Most first-year students in Cardiff live in a Cardiff University residence, where 2026/27 weekly rents average £144 to £179 for a self-catered en suite and about £187 for a part-catered en suite. Rent includes utilities and the university internet. This guide covers what each type of room costs, who is guaranteed a place, how rent is paid and where students live once they leave halls.
Prices on this page come from Cardiff University’s 2026/27 Residences Guide and its Senghennydd Hall page. They are averages or “from” prices, so check the current price of the specific room you want before you apply.
Cost at a glance: what to add up
Before you compare the prices on this page, check what each figure actually covers:
- Rent period: per week, month or semester, and per person or per room.
- What is included: utilities, internet, contents insurance and any meal plan.
- One-off costs: deposit, application or booking fee, and any first-month payment.
- Getting to campus: travel passes, or the extra cost of living further out.
- Currency: prices here are in the local currency. Convert them at your bank’s current rate and add the transfer fee. Rates change daily, so we do not publish rupee figures.
Anything we could not confirm from an official source is flagged on this page as “could not verify”, so read those notes before you rely on a figure.
Cardiff University residences and rents (2026/27)
The university’s residences guide lists 16 residences: Aberconway Hall, Aberdare Hall, Cartwright Court, Clodien House, Colum Hall, Gordon Hall, Hodge Hall, Roy Jenkins Hall, Senghennydd Court, Senghennydd Hall, Student Houses, Talybont Court, Talybont Gate, Talybont North, Talybont South and University Hall. Talybont is the largest self-catered residence. Average weekly fees for 2026/27 are:
| Room type | Average weekly fee, 2026/27 |
|---|---|
| Self-catered, shared bathroom | £144 to £156 |
| Self-catered, en suite | £144 to £179 |
| Part-catered, shared bathroom | £163 to £187 |
| Part-catered, en suite | £187 |
For a single hall, Senghennydd Hall lists a part-catered en suite from £186.76 a week (£7,470.40 over its 40-week contract) and a self-catered studio at £7,644 over 40 weeks. The page says prices for 2027/28 will be available from May 2027.
How rent is paid
According to the residences guide, rent is paid by Direct Debit in three instalments, usually in October, January and April or May. Utilities and the university internet are included, and some contents insurance is included in the contract. The guide does not state a single contract length, so check the one for your hall.
Accommodation guarantee
Cardiff University guarantees a place to full academic session undergraduates who have a firm or insurance offer and meet the deadlines. You would be placed in a single-occupancy room shared with other first-year undergraduates. International postgraduates are also guaranteed a single-occupancy place if they meet the deadlines. The guide does not list the dates, so check the university’s residences page for the current deadlines before you plan around them.
Private halls and shared houses
Private purpose-built blocks in the city centre offer en suites and studios, usually with bills included, and suit second-years and postgraduates who want their own space. Shared houses are the usual choice from second year. I could not verify current prices for individual private buildings, so compare each provider’s own price list and what it includes. Our guide to university halls versus private student housing explains the trade-offs.
If you are studying at the University of South Wales or Cardiff Metropolitan University, check those universities’ own accommodation pages, as the figures above apply only to Cardiff University.
Cardiff Metropolitan University and University of South Wales
The other two Cardiff universities publish less price detail than Cardiff University, and their deadlines are tied to the 2026 entry cycle, which has now passed. Treat the dates below as a guide to how each guarantee works, and check each university for the 2027 dates.
| University | Guarantee condition (September 2026 entry) | Price published |
|---|---|---|
| Cardiff Metropolitan University | Accept a Clearing offer and submit an accommodation application by 5pm on 17 August 2026. Later applications are considered but are not guaranteed. | None on the guarantee page. It promises an offer, not a specific residence, room type or price. |
| University of South Wales | First-year full-time students who made USW their firm choice by 6 May 2026 and applied for accommodation by 18 May 2026, then paid by the date in their offer email. | Ty Pont Haearn (Unite): £161 a week for a medium high double and £163 for a large high double, on a 44-week contract. The page does not state the entry year. |
Cardiff Metropolitan says accommodation may be in its own residences or with partners in Cardiff. The Cardiff Met guarantee page and the USW guarantee page are the places to confirm current terms. USW’s accommodation costs page is the source for the Ty Pont Haearn rents.
Council tax for students in Cardiff
Full-time students can claim a council tax exemption from Cardiff Council, but it is not automatic: you either rely on your landlord’s review form or send the council a certificate from your university. The council sets out these conditions on its student council tax page.
- Course test: the course must last at least one calendar or academic year, require attendance for at least 24 weeks a year, and involve at least 21 hours of study, tuition or work experience a week.
- Students under 20 studying up to A level: the course must last at least three months and involve at least 12 hours of study a week.
- Certificate: if your landlord has not completed a student exemption review form, get a council tax certificate from your university’s Registrar and send it with the council’s student exemption form. Include your council tax account number if you have one, your name and your Cardiff address. Attachments must be jpeg, jpg or png images.
- Spouses and dependants of international students: they may be treated as full-time students if they are not British citizens and immigration rules stop them taking paid work or claiming benefits. They need to supply a passport or visa copy.
The council page does not explain how the exemption works in a house shared by students and non-students, so ask the council if that applies to you.
Renting in Wales: what differs from England
Private tenancies in Wales are governed by the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016, which replaced assured shorthold tenancies with “occupation contracts” and calls tenants “contract-holders”. The Welsh Government’s Renting Homes checklist sets two timings that are useful to know before you sign a house share:
| Rule | What the Welsh Government says |
|---|---|
| Deposit protection | For new contracts, the deposit must be protected in an authorised scheme within 30 days of the contract-holder paying it. |
| Written statement | For new contracts, the landlord must provide a written statement of the occupation contract within 14 days of the occupation date. |
Fees are also restricted. The Welsh Government’s tenant letting fees guidance, written in 2019, says a holding deposit cannot exceed one week’s rent and must be returned within set time limits. It lists check-in, check-out, administration, inventory, guarantor and credit-check fees as banned, because anything not expressly permitted is prohibited. That guidance deals with assured shorthold tenancies and does not address student halls, so for a university residence ask the accommodation office which rules apply.
What I could not verify: Cardiff University’s application deadlines for 2027 entry (its residences guide refers you to the website), Cardiff Met’s weekly rents, the contract length for Cardiff University halls, rents for private blocks other than Ty Pont Haearn, and student bus or rail fares. The Ty Pont Haearn page also shows annual totals that do not match its weekly rent multiplied by 44 weeks, so I have used the weekly figures only. I did not find a Welsh Government statement of the security deposit cap in the pages I read, so ask your landlord or Rent Smart Wales before paying a deposit.
Where to live in Cardiff as a student
- Cathays: the area most associated with student houses, next to the university’s main buildings, with cafes, pubs and shops close by.
- Roath and Plasnewydd: residential areas to the east of Cathays with parks and independent cafes. A good option if you want a quieter street within reach of campus.
- City centre: convenient for shopping, nightlife and transport, and where most private blocks are.
- Cardiff Bay: waterfront apartments and a quieter feel, a little further from the main campus.
What to check before you book
- Whether the room is catered, part-catered or self-catered, and what that does to the weekly price.
- Contract length and the instalment dates, so you know when each payment is due.
- What is included: utilities, internet, contents insurance, laundry and cleaning.
- The walking or bus route to your own faculty, not just to the city centre.
- Deposit, guarantor requirements and what happens if you withdraw.
- Safety basics. See our student accommodation safety guide and checklist.
For help with the wider costs, read our student budgeting tips. Comparing cities? See our guides to Southampton, Liverpool and Birmingham, or browse all UK city guides.
Talk to us about your budget and city
Not sure which option suits you or your family? Send us your city, budget and room type, and we will point you to the right guide and the next steps to check. Students and parents are both welcome to ask.
Frequently asked questions
How much does student accommodation in Cardiff cost?
Cardiff University’s 2026/27 average weekly fees are £144 to £156 for self-catered rooms with a shared bathroom, £144 to £179 for self-catered en suites and £163 to £187 for part-catered rooms. Private rooms and shared houses vary by provider and area.
Does Cardiff University guarantee accommodation?
Yes, for full academic session undergraduates with a firm or insurance offer who meet the deadlines, and for international postgraduates who meet the deadlines. Check the university’s residences page for the dates.
Are bills included in Cardiff University halls?
The 2026/27 residences guide says utilities and the university internet are included in the rent, and some contents insurance is included in the contract.
Where do most students live in Cardiff?
Many first-years start in a university residence, then move to shared houses in Cathays, Roath or Plasnewydd. Postgraduates and those who prefer privacy often choose the city centre or Cardiff Bay.
Do students pay council tax in Cardiff?
Full-time students on a qualifying course can claim an exemption, but they usually need to prove it. If your landlord has not completed a review form, send Cardiff Council a certificate from your university’s Registrar.
Can a Cardiff landlord charge a holding deposit?
Yes, but the Welsh Government’s 2019 guidance caps a holding deposit at one week’s rent and bans fees such as check-in, check-out, inventory and guarantor charges. That guidance covers assured shorthold tenancies, not university halls.
Does Cardiff Metropolitan University guarantee accommodation?
Yes, for Clearing applicants who accepted an offer and applied by 5pm on 17 August 2026. The guarantee is of an offer, not of a particular residence, room type or price, and later applications are not covered.
How is renting in Wales different from England?
Welsh tenants have occupation contracts under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016. For new contracts, the deposit must be protected within 30 days and a written statement must be issued within 14 days of the occupation date.
Sources
- Cardiff University residences and its Residences Guide (2026/27 fees)
- Cardiff Metropolitan University accommodation guarantee (2026 entry)
- University of South Wales accommodation guarantee (2026 entry) and accommodation costs
- Cardiff Council: student council tax
- Welsh Government: Renting Homes checklist
- Welsh Government: tenant letting fees guidance (2019)
All checked 3 November 2026.
