Postgraduate Accommodation - Durham University

Postgraduate College Accommodation

Living in University accommodation is a great way to settle into life at Durham, connect with your college community, and enjoy easy access to facilities, support, and events alongside your studies.

Postgraduate students can choose to be considered for University accommodation through the combined Membership and Accommodation Application, which opens on 30 March 2026. Once you have accepted your academic offer, you can use the application to let us know whether you would like to be considered for accommodation and share your room-type preferences to help inform the allocation process.

Eligible offer holders who submit the application by 23:59 (BST) on 30 June 2026 and meet the published criteria will be considered under the University’s postgraduate accommodation guarantee. While preferences are taken into account, they do not guarantee an accommodation offer.

If you receive an accommodation offer, you will be sent a Licence Agreement. To secure your room, you will need to accept the agreement by the stated deadline.

Students who apply after the deadline, or who are not eligible for the accommodation guarantee, may be placed on an accommodation waitlist. Where available, offers are made from the waitlist as rooms become available.

Postgraduate students who choose not to request accommodation, or who do not receive an accommodation offer, will still be allocated a college for membership and can fully participate in college life throughout their time at Durham.

What’s Included in Your Residence Charge

Your residence charge includes all essential utilities and services, so there are no additional charges for day-to-day living costs. This includes heating, electricity, water, and Wi-Fi internet access in all University-managed accommodation.

The residence charge is based on your room type, catering provision (where applicable), and length of occupation, and covers the full period stated in your accommodation agreement.

Additional Compulsory Charges

For students living in catered accommodation, a catering charge applies in addition to the residence charge. Catering charges are compulsory for residents in catered colleges and form part of the overall accommodation cost.

Details of catering provision and pricing are explained on the Postgraduate Residence and Room Type Page, including the period covered and the number of meals provided each week.

There are no other compulsory charges associated with University-managed accommodation.

Optional Services and Charges

Some colleges may offer optional services or facilities that are not included in the residence charge. These can vary by college and may include, for example:

laundry facilities,
gym or fitness facilities,
additional catering options beyond the standard provision.

Any optional services are charged separately, and details of availability and costs are provided by the relevant college. Students are not required to use or pay for optional services unless they choose to do so.

Staffing Arrangements and Accessing Support

Each Durham college has a staffed office that is typically open during standard working hours, usually between 9.00am and 5.00pm, where students can speak to college staff about accommodation, welfare or practical queries.Outside of office hours, porters are present on site 24 hours a day and can assist with urgent issues, access queries, and signposting to further help where needed. In addition, students can access a range of central University support services, including welfare and emergency support, through the University’s central support webpages, which are available at any time.

Cleaning Arrangements

Students are responsible for cleaning their own bedrooms and for keeping their personal living spaces in a clean and reasonable condition at all times.

Where a student has a private bathroom, en-suite bathroom, or shared en-suite bathroom, they are also responsible for cleaning and maintaining that bathroom.

The University provides cleaning for shared facilities, such as bathrooms and communal areas associated with standard rooms. These shared facilities are cleaned three times per week.

Please note that students are required to provide their own bin bags or liners for bedroom and bathroom bins. Toilet paper is provided in shared facilities; however, residents in accommodation with a private bathroom, en-suite bathroom, or shared en-suite bathroom, will need to provide their own.

Students are expected to use facilities considerately and to maintain appropriate standards of cleanliness in all accommodation areas.

Location & Travel Information by College Location

Durham is a compact and walkable city, and many colleges, teaching spaces and student facilities are located within a relatively small geographical area. Most students choose to travel on foot for day-to-day activities, using established pedestrian routes that connect colleges, academic departments, libraries and the city centre. Where accommodation or teaching spaces are further apart, a range of alternative travel options, including cycling routes and local bus services, are available. Journey times and routes may vary depending on individual needs and the location of specific colleges or residences.

All colleges provide bicycle storage facilities, and cycling is a popular way for students to travel around Durham. Student parking within colleges is limited and is only permitted with a valid parking permit. Parking permits are normally available only to Blue Badge holders or students with exceptional needs, such as specific course or placement requirements or elite sports commitments, and are issued following a needs-based assessment.

Distances and journey times are approximate and may vary depending on the specific college or residence. Walking, cycling and public transport availability may be affected by weather, mobility requirements and local infrastructure.

Accessibility information:

Durham University recognises that travel needs vary between students. While many routes between accommodation, teaching spaces and facilities are accessible on foot, by cycle or public transport, step-free access, gradients and journey suitability may differ by location. Students with disabilities, long-term health conditions or other accessibility requirements are encouraged to contact the University to discuss individual needs and available support before arrival.

You can find more details about accessibility around Durham and within our accommodation by visiting our AccessAble Access Guide.

Location & Travel Tables by College Location

You can find details about travel form our colleges to study spaces and teaching facilities, Durham City Centre, and medical services by expanding the below.

Destination	Typical distance	Walking	Cycling	Public transport
Study spaces & teaching facilities (City Centre)	Located close to Mountjoy teaching sites 10-15 minutes; approximately 20–25 minutes to city-centre facilities	Pedestrian routes available	Cycle routes connect to central Durham and Mountjoy sites	Regular local bus services operate
Science Site (Bill Bryson Library)	Approximately 20–25 minutes	Walkable via established routes	Direct cycling routes available	Regular bus services
Durham city centre	Approximately 20–30 minutes	Longer walking routes available	Direct cycling routes available	Frequent bus services connect the college with the city centre
Medical services	University Health Centre and city-centre GP practices and pharmacies 30-35 minutes	Walkable but longer distances	Cycling routes available	Bus services connect accommodation with medical services

Destination	Typical distance	Walking	Cycling	Public transport
Study spaces & teaching facilities (City Centre)	Within the city centre and close to central academic buildings	Direct pedestrian routes available	Limited on narrow streets; cycle storage available at colleges	Not usually required
Science Site (Bill Bryson Library)	Approximately 10–15 minutes	Walkable via established routes	Direct cycling routes available	Regular bus services
Durham city centre	Located in the city centre	Immediate access	Cycling possible but shared with pedestrian areas	Not usually required
Medical services	GP practices, pharmacies and University Health Centre within Durham city 15-20 minutes	Walkable routes available	Cycling routes available	Not usually required

Destination	Typical distance	Walking	Cycling	Public transport
Study spaces & teaching facilities (City Centre)	Close to some central academic buildings; approximately 10–20 minutes to wider teaching facilities	Pedestrian routes available, including city-centre routes	Cycle routes connect to central Durham and Mountjoy areas	Regular local bus services operate nearby
Science Site (Bill Bryson Library)	Approximately 25–30 minutes	Walkable via established routes	Direct cycling routes available	Regular bus services
Durham city centre	Approximately 10–15 minutes	Well-established walking routes into the city centre	Direct cycling routes available	Frequent bus services operate along North Road
Medical services	City-centre GP practices, pharmacies and University Health Centre 20-25 minutes	Walkable routes available	Cycling routes available	Bus services connect accommodation with medical facilities

Destination	Typical distance	Walking	Cycling	Public transport
Study spaces & teaching facilities (City Centre)	Approximately 15–25 minutes	Pavements and pedestrian routes available	Dedicated and shared cycle routes	Regular local bus services
Science Site (Bill Bryson Library)	Approximately 5–15 minutes	Walkable via established routes	Direct cycling routes available	Regular bus services
Durham city centre	Approximately 10–20 minutes	Well-used pedestrian routes	Downhill cycling routes into the city	Frequent bus services
Medical services	University Health Centre and city services 20-30 minutes	Walkable from some locations	Cycling routes available	Bus services operate regularly

Destination	Typical distance	Walking	Cycling	Public transport
Study spaces & teaching facilities	Adjacent to Mountjoy teaching sites; 15–25 minutes to city-centre facilities	Pedestrian routes available	Cycle routes connect to central Durham	Regular bus services
Science Site (Bill Bryson Library)	Approximately 10–15 minutes	Walkable via established routes	Direct cycling routes available	Regular bus services
Durham city centre	Approximately 20–30 minutes	Longer walking routes available	Direct cycling routes	Frequent bus services
Medical services	City-centre medical facilities and University Health Centre Approximately 30 minutes	Walkable but longer distances	Cycling routes available	Bus services connect accommodation with services

A family exploring the glasshouse at the Botanic Garden.

Family Accommodation

Our family accommodation is available at Ustinov College, where they offer a welcoming home for students and families from around the world, with supportive accommodation options and a strong sense of community to help you settle into life in Durham.

Family Accommodation

Regulation and Standards

Code accreditation
All University-managed accommodation advertised on this website is accredited under the UUK/GuildHE Student Accommodation Code of Practice.

You can view the approved Code of Practice here:
UUK/GuildHE Student Accommodation Code of Practice