Queen's University Belfast Accommodation

Queen’s University Belfast developed from Queen’s College Belfast, founded in 1845, and received its independent university charter in 1908. The main campus occupies University Road, with the historic Lanyon Building at its centre. Botanic Gardens, the Ulster Museum and the McClay Library all lie beside the academic quarter.

The university belongs to the Russell Group and teaches subjects throughout arts, humanities, social sciences, engineering, physical sciences, medicine, health and life sciences. Its city-based campus does not separate academic buildings from the surrounding neighbourhood. Cafés, supermarkets, rented houses and private halls begin only a few streets away.

Most teaching days stay within the Queen’s Quarter, although healthcare courses, placements and specialist facilities may create journeys to Belfast City Hospital, the Royal Victoria Hospital or another clinical location.

A property advertised under Queen's University Belfast accommodation should therefore be measured from the building used by your course, not only from the Lanyon Building.

Queen’s Accommodation Guarantee for 2026–27

Accommodation applications opened in February 2026. International, Great Britain and Republic of Ireland applicants qualify for the university guarantee when they meet the relevant conditions and submit their application by 11:59 pm BST on 30 June 2026. Queen’s begins sending first-year room offers from A-level results day on 13 August. Exchange and study-abroad learners arriving in September have a separate guaranteed-application deadline of 1 August.

The guarantee promises an accommodation offer, not a particular residence or bedroom category. An applicant may list preferences for location, cost, bathroom arrangement and lifestyle option, but availability controls the final allocation.

Queen’s provides limited quiet-living, no-alcohol, single-gender and Irish-language arrangements. Applicants who need an accessible room or another adjustment should include the details in the application and contact the allocations team before room offers begin.

University accommodation remains self-catered. The weekly payment includes Wi-Fi, heating, hot water, electricity, water, contents insurance, maintenance support and the Residential Life programme.

Queen’s Students’ Union occupies University Road opposite the Lanyon Building. The building contains cafés, shops, student kitchens, study areas, bars, support services and event venues. The union supports more than 220 clubs and societies.

Academic societies provide an early connection with classmates. Cultural, political, faith, charity, music and sports groups bring people together outside the course.

Botanic Gardens and the Ulster Museum border the university district. Stranmillis has the Lyric Theatre and access to the Lagan. The city centre adds music venues, shops, galleries and the Cathedral Quarter.

Queen’s Sport operates facilities close to the main campus and at Upper Malone. Residents in Queen’s accommodation receive free off-peak membership.

Belfast City Hospital stands beside the university quarter. New residents should register with a local GP after confirming their address.

Useful accommodation near Queen's University Belfast falls into two groups. Queen’s Quarter, Botanic, the Holylands, Stranmillis and Malone favour walking. City-centre properties trade a longer route for shops, employment and nightlife outside the university district.

Queen’s Quarter

Queen’s Quarter covers University Road, Botanic Avenue, College Gardens and the streets beside the main campus.

This is the simplest location for lectures, the McClay Library and Students’ Union events. Mount Charles stands just off Botanic Avenue, while College Gardens lies around two minutes from the central university buildings. Private options such as Aster House, Bradbury Place and Ryan Hall also occupy this district.

The area has supermarkets, cafés, restaurants, pharmacies and Botanic railway station. Most daily journeys require no ticket.

University Road and Botanic Avenue remain busy into the evening. A bedroom facing a main road may receive traffic, delivery and nightlife noise. Check the exact room position before paying extra for a campus-side address.

Botanic Avenue

Botanic Avenue connects the university with Dublin Road and central Belfast. It contains independent restaurants, grocery shops, cafés, takeaways and several private student residences.

Aster House currently lies around 0.26 miles from Queen’s on the live university property page. Its en-suite rooms begin at £185 per week. Bradbury Place follows at roughly 0.3 miles, with current rooms from £179.

The route works well for early lectures and late library sessions. Botanic Station also gives local rail access without a trip into the central terminus.

Friday and Saturday nights bring more people into the area. A room behind the main frontage will often feel calmer than one directly above the commercial street.

Mount Charles

Mount Charles occupies residential streets immediately off Botanic Avenue. Queen’s describes the residence as two minutes from the main campus and approximately 1.2 kilometres from its accommodation reference point.

Standard university bedrooms cost £119 per week for 2026–27. Residents share a kitchen and bathroom with three to five others. Double standard rooms for single occupancy cost £131.

This location produces one of the strongest combinations of low rent and campus proximity. The lower price comes with communal bathrooms and limited availability.

Parts of Mount Charles will use a 37-week contract during refurbishment in 2026–27. Read the dates attached to the individual offer instead of assuming every university room follows the standard 40-week agreement.

The Holylands

The Holylands covers streets south-east of campus, including much of the area between University Road, Ormeau Road and the railway line.

Traditional terraced houses dominate the neighbourhood. Groups often rent three- to six-bedroom homes and share the bathrooms, kitchen and lounge.

The short university walk and lower room rent make the district popular after first year. It also has a long-standing reputation for noise, crowded streets and large house parties.

View the property during the evening as well as the afternoon. Check insulation, heating, window locks, damp, bin storage and the route home. A low monthly payment does not compensate for a house that feels uncomfortable through winter.

Stranmillis

Stranmillis extends south from the university towards the River Lagan and Malone Road.

The neighbourhood has cafés, supermarkets, restaurants and access to the Lagan towpath. Many addresses keep Queen’s within a 10- to 20-minute walk.

Stranmillis provides more separation from Botanic’s busiest streets. Postgraduates and students with demanding placement or research schedules often value the quieter household routine.

Homes closer to Stranmillis Road provide the easiest route. Properties deeper towards the river may add a hill or a longer walk.

Malone Road and Elms BT9

Malone Road leads south-west from the university towards Elms BT9 and Willow Walk.

Elms BT9 forms a large student village with 50 low-rise accommodation blocks. The walk to the Lanyon Building takes about 15 minutes, while the McClay Library takes closer to 20 minutes from parts of the site.

The Treehouse gives residents a central social space with study areas, games, kitchens, television rooms and evening activities. Lifestyle options include quiet living, no alcohol and single-gender accommodation.

Malone Road feels more residential than Botanic Avenue. The trade-off appears during city-centre evenings, when the walk home becomes longer.

Lisburn Road

Lisburn Road lies west of the main campus and Belfast City Hospital.

The area has supermarkets, cafés, pharmacies, restaurants and private flats. The university normally takes 10 to 25 minutes to reach, according to the exact address.

Healthcare learners may value access to the hospital and medical facilities. A house closer to Balmoral will need a bus or bicycle, so do not treat the full road as one walkable neighbourhood.

Private rents frequently exclude bills. Ask for the property’s energy rating and previous utility estimates before agreeing to the tenancy.

Belfast City Centre

Queen’s operates Elms BT1 and Elms BT2 in the city centre. Private buildings include John Bell House, Swanston House, Alma Place and several properties around Dublin Road and Great Victoria Street.

Elms BT1 takes around 20 minutes to reach from the main campus on foot. Elms BT2 takes approximately 17 minutes. Both provide en-suite bedrooms from £174 and studios from £201 for 2026–27.

The city centre helps with shops, restaurants, part-time employment and Grand Central Station. The university route remains manageable, but it no longer feels like stepping outside and entering campus.

A central room can make sense for a learner who values city access more than a five-minute academic journey.

Dublin Road

Dublin Road forms the link between Botanic Avenue and central Belfast.

Weavers’ Hall opens in September 2026 at 14 Dublin Road. Queen’s places it around a 14-minute walk from campus. The new building contains 361 premium en-suite bedrooms and 98 studios.

Bradbury Place and Botanic Studios also occupy this wider corridor. Current Botanic Studios rooms are marked unavailable, so an old £195 headline should not be treated as bookable stock.

Dublin Road gives residents restaurants, supermarkets and easy access to Grand Central Station. Evening traffic and nightlife affect certain sections.

Cathedral Quarter and York Street

Cathedral Quarter and York Street contain a large collection of private student buildings that mainly serve Ulster University.

Great Patrick Street currently starts around £151 to £153 per week. Alma Place begins at £153. These prices undercut several Queen’s Quarter en-suites, but the journey to Queen’s reaches roughly 25 to 40 minutes by foot or public transport.

The location works for someone who wants the northern city centre and accepts the commute. A first-year Queen’s learner who wants strong contact with the main campus may feel disconnected from the university district.

The official Queen's University Belfast accommodation prices for 2026–27 begin at £119 per week and rise to £243 for a Weavers’ Hall studio. The table below uses a standard 40-week agreement for comparison. Undergraduate applicants may also receive a 48-week option, while postgraduate applicants can select 48 or 51 weeks.

University room type	Weekly fee	40-week total
Standard room	£119	£4,760
Double standard room	£131	£5,240
Elms BT9 en-suite	£163	£6,520
Willow Walk three- or four-bedroom apartment	£168 per bedroom	£6,720
Premium BT9 en-suite	£174	£6,960
Elms BT1 or BT2 en-suite	£174	£6,960
Willow Walk two-bedroom apartment	£180 per bedroom	£7,200
Willow Walk premium two-bedroom apartment	£185 per bedroom	£7,400
Elms BT1, BT2 or Willow Walk studio	£201	£8,040
Weavers’ Hall premium en-suite	£210	£8,400
Willow Walk one-bedroom apartment	£234	£9,360
Weavers’ Hall studio	£243	£9,720

The contract length changes the total sharply.

Example room	40 weeks	48 weeks	51 weeks
Standard room at £119	£4,760	£5,712	£6,069
Elms BT9 en-suite at £163	£6,520	£7,824	£8,313
City-centre en-suite at £174	£6,960	£8,352	£8,874
University studio at £201	£8,040	£9,648	£10,251
Weavers’ Hall studio at £243	£9,720	£11,664	£12,393

A postgraduate who needs Belfast throughout summer may value 51 weeks. An undergraduate leaving in June could pay for eleven additional weeks with little benefit.

Queen’s also provides an accommodation bursary for eligible Northern Ireland learners in university or nominated-partner housing. Household income below £25,000 attracts £750, while income below £19,204 attracts £1,250. The university applies the award automatically through verified Student Finance NI information.

Standard Room

A standard room gives one person a private bedroom with a washbasin. Residents share the kitchen, showers, toilets and lounge.

Elms BT9 and Mount Charles provide this category from £119 per week. The price creates the lowest university-hall total.

At Elms BT9, 10 or 11 residents may share two bathrooms and a kitchen. Mount Charles uses smaller flats of three to five people.

The same room label therefore creates a different household according to the property.

Double Standard Room

A double standard room has a larger bed or more floor space but remains for one resident.

Queen’s charges £131 per week for this category in 2026–27. Bathroom and kitchen facilities remain communal.

The larger room may help someone with substantial course equipment or personal belongings. It does not add the privacy of an en-suite.

En-suite Room

An en-suite provides a private shower, toilet and washbasin. Flatmates share the kitchen and lounge.

Elms BT9 en-suites cost £163. Premium BT9 rooms and BT1 or BT2 en-suites cost £174. Weavers’ Hall raises the price to £210.

Flat size changes between properties. BT1 and BT2 apartments usually have three to six bedrooms. Elms BT9 kitchens serve 10 or 11 people.

Check the number of ovens, refrigerator shelves and cupboards, not only the bathroom.

Private Bedroom in an Apartment

Willow Walk provides one private bedroom inside a two-, three- or four-bedroom apartment.

Three- and four-bedroom categories cost £168 per room. Two-bedroom apartments cost £180, followed by premium versions at £185. The residents share a bathroom, kitchen and lounge.

This format provides a smaller household than Elms BT9 and more communal room than a studio. Willow Walk mainly serves postgraduate and mature students, including limited family and couple arrangements.

Studio

A studio contains a private bathroom, kitchenette, bed and study area.

University studios at BT1, BT2 and Willow Walk cost £201 per week. Weavers’ Hall charges £243.

A listing labelled private student accommodation near Queen's University Belfast studio should describe the same self-contained setup. Check that the room has a genuine cooking area, because equipment differs between buildings.

Private studios currently begin around £219 at Ryan Hall, £270 at Aster House and £275 at Bradbury Place.

Shared House

A shared house gives each tenant a bedroom and keeps bathrooms, kitchen and lounge communal.

The Holylands, Stranmillis, Malone and Lisburn Road contain much of this stock. Group tenancies often reduce the rent but leave the residents responsible for household accounts and direct landlord communication.

Check the deposit scheme, guarantor terms, property licence, heating system and repair procedure. A joint contract may make every housemate liable for the entire rent when one person fails to pay.

The best Queen's University Belfast student accommodation depends on the daily routine. Mount Charles favours the shortest campus walk at the lowest university rate. Elms BT9 creates the largest first-year community. BT1 and BT2 bring city-centre access. Willow Walk provides smaller apartments. Weavers’ Hall introduces a new premium option.

Mount Charles

Mount Charles begins at £119 per week and lies just off Botanic Avenue.

Standard residents share a bathroom and kitchen with three to five others. Double standard rooms cost £131, while selected en-suite categories cost more.

The short campus route gives this property exceptional value. Limited room numbers and refurbishment dates mean it may not appear in every allocation cycle.

Elms BT9

Elms BT9 combines low-rise blocks with a substantial first-year community.

Standard rooms cost £119, en-suites cost £163, and premium en-suites cost £174. The rent includes bills, Wi-Fi, contents insurance, maintenance support and the Residential Life programme.

The Treehouse hosts events and provides shared social facilities. Residents also receive free off-peak Queen’s Sport membership.

A person who prefers a small household may find a block with more than ten people per kitchen tiring. The community structure appeals most to residents who want regular contact with neighbours.

Elms BT1

Elms BT1 occupies College Avenue in central Belfast and contains 747 rooms.

En-suite bedrooms cost £174 per week. Studios cost £201. Shared apartments have three to six bedrooms, while studios keep the bathroom and kitchen private.

The property has a gym, study and social areas, laundry, security and an events programme.

Queen’s normally takes around 20 minutes to reach on foot. The location suits anyone who values city-centre errands and evenings outside the university quarter.

Elms BT2

Elms BT2 occupies McClintock Street near Grand Central Station.

The room prices match BT1: £174 for an en-suite and £201 for a studio.

The walk to Queen’s takes around 17 minutes. Train and coach travel becomes easier than it is from Elms BT9.

BT1 and BT2 need a room-level comparison. Kitchen size, flat occupancy and bedroom view may matter more than the small difference in walking time.

Willow Walk

Willow Walk stands beside Elms BT9 on Malone Road.

Three- and four-bedroom apartments begin at £168 per room. Two-bedroom homes cost £180, premium two-bedroom rooms cost £185, studios cost £201 and one-bedroom flats cost £234.

The smaller apartments support a quieter household than the main Elms blocks. Postgraduate, mature and international residents form much of the community.

Four-bedroom apartments include a washing machine. Other residents use the paid laundry facilities at the Treehouse.

Weavers’ Hall

Weavers’ Hall opens on Dublin Road in September 2026.

Premium en-suites cost £210 per week and belong to four- to six-person apartments. Studios cost £243. Queen’s describes the property as Belfast’s first Passivhaus-certified purpose-built student residence.

The building provides modern shared areas and a 14-minute university walk.

Its price exceeds every other standard Queen’s room. The premium needs to reflect the bedroom, building specification and location, not the fact that the property is new.

Best Private Accommodation Near Queen’s

Current private listings nearest Queen’s begin at £179 for an en-suite room and about £219 for a studio. Prices and availability can change during the booking period.

Property	Distance shown from Queen’s	Current entry price	Main room formats
Aster House	0.26 miles	£185 per week	En-suites and studios
Bradbury Place	0.30 miles	£179 per week	En-suites and studios
Ryan Hall	Queen’s Quarter	From £219 per week	Studios
Vita Student Bruce Street	0.60 miles	£253 per week	Studios
John Bell House	0.87 miles	£169 per week	Private rooms
Swanston House	0.89 miles	£169 per week	Private rooms and studios
Alma Place	1.32 miles	£153 per week	Private rooms and studios
Biscuit Factory	1.39 miles	£160 per week	Private rooms
Great Patrick Street	1.44 miles	£151 per week	Private rooms and studios

Current locations and starting prices come from the live Queen’s property list.

Aster House

Aster House occupies 45 Botanic Avenue and currently begins at £185 per week.

The entry room gives one resident a private bedroom and bathroom, followed by a shared kitchen and lounge. Standard studios begin at £270 and include an individual kitchen.

A 51-week en-suite at £185 costs £9,435. The equivalent standard studio at £270 reaches £13,770.

The location saves time, but Queen’s BT9 or city-centre en-suites cost less. Compare the annual rent before paying for the private building facilities.

Bradbury Place

Bradbury Place lies around 0.3 miles from the university.

Current en-suite rooms begin at £179, with higher private bedrooms between £185 and £190. Studios begin at £275. Contracts cover 44 or 51 weeks.

The property includes utilities, Wi-Fi and contents insurance in the rent. Residents also receive access to study and social facilities.

A 51-week entry en-suite costs £9,129. A 44-week contract at the same rate would reduce the full rent substantially, so confirm the exact offer.

Ryan Hall

Ryan Hall occupies Elmwood Avenue beside Queen’s Quarter.

The building offers studios only, with current displayed prices from approximately £219 to £225 under several tenancy lengths.

The property is close to the university outside the front door. Its shorter contract choices may support non-standard courses, exchanges or late arrivals.

Check the exact current price attached to the preferred dates. The page displays several figures for similar studio categories.

John Bell House

John Bell House currently starts at £169 per week and lies around 0.87 miles from Queen’s on the university property page.

The building occupies the city-centre side of Belfast and offers private rooms under standard and shorter contracts.

The university route takes longer than it does from Botanic Avenue. The address is close to Grand Central Station, shops and central employment.

Swanston House

Swanston House also starts at £169 and lies approximately 0.89 miles from Queen’s.

The property offers private rooms and studios under 44- and 51-week contracts, with shorter options listed for selected dates.

A city-centre resident should test the walk to class during morning traffic. A 20-minute map estimate may feel different in winter rain.

Alma Place

Alma Place begins at £153 per week, one of the lowest current managed private rates in Belfast.

The property lies around 1.32 miles from Queen’s and offers private rooms and studios under several tenancy lengths. Hot water, electricity, Wi-Fi and contents insurance form part of the listed rent.

The lower price introduces a longer campus route. Compare it with Elms BT1 or BT2 before deciding that the private building costs less overall.

The strongest low-cost choices come from Queen’s standard rooms and private house shares.

Option	Weekly fee	40- or standard-contract comparison	Main compromise
Queen’s standard room	£119	£4,760 over 40 weeks	Shared bathroom
Queen’s double standard	£131	£5,240 over 40 weeks	Shared bathroom
Elms BT9 en-suite	£163	£6,520 over 40 weeks	Larger kitchen group
Willow Walk three- or four-bedroom room	£168	£6,720 over 40 weeks	Shared bathroom
Great Patrick Street	From £151	Check 44- or 51-week offer	Longer university journey
Alma Place	From £153	Check 44- or 51-week offer	City-centre commute
Biscuit Factory	From £160	Check current contract	Longer walk
Holylands house share	Varies	Bills frequently separate	Property quality and noise

A standard university room has the lowest clear contract cost. The £119 payment also includes household utilities, Wi-Fi and maintenance.

A Holylands bedroom may display a smaller rent, but energy, internet and household purchases can erase much of the difference.

Affordability also depends on tenancy length. A £153 room over 51 weeks costs £7,803. A £163 university en-suite over 40 weeks costs £6,520. The more expensive weekly room saves £1,283 because the agreement ends earlier.

Weekly Student Budget in Belfast

Use these figures as an initial allowance, then adjust them after the first month.

Expense	Weekly allowance	What affects it
Groceries	£35–£55	Diet, supermarket and meals bought near campus
Local transport	£0–£15	Address and number of weekly journeys
Utility bills	£0–£25	Included in Queen’s halls and most managed residences
Laundry	£4–£9	Property charges and dryer use
Mobile phone	£3–£8	Contract and data
Course costs	£5–£30+	Books, equipment, placements and printing
Social plans	£15–£35	Frequency and venue
Household items	£5–£12	Cleaning and shared kitchen purchases

Queen’s Quarter, Botanic, Mount Charles and the Holylands remove most weekday transport. Elms BT9 also remains walkable. Cathedral Quarter properties make a bus allowance more useful.

Medical and health-science learners should set aside money for placement travel when teaching moves beyond the central campus.

International Student visa applicants studying in Belfast currently need to show £1,171 per month for up to nine months, unless an exemption applies. The figure belongs to the visa application and does not represent typical weekly spending.

Walking

Walking covers most student journeys around Queen’s Quarter.

The university reports that many main-campus destinations remain within ten minutes of one another. The city centre lies around 15 minutes from Queen’s, depending on the destination.

Elms BT9 takes approximately 15 minutes to reach from the Lanyon Building. City-centre halls take about 17 to 20 minutes.

Botanic Railway Station

Botanic station lies around five minutes from the main university campus.

Local trains connect the area with Bangor, Lisburn, Newry and other Northern Ireland destinations. The station can also connect with Belfast Grand Central for wider rail and coach services.

A learner commuting from outside Belfast should check the final walk to the course building, not only the train time.

Metro Buses

Translink operates Belfast’s Metro services.

Routes 8A, 8B, 8C and related services connect the city centre, Queen’s area, Malone Road and Elms BT9. Queen’s identifies the 8B as a regular city-to-Elms service and the 8A as a city-to-campus route.

The yLink card provides discounted travel for eligible young people. Review current fares directly before buying a longer ticket.

Cycling

Belfast Bikes has docking stations near the Students’ Union, McClay Library and Elms BT9.

Cycling can shorten trips from Stranmillis, Malone, Ormeau and the city centre. The Lagan towpath provides a traffic-free section for parts of South Belfast.

Confirm secure storage at the property. An outdoor public dock does not replace overnight bicycle security.

Grand Central Station

Belfast Grand Central handles major bus, coach and rail services.

Elms BT1, Elms BT2 and Weavers’ Hall lie around 300 metres from the station. Queen’s takes a longer walk or a short local journey.

Enterprise services connect Belfast and Dublin. The university gives a typical journey of a little over two hours.

Airport Travel

George Best Belfast City Airport lies closest to the city. Public transport connects the airport with central Belfast, followed by a local journey to Queen’s Quarter.

Belfast International Airport lies farther away and has coach services to the city centre. Queen’s estimates taxi costs of about £10–£15 from City Airport to Elms BT9 and £25–£30 from Belfast International Airport.

Early departures need a separate timetable check. A taxi may become necessary before the first bus or train.