University dormitories are overcrowded, many applicants are on waiting lists

University of Canterbury residence halls.
Photo: Supplied by/University of Canterbury

Many universities are reporting an increase in applications for accommodation next year.

Students told RNZ competition for places at the University of Canterbury was particularly hot, with many on waiting lists.

Other universities are expected to be fully or oversubscribed by 2025.

This is a sharp turnaround from last year, when most universities had empty buildings.

Canterbury reported that it received 4,097 applications for 2,800 placements the following year, while Otago reported that it had 4,700 applications for 3,755 places, and Victoria 4,424 for 2,741 places.

The universities said this number includes students who have applied to other universities and may not take the place offered, as well as students who may not get into the university and will be forced to withdraw their application.

The University of Victoria said that because of these factors, it expected to offer accommodation to all of its first-year students, even with the highest level of oversubscription.

But students on Canterbury halls waiting lists told RNZ they had little hope of getting a place.

A woman told RNZ her daughter missed out on a hostel at Canterbury and it turned her plans upside down because the degree she wanted to do wasn’t offered anywhere else.

“Oh, there were a lot of tears. You know, you have a dream of getting a specific degree that can only be done at one university, and then you don’t get offered a hall, her whole future could be at stake… she might now have to rethink her whole academic future,” she said .

She said her daughter was on the waiting list, but she knew many others hadn’t gotten a spot either, and it was unlikely her daughter would get a spot.

She said renting is an option, but would be a last resort.

“The kids going to university are of different ages, some of them are very, very young, and for those who are younger, a flat shape may not be the right option, but I think if we have to look at it, we will do it, but it’s not ideal, you don’t understand. I don’t get the same social interaction and immersion in university life that I get when I go into the hallways,” she said.

Head girls and head boys at different secondary schools told RNZ they had also failed to secure a place in Canterbury Assembly Hall for next year.

They asked to remain anonymous because they were on waiting lists, although they have been accepted into residence halls at other universities and are likely to accept the offers.

They said they would rather live in a dorm somewhere than in an apartment at their chosen university.

“A big part of university is socializing with other like-minded students and young people, and unless you’re in a dorm it’s very difficult to do that,” the head boy said, adding that it would be difficult to find an apartment. in a city he was not yet familiar with.

“I would have liked to have had the same experience in a university hall in my first year, so yes, for me, I would rather go to my second university and live in a hall of residence than live in a flat at my first university,” the head girl said.

The University of Victoria said there was a slight increase in applications for halls compared to last year.

“Students often apply and receive offers of placement at more than one university. Applications are also accepted before students receive their NCEA results in January. Because of this, some accommodation offers will be declined between now and our residence halls’ move-in date in February.

“We currently expect to be able to offer housing to all of our first-year class of 2025, and it is not too late to apply,” the statement said.

Victoria said it was exploring options for building another residence hall that would provide independent living for second-year students and above in 2025.

The University of Auckland said its 4418 beds were 99.8 per cent occupied earlier this year and had a waiting list for self-catering residences.

It was unable to provide data on applications for 2025 and said it would pursue its previous goal of increasing the number of residential beds to 7,500 beds by 2026.

The University of Victoria is exploring options for building another hall of residence for second-year students and above.
Photo: RNZ/Samuel Rillstone

AUT said its 901 beds across two residences have vacancies but are expected to be fully subscribed next year.

The University of Waikato said its accommodation in Hamilton and Tauranga is “close to capacity” this year.

The company said it will have 1,231 beds next year.

Applications for 2025 were higher than at the same time last year due to growing demand from both domestic and international students, it said.

“The university is currently exploring options for additional accommodation to meet demand at the Hamilton and Tauranga campuses.”

Massey University said all three of its campuses were short of space this year, but sites in Manawatu and Wellington were expected to be full next year.

Next year Auckland will have 292 beds, Manawatu will have 668 and Wellington will have 427 beds, with the latter figure down from 2024.

“There are many factors that could influence the current number of student accommodation applications, including easing pressure in rental markets and an increase in the number of students choosing to continue living at home,” the university said.

The University of Victoria said it had insufficient applications for its accommodation this year, but next year it had 4,424 applications for 2,741 places. although it was “exploring options to provide more beds in 2025 for our independent living”.

The University of Lincoln said it has 665 beds and expects to be fully occupied by 2025.

The University of Canterbury said it received 4,097 applications for halls of residence, up from 3,451 last year.

The statement said there were 2,800 places available at venues linked to the University of Canterbury and it was contacting those on the waiting list weekly.

“We encourage those on the waitlist to explore other options, such as housing or private boarding,” it said.

“UC provides the UniLife program throughout the year to help freshmen who are not in residence halls socialize and make friends.”

It said domestic students were the main driver behind the increase in applications this year.

The University of Otago said its halls were slightly below capacity this year.

“In 2025, we are recruiting a cohort of school leavers into our colleges that is significantly larger than this year, and at this stage we are seeing an increase in demand for colleges to match this.” it said.

It had 3,755 open spots next year and received more than 4,700 applications by the Sept. 30 deadline, meaning it was well positioned to start 2025 with a full complement of colleges.