Once you accept our offer as your firm choice, the process of booking accommodation begins. Our step-by-step guide provides a quick overview of how this works – but if you get stuck at any point, these answers to frequently asked questions should help.
How do I log into the accommodation portal?
You will need your BU Student Login, which comprises a username and password.
- Your username along with your password was sent to you by email when you first applied to BU (please check your email records).
- If you have lost this email then you can search your email folders for an email from BU Account Notification or with the subject title Your BU Student Account (remember to check your Junk and Deleted items).
- Once you have located this email you can retrieve your username and password (you can even reset your password from a link in this email if you wish) to log in to the Accommodation Portal.
If you cannot locate your email then you should contact our AskBU team on +44 (0)1202 969696, Monday-Friday, 08:30 to 17:00 (16:30 on Friday)
What characters need to be included in my password?
Your password must be ten characters long and include at least one upper case letter, lower case letter, base 10 digit (0-9) and non-alphanumeric character (¬`!\"£$%^&*()-_=+{}[]:;@’~#<,>.?/|\;}).
What should I do if I have lost my my password?
If you have your username and have already registered your BU account then you can reset your password at the password reset page.
- If you have not yet registered your BU account then your password (and username) was sent to you by email when you first applied to BU (please check your email records).
- If you have lost this email then you can search your email folders for an email from BU Account Notification or with the subject title: Your BU Student Account (remember to check your Junk and Deleted items).
- Once you have located this email you can retrieve your username and password (you can even reset your password from a link in this email if you wish) to log in to the Accommodation Portal.
If you cannot locate this email you should contact our AskBU team on +44 (0)1202 969696, Monday-Friday, 08:30 to 17:00 (16:30 on Friday) who can reset your password for you.
How can I update incorrect personal details?
If you’re an undergraduate applicant, you need to update your personal details on your UCAS Hub or contact UCAS. Please note that it usually takes 24 hours for any changes made on UCAS to display on our online accommodation portal. Postgraduate applicants can do this through myHub.
When and how will I be able to book my room?
January 2023
Unconditional Offer-holders (UF):
From Tuesday 15 November 2023, once you have completed Stage 1 you'll be able to complete Stage 2, where you choose and book your room for January 2023. All elligible applicants will be contacted by email with instructions on what to do nearer the time.
Conditional offer-holders (CF):
Once you have completed Stage 1, you will need to wait for your offer status to become Unconditional Firm (UF) before you can complete Stage 2, where you choose and book your room for January 2023.
September 2023
Unconditional Offer-holders (UF):
From Tuesday 4 April 2023, so long as you have completed Stage 1 and meet the terms of the accommodation guarantee, you'll be able to complete Stage 2, where you choose and book your room for September 2023. All elligible applicants will be contacted by email with instructions on what to do nearer the time.
Conditional offer-holders (CF):
From Tuesday 27 June 2023 , so long as you have completed Stage 1 and meet the terms of the accommodation guarantee, you can commence Stage 2, where you will choose and reserve a room in BU accommodation. This will hold your room for September. You will not be able to complete your booking until you meet the criteria of your course offer and your status changes to Unconditional Firm (UF). Once you offer status has changed to UF you will then be able to go on to sign your accommodation contract and pay the required funds to complete your booking.
Who can see the information about any disclosed medical or health conditions?
This information is not made public and is only used to help us to try and locate accommodation that is suitable for your needs. We work in conjunction with the Additional Learning Support team and our accommodation partners on this.
What should I do if I don’t have online access when I need to book my room?
You should not share your BU login credentials with anyone. You will therefore need to make the necessary arrangements to be able to login and choose your own room.
Can I choose my own room?
Yes, unlike most other Universities, here at BU we do not choose and allocate your room for you. Instead, we operate an online self-selection process where you search, choose and then book the room of your choice from what is available at that time. If the room is available you can book it. We think this is the fairest method so you get to decide where you live. During this time you will be given the opportunity to create a personal profile for other potential flatmates to see.
What should be included in my personal profile?
When you’re writing it think about the sorts of things you’d like to know about your future housemates. It’s a simple way to tell other students a bit about yourself and to help you find housemates who you’ll get on with. Don’t spend too long writing your profile though as the rooms are booked on a first come first served basis.
What should I do if there are no rooms showing in my preferred accommodation?
You can change your room preferences, as there may still be rooms left in your preferred accommodation. If there are still no rooms available, you will need to choose a different accommodation property.
Can I live in the same accommodation as my friend?
We do not restrict friends living together. If you want to live in the same flat then you can login at the same time, look for a flat with enough available rooms and then each book your room at the same time.
What's included in my rent?
The rent you pay for all accommodation in the BU accommodation portfolio includes the following:
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All utilities (gas, electric, water and sewerage)
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Internet / Wi-Fi
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ResLifeBU (a team providing a safety net for welfare/wellbeing issues as well as a varied and inclusive calendar of social events/activities to help you settle in and build a strong community throughout your stay)
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Personal possessions insurance through Endsleigh. Visit their site to check:
✔ What is covered
✔ Key exclusions and limitations
✔ Your policy excess
✔ How to make a claim, extend and personalise your cover.It is important to find out exactly what you are covered for as you may find that the contents cover is not sufficient and you need to extend it to protect all of your possessions both inside and outside of your room.
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And whilst booking your room you will also have the opportunity to book your 12-month BU bus pass worth £285 (Also see below for "Do I have to pay for an annual bus pass when I book my room?" ).
The annual pass gives unlimited travel on all UNIBUS services (U1, U2, U3 & U4) as well as all Morebus services within their Zone A network. A network map can be found at the Morebus passenger website (pdf 352KB).
If you don't need the bus pass, you can opt out of it when before you book your accommodation, or you can cancel it within the first term (see our Academic dates web page for details). For more information about the bus service check out the UNIBUS web pages.
Do I have to pay for an annual bus pass when I book my room?
No, you don't have to include an annual bus pass in the price of your rent. You will have the opportunity to op-out of this before you confirm your room booking. However, most students find this to be a very useful addition as the pass provides you with unlimited use of the UNIBUS services for travel to and from campus as well as around the local area for non-academic activities.
You will get a 12-month BU bus pass (worth £285). The annual pass gives unlimited travel on all UNIBUS services (U1, U2, U3 & U4) as well as all Morebus services within their Zone A network. A network map can be found at the Morebus passenger website (pdf 352KB).
If you decicde you don't need the bus pass, you can opt out of it when before you book your accommodation, or you can cancel it within the first term (see our Academic dates web page for details). For more information about the service check out the UNIBUS web pages.
Is there a different process for booking Unilet?
The process is the same, so you will book your room through the online accommodation portal. Remember that the price of rooms in Unilet properties varies. You will be able to see the prices for the rooms in each property and choose one that suits your needs and budget.
Are there single sex flats?
A number of flats are for single sex occupancy. When you log into the online accommodation portal, you will be able to see the ratio of male to female residents. You should change your room preference to ‘yes’ against Single Sex and therefore will only be able to choose a room in a flat that specifies all male or all female.
There are also non-gendered rooms available for you to select.
What is a guarantor, and do I need one?
What is a Guarantor?
A Guarantor is a person who agrees to secure or ‘guarantee’ your tenancy agreement or contract. The Guarantor effectively takes on many (or all) of the commitments of the tenancy agreement or contract. In other words, if you sign a tenancy agreement, the Guarantor will be responsible for fulfilling many of the terms of the agreement if you do not.
The main obligation that the Guarantor is taking on is rent. What this means is, if you don’t pay your rent, the Guarantor will be required to pay it. Depending on the tenancy agreement, it can also mean that the Guarantor is liable for other costs, such as damages.
Do I need a Guarantor?
It all depends on which accommodation you book. If you book a room at a site where BU is the landlord you do not need a Guarantor. If you book a room at a site where one of our accommodation partners is the landlord you will need a Guarantor. For non-UK based students, some of the partners will accept an International Guarantor. You can see the full breakdown of which accommodation requires a Guarantor and which do not in our price comparison chart for 2022/23 (pdf 150kb).
I have read these FAQ's but I still can't find the help I need
If you have any further questions regarding your accommodation please contact us:
Bournemouth University
Executive Business Centre
5th Floor, 89 Holdenhurst Rd
Bournemouth, BH8 8EB
Tel: +44 (0)1202 969696
Email: [email protected]