Usually yes. Most self-catered halls, PBSA and private houses let you stay over Christmas, because your contract runs straight through it, but many catered halls and short contracts make you leave, or pay extra to stay. Check your contract's dates first: if there is a gap in December, you need to book vacation accommodation or move out.
Halls vs PBSA vs private: can you stay?
The type of contract matters more than the type of building.
This is the pattern on the pages we read. It is a guide, and your own contract decides. Rent usually carries on either way: Unite says payments continue even if you do not use your room over a break.
| Where you live | Can you stay? | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Self-catered university halls | Usually yes | Contract dates, and any form the university wants you to fill in |
| Catered university halls | Often no. Some let you stay on a self-catered basis | Move-out date, and whether vacation rooms can be booked |
| Short university contracts, such as 31 or 32 weeks | Often not included | Paying extra for vacation nights, if offered |
| PBSA | Yes, if your contract covers those dates | Your tenancy start and end dates |
| Private student house | Usually yes, as it is your rented home all year | Heating, insurance and housemates' plans |
Christmas 2026/27 dates and rules at named universities
From each university's own page, November 2026. Not every university publishes dates, so ask if yours is missing.
| University | Who has to leave | Dates or rule |
|---|---|---|
| Kent | Meal plan rooms in Keynes blocks F to I and Becket Court | Out by 10am on 12 December 2026, back from 9 January 2027. Self-catered residents can stay, using a form |
| Exeter | 32-week catered rooms | First period ends 12 December 2026, next starts 3 January 2027. 40-week self-catered rooms run through |
| St Andrews | Catered: John Burnet, McIntosh, St Regulus, St Salvator's, University Hall, Andrew Melville | Dates by email. Gannochy House is also closed, but you can leave belongings |
| LSE | 31-week contracts at Carr-Saunders and Passfield | Extra nights can be booked, subject to availability, at rates above term time |
| Bishop Burton | All residents | Out by 7pm on 17 December 2026, back after 2pm on 4 January 2027 |
| Chester | 38-week term-time full board | Must vacate at Christmas. Its page still showed 2025 dates |
| Warwick | Nobody at Christmas on the lets it lists | 35-week lets cover Christmas but you must leave at Easter, by 10am on 20 March 2027 |
| Roehampton | Nobody | All 2026-27 contract lengths include Christmas and Easter |
| York | Nobody on 40 and 44-week lets | Both cover Christmas and Easter |
How long is the gap, if you have to leave?
Few guides count this, but it changes your plans. Kent's meal plan contract leaves you without your room for four full weeks, which is longer than the university's own closure from 22 December to 4 January. Plan on the room dates and not the term dates.
We would also look at what happens to your things. Kent says you can leave belongings locked in your room, and St Andrews says the same for Gannochy House. Others may differ, so ask before you pack everything into a suitcase.
Nights without your room over Christmas 2026
Our count of nights between the published move-out and return dates: Kent meal plan rooms, Exeter 32-week catered rooms and Bishop Burton. Other universities did not publish dates we could use.
Contract weeks: how to tell if yours covers Christmas
Do not rely on the number of weeks alone. Look at the dates. A contract with one continuous run from September to June or July covers Christmas. A contract split into periods does not.
ARU's published 2026/27 Cambridge dates show the point well. Peter Taylor House runs for 40 weeks and 3 nights, from 8 September 2026 to 18 June 2027, in one stretch. Yugo's CB1 runs for 42 weeks from 4 September 2026 to 25 June 2027. Exeter's 32-week catered contract, by contrast, comes in three separate periods.
Beware of smaller print too. ARU's policy says students may be required to move to alternative accommodation during holiday periods. LSE says it cannot guarantee you stay in your term-time room during a break, and Unite's wording only promises you can stay if your contract includes the holiday.
- Find the datesOpen your contract or booking confirmation and look for one date range, or several.
- Check December and JanuaryIf there is a gap, you have no right to the room in that time unless you book it.
- Ask for vacation rates earlyKent wants bookings a week before your move-out date. LSE needs payment within 48 hours of confirming.
- Tell them you are stayingKent uses its form to keep your heating and facilities running as normal.
- Ask about alternativesIf vacation nights cost a lot, ask your university's support team before you book.
International students over Christmas
Unite's group points out that international students make up 15.7% of UK undergraduates and 39.1% of postgraduates, and that they may not want to, or be able to afford to, travel home. It says its buildings run events over the break. If you are in that group, we would avoid catered and short contracts when you book, because the gap costs you money or a move.
If you are already in a catered room, book vacation accommodation as early as you can. Rooms are subject to availability at LSE, and they may be offered to paying visitors. At St Andrews, postgraduate contracts always cover the Christmas and spring vacations, which is worth knowing if you are starting a master's.
We have not covered visa rules here, so speak to your university's international team if you plan to travel.
Care leavers and estranged students
You should not be left with nowhere to go. Tell your university and, if you have one, your personal adviser early.
In England, section 24B of the Children Act 1989 says that where a qualifying person in full-time further or higher education needs accommodation in a vacation because their term-time room is not available, the local authority must provide suitable accommodation or pay enough for it. This is general information and not legal advice, so ask your council's leaving care team how it applies to you. Rules differ in other nations.
Universities often go further, and it is worth asking even if yours is not listed. York also prioritises care leavers and estranged students among returning students.
| University | What it offers |
|---|---|
| Coventry | Free 52-week accommodation for eligible students starting 2026-27, up to 4 years. Other criteria apply |
| Warwick | 52-week package for care leavers, estranged students and Sanctuary Scholars. You pay for it, and summer 2026 rooms were £18 or £28 a night as a guide |
| Roehampton | Accommodation can be requested 365 days a year |
| St Andrews | Care experienced or estranged students are in the returning student guarantee group |
| ARU | Care leavers can apply each year for the whole of their course |
Securing your room while you are away
Tell your residence team you are going, because St Andrews and Kent both ask. Kent's checklist is a good one to follow wherever you live: turn off and unplug electricals except the fridge, empty your bin, remove food, close windows but leave the vent open, lock doors and collect post.
Leave your room tidy with surfaces clear, because St Andrews warns that maintenance can happen during the Christmas vacation. Take valuables with you, and check your insurance if your room will be empty for a while. Our separate guide covers the house version in full, from locks to frozen pipes.
Going away from a shared house?
A full checklist for private houses: windows, keys, heating, insurance and what to do if something goes wrong.
Secure your student house over Christmasof 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.
Keep planning
FAQs
Can you stay in student accommodation over Christmas?
Usually yes, if your contract runs through December. Most self-catered halls and PBSA do, including Roehampton's 2026-27 contracts and York's 40 and 44-week lets. Many catered halls do not. Kent's meal plan rooms close from 12 December 2026 to 9 January 2027, and Exeter's 32-week catered contract breaks from 12 December to 3 January.
Do you have to pay rent if you go home for Christmas?
Usually yes, when your contract covers the break. Unite says payments must be made as normal even if you do not use your room over term breaks. If your contract excludes Christmas, you do not pay for that gap, but you may have to pay separately to stay, as with LSE's 31-week contracts and Kent's vacation accommodation.
Can I stay in catered halls over Christmas?
It depends on the hall, and often you cannot on your normal contract. St Andrews says most catered halls exclude Christmas, though David Russell Apartments, Agnes Blackadder and Whitehorn include it on a self-catered basis. Kent offers vacation accommodation on a self-catered basis, booked at least a week before you move out. Ask your residence team what applies.
Do I have to take all my things home at Christmas?
Not always, so ask before packing. Kent says students in meal plan rooms can securely leave belongings locked in their room, even though they cannot use it during the closure. St Andrews says the same for Gannochy House, but asks you to leave rooms tidy and surfaces clear for cleaning and possible maintenance.
Can international students stay in halls over Christmas?
Yes, on the same contract rules as everyone else. If your contract covers December, you can stay. If you are in a catered or short contract, book vacation nights as soon as you can, as LSE's are subject to availability. Unite says its buildings are open and staffed every day, including Christmas Day, with events over the break.
What support do care leavers get over Christmas?
In England, section 24B of the Children Act 1989 says councils must provide vacation accommodation, or pay enough for it, for qualifying care leavers in full-time education whose term-time room is unavailable. Universities add their own help: Coventry offers free 52-week accommodation for eligible 2026-27 starters, and Roehampton offers 365-day accommodation on request. Speak to your university early.
What about the Easter break?
Check it the same way, as the rules can differ. Warwick's 35-week lets cover Christmas but not Easter, with move out by 10am on 20 March 2027. York warns that 38-week lets mean moving your belongings out at Easter. Exeter's 32-week catered contract also breaks from 27 March to 25 April 2027, so check yours in the same way.
What is the difference between a term-time room and a vacation room?
A term-time room is the one your contract gives you. A vacation room is a separate booking for a break, usually at a different price and maybe in a different room. LSE says it cannot guarantee your term-time room for a break, and rates are higher than in term time, though cheaper than for commercial guests.
Sources and official resources
- University of Kent: leaving for winter 2026/27 dates, form and checklist
- University of Exeter: contracts 2026/27 Contract periods by residence type
- St Andrews: staying during vacations Named catered and self-catered halls
- LSE: winter and spring breaks Booking extra nights on 31-week contracts
- Bishop Burton: term dates 2026/27 closure dates
- University of Chester: contracts Term-time full board rule
- Warwick: vacation accommodation FAQs What each let length covers
- Roehampton: contracts 2026-27 lengths include Christmas
- York: care leavers and estranged students Which lets cover Christmas
- Unite Students: moving out in holidays Stay if your contract includes breaks
- Unite Students: rent over term breaks Payments continue
- Unite Group: support over winter Staffing, events and international figures
- ARU Cambridge cost comparison chart 2026/27 tenancy dates
- ARU allocation policy Holiday moves and care leavers
- Children Act 1989, section 24B Vacation accommodation duty
- Coventry University: care leavers Free 52-week scheme
- Warwick: 52-week accommodation FAQs 2026/27 Package, cost and booking
- Roehampton: care leavers 365-day accommodation on request
- St Andrews: returning students Guarantee groups
- York: returning undergraduates Priority groups
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How we built this guide: facts come from the sources listed above, checked November 2026. It is general information rather than legal or financial advice, and rules and prices change, so confirm with the provider or an adviser before you commit. How we compare student accommodation.
