Edinburgh Napier University

Our Guarantee

The guarantee is an offer of accommodation to all first year and direct entrant undergraduate students who meet the following criteria:

• You have firmly accepted an unconditional offer to study at Edinburgh Napier University.
• You will be studying at the University for the whole academic year starting in September 2023.
• You must reside outwith an EH postcode.
• You meet the appropriate clearance checks (non-EU students only).
• You submit your online application by 3pm on 21 August 2023.
• You make your £500 advance rent payment within 72 hours of receiving your offer of accommodation. Please note, we do not accept Maestro payments.
• You complete a guarantor form, payment schedule and online induction within 3 days of receiving your accommodation reservation email.

If you have a conditional offer, you won't be able to apply until this is unconditional - for most, this means waiting for exam results (e.g. Highers, A-Level and GCSE England, Wales or Northern Ireland). Don't worry though, our guarantee date is 3pm on 21 August, so there will still be time to apply after the results come out and still be guaranteed an offer of accommodation. A small number of spaces will be reserved at our Bainfield accommodation for the Higher and A-Level results release date and these will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Students from the Republic of Ireland can pre-reserve student accommodation from 8 August until 17 August by email accommodation@napier.ac.uk or calling 0131 455 3713, as your exam results will not be released until 3 September. Your student accommodation will only be confirmed, however, if you meet the deadlines for submitting an application and completing the application process.

Postgraduate students

We have limited spaces for Postgraduate students and these will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

Accommodation sites: Orwell Terrace will offer 39-week tenancies and Slateford Road 50-week tenancies.

First Trimester students

There are very limited spaces reserved for First Trimester students, therefore you will be placed on a waiting list. Should a suitable space become available, we will contact you to make you an offer. Please note: you will be expected to make payment in full upfront for the total length of the tenancy.  Generally, offers for First Trimester are given out in late June. If we are unable to make you an offer, assistance will be given to help you look in the private sector.

American group booking spaces will be guaranteed to students who meet the requirements/deadlines, as spaces have been pre-reserved.

Accommodation site: Orwell Terrace accommodation will be offered to all successful First Trimester students. We will also have spaces at Gorgie (Nomination Agreement)

Second Trimester students

There are very limited spaces reserved for Second Trimester students, therefore you will be placed on a waiting list. Should a suitable space become available, we will contact you to make you an offer. Please note: you will be expected to make payment in full upfront for the total length of the tenancy.  Generally offers for 2nd Trimester are giving out in late October. If we are unable to make you an offer of 2nd Trimester assistance will be given in looking in the private sector.

American group booking spaces will be guaranteed to students who met the requirements/deadlines as spaces have been pre-reserved. 

Accommodation Site: Orwell Terrace (Careketton House) accommodation will be offered to most successful Second Trimester students. However, thereafter students will be offered individual spaces in in various sites outwith the general allocation policy with the exception of trying to ensure Postgraduates are house separate from Undergraduates where possible.

EH Postcode students

Unfortunately, you will not come under the guarantee of an offer of accommodation, therefore once you have an unconditional offer you have firmly accepted, please apply online to be placed on an EH Postcode waiting list. The only exception to this rule is if you are a care experienced student (please see information below).

If you have a disability, for example autism, please make us aware of this as soon as possible, as you may automatically be placed on our appeal process depending on your needs.

Please note: Offers to students on the EH Postcode Waiting List will not be made until 22 August 2023.

If you are an EH Postcode wanting to appeal in order to come under the guarantee, please send an email titled EH Postcode Appeal with a description of your situation quoting your Edinburgh Napier number to accommodation@napier.ac.uk and these will be considered around 20 July2023. You do not need to have an unconditional offer you have firmly accepted to joining the EH Postcode Appeal list. Please be aware there are no guarantees of a successful appeal, therefore we would strongly recommend you also submit an application to join the waiting list.

Nursing students

We aim to offer all nursing students 50-week tenancies at our Slateford Road accommodation depending on availability. If this is not possible you will be given a standard tenancy according to the site you have been allocated instead of a 50-week tenancy.

Veterinary nursing students generally apply for 39-week tenancies. If you are applying for a 39-week tenancy you will come under the guarantee of an offer of accommodation otherwise we have a limited number of 1 trimester spaces and they will be given out on a first come, first served basis.

Returning students

If you are a care experienced student who has stayed in student accommodation for 39/50 weeks the previous year and you have no debt on your account or disciplinary action on your student record, you will come under the guarantee for the next consecutive year. However, students cannot move out of student accommodation and then return at a later stage. All returning students must ensure there is no debt on their student accommodation accounts and have no disciplinary action from previous academic years.

If you have disclosed on your application for student accommodation you have Autism Spectrum Disorder ASD or hearing aid requirements, have stayed in student accommodation for 39/50 weeks the previous year, and have no debt on your account or disciplinary action, you will come under the guarantee for the next consecutive year.

In these cases, we will try to ensure you are allocated the same bedroom as the previous year where possible. Unfortunately we cannot offer this for other disabilities or mental health conditions, as we have limited spaces and priority will be given to students who come under the guarantee.

For all other students, you will not come under the guarantee of an offer of accommodation, therefore please contact the Student Accommodation Office to be placed on a manual waiting list. Access to online application system will not be permitted. Please note we will only consider offering any suitable spaces to returning students from our waiting list after the guarantee date 22 August 2023.

ALL returning students MUST submit application for the following academic year no later than 30 May otherwise we cannot offer you accommodation for the next academic year.

Disabilities and medical conditions

We have a number of accessible flats at our developments. If you have any disabilities or medical needs, please contact the office before making your application to ensure that we can meet those needs. Please do this as soon as possible, even if you do not yet have your unconditional offer, so we can pre-reserve an appropriate room and make the necessary adjustments if you do apply. Please be aware we will require evidence to confirm any formal diagnoses eg. ASD. More information can be found on our Additional Support page. 

Care Experienced and Care Leavers

The term care-experienced refers to anyone who has been, or is currently, in the care of a UK local authority. Care-experience can occur at any time of childhood from infancy to adolescent, can vary in duration of care and accommodation setting.

The term care leaver refers to individuals in the care of a UK local authority between the ages of 14 and 16 years (including on or after 16th birthday). People from care leaver backgrounds often have access to ‘continuing care’ through their local authority social work department’s Throughcare and Aftercare services which can include financial support to pay for accommodation up to the age of 26 years for care leavers supported by Scottish local authorities. Similar arrangements are commonly in place in other regions and nations of the UK.  Importantly, the term care-experienced is inclusive and as such includes individuals from care leaver backgrounds.

If you are care-experienced or a care leaver please contact the office accommodation@napier.ac.uk with your Edinburgh Napier number, even if you do not yet have your unconditional offer, so we can pre-reserve an appropriate room if applicable.

Students from care-experienced backgrounds can apply for student accommodation if they live within an EH postcode arear before the guarantee date mentioned above and can submit an EH Postcode Appeal email before 20th July if applicable.

Care-experienced students have the option to stay within student accommodation for the total length of your course (for up to four years) subject to adhering to the student code of conduct, eg. no debt and historical disciplinary action.

Contact our student accommodation office on 0131 455 3713  if you require any additional information.

To find out more about the University’s support for care-experienced learners please visit our Widening Participation pages to download student information sheets or to get in touch with the care-experienced student dedicated contact by emailing wideningaccess@napier.ac.uk

Gender identity

We recognise the specific needs and requirements of transitioning students in the provision of accommodation. Generally we only guarantee single gender accommodation to undergraduate students. If, for this reason, you have a specific need to be in a mixed gender accommodation, please indicate this on the application. Then email accommodation@napier.ac.uk within 12 hours, quoting your Edinburgh Napier number, giving a brief explanation and we will ensure you are allocated a mixed gender accommodation. Please note this information will be kept confidential.

If during your time at University you choose to transition and this requires a review of your current accommodation, again please email accommodation@napier.ac.uk

Pathway Group Booking

Pathway students come under the same guarantee of an offer as second trimester students. We will try to ensure you are housed at Capitol Students if possible, otherwise we may consider one of our other sites (Bainfield, Slateford Road or Orwell Terrace).

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