Halls of Residence

Because the majority of students who study at Queen’s University are from Belfast or the surrounding area, many students decide to commute from home rather than move into halls of residence or private student houses. However, there are many well-maintained halls of residence available to students.

The halls are located close to the university campuses and Belfast city centre, and international students are guaranteed a room for at least their first year of study. The two main halls of residence are Queen’s House and Elm’s Village. £45 million has recently been spent on maintaining and improving the facilities at these residences.

In total, there are over two thousand rooms available at these sites, all of which are self-catered and offer shared kitchen facilities. The kitchens at these halls are fully furnished, complete with essential kitchen appliances such as ovens, fridges and freezers, although students will have to supply their own cooking utensils and smaller appliances such as kettles and toasters.

Mostly the halls have shared bathrooms, but there are some rooms with en-suite facilities; these will naturally be more expensive than standard rooms. The majority of the rooms have networked internet connection for students with computers. Students living in Elm’s village will also have access to the Student Centre, which has its own bistro, bar, newsagents and laundrette.

The rates for accommodation in halls of residence are quite competitive, with standard rooms priced between £60 and £70 a week: the more expensive rooms have internet access. For en-suite rooms with internet access, students should expect to pay about £85. These prices are the same at both Queen’s House and Elm’s Village halls, and include all utility bills. However, because the halls are self-catered, students will have to pay for their own food and drinks.

Applications for rooms should be submitted by July to ensure that you get the room you want; application forms can be downloaded from the university’s website www.qub.ac.uk. On the form, you can request specific facilities, such as an en-suite bathroom, and state whether or not you would prefer to stay in Queen’s House or Elm’s Village.