If a student's application has not been successful at their preferred hall, and alternative options have been exhausted, the application will automatically be placed on a centralised General Waitlist held by Accommodation Services. This does not mean the student has not submitted a strong application. Each hall operates its own selection process with individual criteria depending on how they want to create their community. They generally aim to offer to a diverse range of students from a variety of schools and locations, and studying a broad range of degree programmes.
The General Waitlist is part of the process with many students gaining offers from the waitlist throughout the remainder of the year and into the start of Semester 1.
The benefit of a centralised General Waitlist is:
- The application will be accessible to all halls, rather than held by one individual hall.
- Accommodation Services will communicate regularly to waitlisted students advising on availability.
- The General Waitlist is not ranked and any student can be offered a room at any time. However, halls will take into consideration priority groups and any specific circumstances.
- The student's preferred hall will be taken into consideration throughout the waitlist process.
It is important to note that any hall can offer a room at any time. It is the student's decision to accept or decline the offer. A student cannot be offered a room and stay on the General Waitlist at the same time.
If an offer is declined or expired and the student wishes to return to the General Waitlist, they must inform Accommodation Services of their decision.
The University of Canterbury has partnership agreements with Arcady Hall, College House, Rochester and Rutherford Hall, and UniLodge (Campus Houses, Hayashi, Ilam Student Accommodation, Sonoda, Tupuānuku, Tupuarangi, University Hall) as specialist accommodation providers. A residential contract is, therefore, a legal binding document between the individual hall of residence and the student - please read the terms and conditions carefully, particularly in regard to penalties to withdraw from a contract, once signed.
