confirm whether the closures of these accommodation blocks have led to the fully allocated status of campus residences.
The emails announcing the “fully allocated” status of on-campus accommodation have only been sent in the last week – nearly two weeks after A Level results day – meaning that affected students have not been able to go through clearing to change their university choice.
Those who have contacted the University have been met with a lack of empathy regarding the situation. One individual, who phoned the University, said that they were simply told that: “We said ‘uni allocation guaranteed’, not ‘on campus guaranteed’.”
Students who applied for accommodation ‘within minutes of the portal opening’ are among those that have been left without rooms on campus
Another young person expressed her concern to the University via email. In a response, shared on TikTok, she was told: “We are not able to change your accommodation offer, so you will need to decide whether to accept or reject the offer you have been made with our partner provider.”
The University went on to explain that they have referred “several Warwick students to these providers” and that these individuals “will largely be housed together”.
It is thought that over 1,000 incoming freshers have not been allocated housing on campus. The exact number of individuals being offered partner accommodation was not confirmed by the University when asked by The Boar.
Warwick’s accommodation is allocated via a random system, rather than on a first-come, first-served basis. As a result of this, students who applied for accommodation “within minutes of the portal opening” are among those that have been left without rooms on campus, according to one Warwick Facebook group.
It is not the first time that incoming Warwick freshers have been allocated alternative accommodation as a result of the University running out of rooms on campus. In 2018, 39 first-year students were housed in Felden Conference Centre after an “unexpected increase” in students applying to study at Warwick meant that not enough rooms were available on campus.
We would like to reassure all our new students and parents that we are working through our accommodation offers as quickly and diligently as possible
University statement
The random allocation system also means that Warwick accommodation offers are often sent out later than those at other universities. On social media, many incoming students have expressed their frustration as they wait to hear where they will be living when they move to the University at the end of September.
The University told The Boar: “We would like to reassure all our new students and parents that we are working through our accommodation offers as quickly and diligently as possible, and we appreciate their patience while this process is ongoing.
“We are excited to welcome all our new students to Warwick in the weeks ahead.”
Comments (16)
So, today was ‘deadline day’ and we are still none the wiser. Despite a promise that today would be the latest date at which we would be informed, we are still in the dark.
This is totally unacceptable. The system needs an overhaul so that no student is ever in this position again.
It’s now the 8th and 21.54 … my son still hasn’t heard about his accommodation. He accepted his offer immediately and did everything they asked. It is an utter disgrace.
Today was the deadline for information as stated on the university accommodation page. The office is now closed and we have had no information or contact of any kind. Calls today have resulted in the same ‘just keep checking your emails’ response that we have received for the last few weeks! We bitterly regret accepting Warwick University as the first choice. What are they covering up and what disappointments is our 18 year old daughter going to be expected to face over the next few days?
I think it’s a terrible decision to house first year students away from campus. The reason my daughter applied was because she loved the campus and was looking forward to living on campus. By the time we got the email all partner accommodation was full. We ended up having to go private with more expensive accommodation near university. This not only put pressure on budget but caused alot of upset and anxiety.
It would have been better if the university declined campus accommodation to 3rd year students and ensured freshers were allocated halls.
This is awful. A reasonable person would expect to be housed on campus – indeed this is why many students choose Warwick, for its off city campus appeal.
Contract law and fair trading regulations state that service providers cannot change the terms of the contract or nature of the provision without giving the buyer sufficient time to consider their options.
Indeed, the timing of the release of the information makes it too late now for students to go elsewhere. The wording of the statements and the policy is also evasive and suspiciously ambiguous.
A reasonable person would expect that “University of Warwick accommodation” means accommodation within, or a reasonable distance from, its campus estate. These students will now have to get buses and live in isolation in Coventry City centre – it’s not what they’ve been sold.
The first year living situation can make or break a fresher’s experience.
What a total mess. My heart goes out to these freshers and their families.
Very underwhelming uni leadership behaviour relative to freshman who still don t have an accomodation in early Sept! In fact total shocker…! Who is responsible?
A week later and we are still waiting for any sort of news or reassurance regarding first year accommodation. This whole experience has ruined what should have been a well deserved time of joy and excitement. No consideration for wellbeing at all. Huge regrets regarding Warwick being the first choice University but powerless to change anything at this late stage.
Shame on you Warwick University – clearly putting profit over students well being – these are young adults venturing away from home for the first time with many concerned parents who, like us, applied for a campus university with peace of mind their child would be accommodated safely. Offering students accommodation in Coventry, likely shared with Coventry Uni students, rather than Warwick, is neglectful to say the least. Informing the students at the last possible point (when most other university’s got accommodation offers out in the first week after A’Level results) seems cruel and just adds salt to the wound. It seems an outdated, dis-organised and inadequate system you have in place. You have soured the experience and shattered the dreams of so many young students, who are paying an awful lot of money to study with you.
The university only changed website accommodation page on 26th July 2025 adding the link to the ‘partner’ websites. So when prospective students looked at these pages before it never mentioned partner accommodation. This is true lack of transparency.
Clearing students were never included in the ballot.
My 18 year old daughter, away from home for the first time… we only chose Warwick for the security of her living on a campus for the first year. They delayed the ballot just long enough for the good clearing courses to go so they wouldn’t lose students! They told me they only guarantee university’allocated’ room rather than campus accommodation… nuanced semantics lost on a 17 year old choosing a university… of which they are possibly aware!
Warwick are lying to you. There is no accommodation left. If you are still waiting they will offer you partner accommodation and the only rooms left in these are in the centre of Coventry, Why they couldn’t give the students who picked Warwick as the first choice guaranteed rooms is beyond me. Those who have gone through clearing stood as much of a chance of getting a room as those who applied in June. Ridiculous system, terrible communication complete disregard for wellbeing
I am absolutely disgusted with Warwick, to make students select and rank a choice of on campus accommodation as early as June and then toss them over the fence into off campus accommodation as late as September, as they drew the short straw in some crazy ballot shows a complete disregard for their welfare. What are they supposed to do so late after clearing? They seriously do not care for their young intakes. I am gutted for my child.
Complete lack of sympathy or understanding from the accommodation team. When I spoke to a lady at Albany Village this morning she said the university contacted partner providers as early as May this year to block book places at alternative accommodation so have obviously known about this potential problem for a while.
There are many first year students who are still waiting for any sort of email or contact regarding university accommodation and another weekend looming means further anxiety with no prospect of news. This is a deeply concerning article for those who are being told that they ‘simply have to wait.’ Students have met all deadlines and achieved the required grades and they do not deserve to be treated like this by their chosen place of study.
I’m very pleased you have covered this. This is what happened to me. I’ve refused the offer of private accomodation and am upset with the university of warwick for their handling of this. I have no other option but to defer or reapply to elsewhere next year. I would defer but chances are the same will happen next year, forcing me to consider different univesities.
Same thing happened to us, applied early but the system is awful – totally random and they send out emails notifying you in weekly batches so my son heard over a week later than others, by which time all the ‘extra’ Coventry accommodation had already gone! We’ve been forced to go private now or defer another year. Would not recommend applying to Warwick in future.