Student Accommodation Loughborough, UK

Loughborough University guarantees a room in university accommodation for first-year students who make it their firm choice and register by 22 July 2026. Its 2026/27 hall fees work out at roughly £124 to £251 a week, with catered halls at around £168 to £251 and self-catered at around £124 to £237. Contracts run for 41 weeks. This guide covers approximate weekly costs by hall, the guarantee, how rooms are allocated and what to check before you book.

Weekly figures on this page are the university’s own “approximate per week” equivalents from its 2026/27 hall fees table for undergraduates. They are approximations, so use the university’s fee table for exact totals and instalments.

Loughborough halls and approximate weekly costs (2026/27)

The university’s 2026/27 undergraduate hall fees cover catered halls, with meals included, and self-catered halls. Some self-catered halls are run in partnership with Unite Students or UPP. A selection:

Catered and self-catered contracts are 41 weeks, except where marked otherwise. Telford’s standard rooms are also offered on a 39-week contract. The university says catering is charged for 36 weeks to allow for reduced meals during the Christmas and Easter vacations. All fees include utilities, network, housekeeping, an out-of-hours warden service and insurance cover. The table is a selection, and the university marks some room types as limited, so check its page for every room type.

Accommodation guarantee and deadlines

According to the university’s undergraduate accommodation page, it will guarantee a first-year room if Loughborough is your firm choice and you register before 05:00 on 22 July 2026. Students who have registered an accommodation account are guaranteed a room if they complete their application by 05:00 on 27 August 2026, and Clearing students get the same guarantee with the same deadline. Insurance-choice applicants are not guaranteed a room, but get priority if they have met the exact conditions of their offer. International fee-paying students who meet the firm-choice criteria are guaranteed campus accommodation for two years if they apply before the February deadline of the second year.

How rooms are allocated

• Firm choice: you get a time slot (13 to 14 August 2026) to reserve a room, and rooms are reserved on a first come, first served basis. Each slot has an equal share of room types and halls.
• Insurance, Clearing and late registrations: you choose five preferences, which the university uses as a guide without guaranteeing any of them. Applications for these groups opened on 18 August 2026.
• You have three days to accept an accommodation offer.
• The system limits how many students on the same course or of the same gender go into one hall.

If no on-campus room is available for an insurance or Clearing student, the university says it will help you find housing through an approved off-campus provider.

Private and shared options

Most students move into shared houses or private rooms from second year. I could not verify current prices for individual private options, so compare each landlord’s or provider’s total cost, bills and contract length. Our guide to university halls versus private student housing explains the differences.

Contract periods and catering in 2026/27

The 41-week contract is split into three periods, and catered halls charge for fewer meal weeks than you stay. The university’s 2026/27 hall fees table lists these contract periods:

The table also lists an 18-week contract for athletes only, starting 26 August 2026. Its notes say catering is charged for 36 weeks in some halls and for 31 weeks in others, with no meals during the Christmas and Easter vacations. The university’s hall fees and facilities page says catered halls serve 10, 15 or 19 meals a week depending on the hall, and that you can pay in three termly instalments. Neither page gives the instalment due dates, which appear on your student statement.

If you want extra meals, the university’s Prepaid Hall Meal Saver sells meals at £7.95 each, with one free voucher for every 10 bought, which the university says brings the cost to £7.22 a meal. One meal covers a breakfast, lunch or dinner, and unused funds expire on 18 June 2027. The page does not state a year for the price.

Cancelling or leaving a hall contract

The 2026/27 halls of residence licence terms set out these charges:

• Cancelling before the licence starts: an administration fee of £75 if the form arrived on or before 30 April 2026, or £150 from 1 to 31 May 2026.
• Cancelling from 1 June 2026: all licence fees stay payable until the university grants the room to another student, plus a £150 administration fee.
• Leaving after the licence starts: fees remain payable until a replacement is found, plus a £150 administration fee, unless the Student Accommodation Centre gives written release.
• Withdrawing from study: fees are payable until you return the keys, and a withdrawal fee equal to four weeks’ rent applies.

The terms do not mention a deposit or a guarantor. Read the full document before you accept a room, because these clauses are specific to the 2026/27 licence.

Council tax and deposits when you move out of halls

Charnwood Borough Council collects council tax in Loughborough. Its full-time student exemption page says halls of residence already have an exemption, so you do not need to apply. Households where everyone is a full-time student can apply for an exemption if they receive a bill, using a certificate from the university. If you live with one other adult who is not a student, the council reduces the bill by 25%. A full-time course must last at least one academic year, with attendance for at least 24 weeks a year and an average of 21 hours of study a week. The university adds that there is no automatic exemption for students, and that you may have to pay if you sub-let to a non-student or live off campus before your course starts or after it ends.

For private lets in England, GOV.UK’s Tenant Fees Act guidance says the maximum tenancy deposit is five weeks’ rent when annual rent is below £50,000. A holding deposit is capped at one week’s rent. If a landlord keeps it, they must explain why in writing within seven days. The landlord must protect your deposit in a government-approved scheme.

What I could not verify

I could not verify private provider rents, student bus fares or the instalment due dates for halls, so none are quoted. The university’s fee page does not assign 10, 15 or 19 meals a week to individual halls, and the PDF extract I read did not either, so check each hall’s own page.

What to check before you book

• Catered or self-catered, and what the 36-week catering charge covers.
• The exact fee, contract length and instalment dates in the university’s table.
• Standard, shared en suite, en suite or studio, because the price gap is large.
• Your registration deadline, as the guarantee depends on it.
• Safety basics. See our student accommodation safety guide and checklist.

For the wider costs, read our student budgeting tips. Comparing cities? See our guides to Leicester, Nottingham and Coventry, or browse all UK city guides.

Frequently asked questions

Does Loughborough guarantee accommodation?

Yes, for first-year students who make Loughborough their firm choice and register by 22 July 2026, and for registered or Clearing students who complete their application by 27 August 2026. Insurance-choice students are not guaranteed a room.

How much does Loughborough University accommodation cost?

Approximate weekly equivalents for 2026/27 run from about £124 for a self-catered single room to about £251 for a catered en suite. Contracts are 41 weeks and fees include utilities, network, housekeeping and insurance.

Are Loughborough halls catered?

Some are. David Collett, Cayley, Faraday, Royce, Rutherford, Towers and Elvyn Richards are catered, while Falkner Eggington, Butler Court, Telford, Harry French, William Morris, The Holt, Claudia Parsons, Hazlerigg Rutland and Robert Bakewell are self-catered.

How are Loughborough rooms allocated?

Firm-choice students reserve a room in a time slot on a first come, first served basis. Insurance, Clearing and late applicants give five preferences, and offers depend on availability, preferences and application date.

Do students pay council tax in Loughborough halls?

No, halls of residence are already exempt, so you do not need to apply. Charnwood Borough Council says households made up entirely of full-time students can apply for an exemption if they receive a bill.

Can I cancel my Loughborough hall contract?

Yes, but fees apply. Under the 2026/27 licence terms, cancelling after 1 June 2026 means paying until another student takes the room, plus a £150 administration fee.

How much can a landlord charge as a deposit in England?

Up to five weeks’ rent when the annual rent is below £50,000, according to GOV.UK. A holding deposit cannot exceed one week’s rent, and the landlord must protect your tenancy deposit in an approved scheme.

Sources

• Loughborough University, Hall Fees 2026/27 Undergraduates
• Loughborough University, undergraduate accommodation
• Loughborough University, hall fees and facilities
• Loughborough University, Halls of Residence licence terms 2026/27
• Loughborough University, Prepaid Hall Meal Saver FAQs
• Loughborough University, council tax guidance
• Charnwood Borough Council, full-time student exemption
• GOV.UK, Tenant Fees Act 2019 guidance for tenants

All checked 3 November 2026.