The best Leicester halls depend on your university: Freemen's Common is our pick for University of Leicester students who want to walk to campus, and New Wharf Hall offers DMU students a low rent on the edge of campus. Bede Hall at £95 a week is the cheapest single room we found. The University of Leicester guarantees first years a room if they apply by 1 September.
Our picks for student halls in Leicester
These are Unifresher's editorial picks, based on the prices, contracts and locations listed below. No hall paid to be here.
It is a five-minute walk from University of Leicester's campus and has the widest room range and shared facilities of the halls we checked.
At £95 a week, or £3,908.57 for the 2026/27 contract with bills included, it is the lowest rent for your own room.
DMU says it is in the centre of campus, the closest location statement for any hall here.
Its cafe bar, cinema suite, Co-op and games area give residents plenty of reasons to leave their flats.
Daily apartment housekeeping, a gym, a spa and 24/7 study rooms come at rents up to £218 a week.
Leicester halls compared on price
The weekly figure is only half the story, because contract lengths differ. The table below multiplies each rent by its charged weeks so you can compare what a year really costs.
Lowest listed weekly rent. Prices are for the latest year each provider has published, so compare the years shown. Your room type and contract may cost more.
| Hall | Type | From/week | Weeks | Contract total | Food | Bills in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaumont House | University | £742026/27 | 42 | £3,108 | Self-catered | Yes |
| Bede Hall | University | £952026/27 | 41 | £3,895 | Self-catered | Yes |
| New Wharf Hall | University | £118.502026/27 | 41 | £4,858 | Self-catered | Yes |
| Liberty Park | Private | £1282026/27 | 43 | £5,504 | Self-catered | Yes |
| Castle Court | Private | £1382026/27 | 43 | £5,934 | Self-catered | Yes |
| Grosvenor House | Private | £1392027/28 | Check | Check | Self-catered | Yes |
| Newarke Point | Private | £1422026/27 | 43 | £6,106 | Self-catered | Yes |
| Reynard House | Private | £1602026/27 | Check | Check | Self-catered | Yes |
| The Glassworks | Private | £1652026/27 | 43 | £7,095 | Self-catered | Check |
| Freemen's Common | University | £1702026/27 | 42 | £7,140 | Self-catered | Yes |
| The Pavilions | University | £1702026/27 | 42 | £7,140 | Self-catered | Yes |
| Nixon Court Blocks F-K | University | £1912025/26 | 42 | £8,022 | Self-catered | Yes |
The best student halls in Leicester
Jump to a hall
Freemen's Common
Freemen's Common is the University of Leicester's main walk-to-lectures site, five minutes from campus with a Co-op, cinema suite, cafe bar and study space among its reception and shared facilities. Rooms range widely, so check the kitchen numbers: standard en-suites share with 10 people, while premium ones share with 4 to 6. Those facilities are why it is our top pick despite the higher rents.
Worth knowing: Rents start well above The Village, and standard en-suite kitchens are shared by 10.
Key facts
Popular with: University of Leicester
Where: The City, Welford Road
Getting in: 5-minute walk to main campus
Best for: UoL students who want to walk in
Nixon Court Blocks F-K
These blocks share Freemen's Common's location, but the kitchen is split between five people rather than ten in the standard en-suite flats there. You also get a ¾ bed and easy access to the sports centre and 24-hour library. Exterior works are the main thing to weigh up.
Worth knowing: Building works will bring noise and scaffolding at times during the academic year.
Key facts
Popular with: University of Leicester
Where: The City, by Freemen's Common
Getting in: 5-minute walk to campus
Best for: Smaller flats close to campus
The Pavilions
The Pavilions is the Village choice if you want an en-suite, with just under 600 students across 16 modern buildings. You share a kitchen with about five people and have The Village Hub, music rooms and a dance studio close by. For the same starting rent you could live at Freemen's Common's cheaper shared-bathroom rooms, so the trade is privacy against the commute.
Worth knowing: You will rely on the bus, as campus is a 45-minute walk away.
Key facts
Popular with: University of Leicester
Where: The Village, Oadby
Getting in: 45-minute walk, 20-minute bus or 20-minute cycle to campus
Best for: En-suites and green space in The Village
Beaumont House
Beaumont House is a converted house with real character and the lowest listed University of Leicester rent we checked, £74 a week if you are happy to share a twin room. Most people will pay £128 to £138 for their own room with a washbasin. A music room and TV room add to the shared space across The Village.
Worth knowing: Twin rooms are the only route to the £74 price, and bathrooms are shared.
Key facts
Popular with: University of Leicester
Where: The Village, Oadby
Getting in: 45-minute walk, 20-minute bus or 20-minute cycle to campus
Best for: Tight budgets and older buildings
Bede Hall
Bede Hall is the cheapest single room in this guide at £95 a week, with 227 rooms and no guarantor needed. Flats hold seven to ten people, sharing two toilets and two showers, so this is a choice for people who do not mind queueing. At under £4,000 for the contract, it leaves far more of your loan for everything else.
Worth knowing: Bathrooms are shared within your flat and the bed is a single.
Key facts
Popular with: De Montfort University
Where: Edge of DMU campus
Getting in: On the edge of campus; DMU gives no walk time
Best for: The lowest rent for your own room
New Wharf Hall
New Wharf costs £23.50 a week more than Bede Hall and gets you a small double bed and a choice of four, seven or ten-bedroom flats. The kitchen comes with an air fryer as well as the usual kit, and there is a big supermarket and the QEII Leisure Centre nearby. It is our DMU pick for balancing price and comfort.
Worth knowing: Bathrooms are shared within your flat, and laundry is pay per use.
Key facts
Popular with: De Montfort University
Where: Edge of DMU campus
Getting in: On the edge of campus; DMU gives no walk time
Best for: DMU students wanting low rent and a double
Liberty Park
Liberty Park is the cheapest en-suite we found through DMU, at £128 a week with a residents-only gym and a common room with pool and air hockey. Only 150 of its 690 rooms are offered through DMU, so do not leave it late. It suits students who want private-hall extras without paying much more than a shared bathroom costs elsewhere.
Worth knowing: You need a guarantor over 25 when booking through DMU.
Key facts
Popular with: De Montfort University
Where: Close to DMU campus
Getting in: DMU describes it as within easy walking distance of campus
Best for: Cheap en-suite with a gym
Castle Court
Castle Court sits on the edge of DMU's campus and has flats of three to five, a cinema room and a shared study area. Extra large rooms can reach 20 square metres, which makes the £148 top rate look decent. It costs about £10 a week more than Liberty Park, so choose it for location and flat size.
Worth knowing: Parking costs £695 and laundry is extra.
Key facts
Popular with: De Montfort University
Where: Edge of DMU campus
Getting in: On the edge of campus, close to the city centre; DMU gives no walk time
Best for: DMU students wanting a smaller flat
Newarke Point
DMU describes Newarke Point as in the centre of its campus, which is as close as it gets for lectures. DMU offers 154 of its 648 rooms, mostly in five-person flats with single beds in the Classic rooms. Pay £5 more for Premium and you get a double bed, which we think is the better deal.
Worth knowing: A guarantor over 25 is required, and first rent may fall before your loan arrives.
Key facts
Popular with: De Montfort University
Where: DMU campus
Getting in: DMU says it is in the centre of campus
Best for: Rolling out of bed for DMU lectures
The Glassworks
The Glassworks is the priciest of DMU's partner halls at £165 a week for a standard en-suite, with 125 rooms on offer through the university. At that rent you would want a strong reason to skip Liberty Park or Newarke Point. Compare the location against your course building before deciding.
Worth knowing: It costs £37 more a week than Liberty Park's cheapest room.
Key facts
Popular with: De Montfort University
Where: Leicester
Best for: DMU students who like its location
Grosvenor House
iQ's Grosvenor House is a four-minute walk from DMU, with en-suites from £139 that have a small double bed and at least 15 square metres. That makes its starting rent competitive with DMU's partner halls, and you can book without going through DMU. You also get a games room, TV lounge and courtyard.
Worth knowing: A 21-minute walk to University of Leicester is workable but not short.
Key facts
Popular with: De Montfort University, University of Leicester
Where: City centre
Getting in: 4-minute walk to DMU; 21-minute walk to the University of Leicester
Best for: Larger en-suites close to DMU
Reynard House
Study Inn Reynard House is the most hotel-like hall here, with daily housekeeping in apartments plus a gym, spa and 24/7 study rooms. It sits close to both universities, which is unusual in Leicester. You are paying for the extras, so only choose it if you will use them.
Worth knowing: Most listings showed as sold out when we checked, and the year was not clearly stated.
Key facts
Popular with: De Montfort University, University of Leicester
Where: City centre
Getting in: Study Inn lists 3 minutes to DMU and 10 minutes to the University of Leicester; a separate guide on its site gives 7 and 13
Best for: Hotel-style extras near both universities
Will the maintenance loan cover it?
The maximum loan for a student in England living away from home outside London is £10,830 for 2026/27. Most students get less, because it is means-tested. Here is how the cheapest and dearest contracts on this page compare with that maximum.
Beaumont House: £3,108 over 42 weeks leaves £7,722 for everything else.
Nixon Court Blocks F-K: £8,022 over 42 weeks leaves £2,808 for everything else.
Where students live in Leicester
The City (near University of Leicester)
UoL students who want to walk to campus. Freemen's Common and Nixon Court are both five minutes away, with Clarendon Park's cafes and shops around the corner.
Worth knowing: Rents are higher than The Village, and Nixon Court has building works.
The Village, Oadby
UoL students wanting green space, lower rents and a self-contained community with a bar, music rooms and sports facilities about 2 miles out.
Worth knowing: Campus is a 45-minute walk or a 20-minute bus ride.
DMU campus and edge of campus
DMU students, with Newarke Point, Bede Hall, New Wharf Hall and Castle Court all described by DMU as in or beside campus.
Worth knowing: DMU gives no walk times, so check the accommodation map.
City centre
Students at either university who want shops close by. Reynard House and Grosvenor House both sit a short walk from DMU.
Worth knowing: University of Leicester's campus is about 10 to 21 minutes away on foot, depending on the hall.
When to apply for Leicester halls
- Once you hold a firm offerDMU emails login details so you can choose a room; pay a £200 booking fee and confirm within 30 days.
- After accepting a University of Leicester roomPay a £250 pre-payment, deducted from your final rent instalment.
- 13 August 2026 onwardsDMU's guarantee applied to eligible 2026/27 Clearing offers, within the deadlines in your offer letter.
- 1 SeptemberUniversity of Leicester guarantee deadline for new first-year students.
of the 500 UK students in our 2026 Student Experience Survey had hit at least one housing issue. Housemates (34%), the property itself (32%) and Wi-Fi (29%) came up most, so read the contract and ask about repairs and internet before you commit.
Keep planning your move to Leicester
FAQs
What are the best student halls in Leicester?
For University of Leicester students, we would start with Freemen's Common for its five-minute walk and shared facilities. For DMU students, New Wharf Hall offers a low £118.50 rent with a small double bed, while Newarke Point is in the centre of campus. Grosvenor House and Reynard House work well for private city-centre living.
What are the cheapest student halls in Leicester?
Bede Hall at DMU is the cheapest single room we found, at £95 a week for 2026/27. New Wharf Hall is £118.50. At University of Leicester, Beaumont House twin rooms are £74 a week and singles start at £128. Liberty Park is the cheapest DMU en-suite, from £128 a week.
Are first years guaranteed a room in Leicester halls?
University of Leicester guarantees new first-year students a room if they apply on or before 1 September. DMU's published guarantee is narrower: it covers UK first-year Clearing students for 2026/27, subject to availability on a first come, first served basis, and it does not promise a hall, price or room type.
Are there catered halls in Leicester?
DMU says all its halls are self-catered. The University of Leicester hall pages we checked, in both The City and The Village, list shared kitchens or kitchen facilities rather than meal plans. Private options here also have kitchens, though Study Inn Reynard House includes housekeeping rather than meals. Budget for food on top of your rent.
When should I apply for Leicester halls?
Apply as soon as you hold a firm offer. DMU rooms are first come, first served, and its page lists a 4 March booking opening for 25/26 entry, so check your year. University of Leicester's guarantee deadline is 1 September, though we would still apply early to keep more room choices open.
Is Freemen's Common worth it, and where is reception?
Freemen's Common is worth it if walking to campus matters to you, at £170 to £278 a week for 2026/27. It lists reception, launderette and common room among The City's facilities, at Welford Road, LE2 6BF. Compare kitchen sizes first, as standard en-suites share with 10 people.
Where are Unite's shared halls in Leicester?
Unite lists two Leicester buildings: Liberty Park and Castle Court. DMU offers rooms in both, on 43-week contracts for 2026/27, at £128 to £138 and £138 to £148 a week. Flats are shared, with en-suite bedrooms. Unite shows 2027/28 prices from £125 and £135 a week if you book with it directly.
Official resources
- De Montfort University accommodation Official halls information
- University of Leicester accommodation Official halls information
- University of Leicester accommodation search All 22 UoL residences and rents
- DMU prices and contract lengths Every DMU and partner hall rent
- DMU accommodation guarantee Who qualifies and first-come conditions
- How to book at Leicester Step-by-step UoL application video
Run student accommodation in Leicester?
Put your rooms in front of students choosing where to live. Talk to us about clearly labelled partner placements and campaigns.
How we built this guide: prices, contract lengths and facilities come from university and operator websites where they publish them, and from named listing sites otherwise. We checked them in November 2026 and each price links to its source. Rent for the contract is our own sum of the lowest listed weekly rent multiplied by its charged weeks, before any deposit, booking fee or discount. Rooms sell out and prices change, so confirm with the provider before you book. How we compare student accommodation.