For the 2025 academic year, Waipapa Taumata Rau, the University of Auckland is committed to offering on-campus housing for over 4,500 students across our City and Grafton campuses. Our diverse range of accommodation options includes both catered and self-catered choices, providing a convenient and immersive campus experience.  

Our accommodation fees cover not only rent, but also a comprehensive package of utilities and resources. This includes power, heating/cooling, laundry facilities, cleaning services for common areas, and membership to the University’s Recreation Centre. Residents also benefit from access to the University’s WiFi network. Additionally, our Halls of Residence feature two academic mentoring programs, a variety of student-focused events, Inter-Residential activities, and round-the-clock security and pastoral care.  

The increase in our 2025 Accommodation Fees reflects rising inflation over the past two years, as well as increased costs for catering services, staff salaries (including minimum and living wage adjustments), and enhanced pastoral care initiatives. Despite this increase, our housing remains competitively priced compared to other New Zealand universities and private rentals in the Auckland CBD and Parnell areas.   

Accommodation fees are calculated for the full period stated in the residential agreement, and include utilities such as water, electricity, and laundry. You are required to pay your Accommodation fees for the duration of your fixed term agreement. 

In the catered halls, meals are also included.

Accommodation fees for the term of your residential agreement are charged in the following way. Please note all fees are charged in New Zealand Dollars (NZD). 

To be paid prior to check-in

• Deposit: To confirm your offer, you will need to sign your Residential Agreement and pay a $1000 deposit. This deposit is made up of a $350 Application Fee (non-refundable) and $650 towards your Advance Payment and Residential Services Fee.
• Advance Payment: This is approximately the first three weeks of your Accommodation Fees (see relevant payment schedule for exact amount). The $650 from your above deposit goes towards this charge, and the remaining amount and Residential Services Fee must be paid prior to checking in.
• Residential Services Fee: The Residential Services Fee for 2025 is $350 for an Academic or Full Year term, or $175 for a One Semester term. This is a compulsory one-off charge that must be paid prior to checking in. This fee covers year-round community engagement activities, access to the University Recreation Centre, and laundry facilities and must be paid for each new residential term. 
• Remaining balance: Your Advance Payment will cover approximately your first three weeks Accommodation Fees. Your remaining Accommodation Fee balance will then begin to be applied to your account in fortnightly instalments as per your relevant payment schedule charge dates. You are required to make payment of each fortnightly charge within 7 days of the charged date. See information on how to pay your Accommodation Fees below.
• Additional charges: It is your responsibility to ensure that any additional charges made to your account due to damages, defaulting on payments, or items purchased through the online shop are paid in full before you check-out.

Please note: The period of the residential agreement is fixed. You will be required to pay for Accommodation for the full period you have agreed to even if you arrive later than the start date, or leave prior to the end date.

*The $350 administrative fee is not a part of your overall accommodation total.

You can pay your Accommodation Fees in two ways:

1. Automatic payments via your bank. This is the preferred method of payment. Ensure that you use the first and last fortnightly instalment dates detailed on the table of fees for your residence when setting up your automatic payments through your online banking account or directly with your bank. The account details you will need to set up your fortnightly automatic payment are detailed below.
2. Online payments via the tomokanga wharenoho | Accommodation portal. Once you have logged in, click on your 'My Account' tab in the blue menu bar and follow the instructions provided. 
   Online payment options include: Visa/Mastercard, Alipay, China UnionPay, Visa/Mastercard Debit Card or A2A | Account 2 Account (ANZ, ASB, BNZ, KiwiBank, TSB & Westpac only)
   PLEASE NOTE: As of January 2020, all credit card and debit card payments will incur a 1.9% Convenience Fee. This will be added automatically when you make your payment. To find out more, visit the Card Payment Convenience Fee webpage.

Bank Transfer details

To pay move-in costs, fortnightly payments or lump sum payments via bank transfer please use the details below:

Name of bank: ANZ
Branch: Auckland
Name of account: University of Auckland Accommodation
Account number: 01 1839 0818777 07

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Particulars: Student Last name and Initial eg. Zheng N

Code: UoA Student ID Number (no characters) eg. 12345678

Reference: Hall or Residence name eg. 55 Symonds, O'Rorke etc

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For overseas transactions:

SWIFT code: ANZBNZ22
SWIFT BIC ADDRESS - NEW ZEALAND
ANZ Bank New Zealand Limited
170-186 Featherston Street, Wellington, New Zealand

If a routing number (IBAN) is also required, please use the first 6 digits of our account number: 011839

Please note: we do not take cash or cheque payments for accommodation fees, however if you are in Auckland you are welcome to come into our office to pay your deposit by Eftpos, credit card or UnionPay, provided you are making the payment before your acceptance due date.

Is the University aware of the challenges students are facing when it comes to the cost of living? 

Yes, Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland is well aware of the challenges the cost of living puts on many of our students. We are concerned about the cost of living challenges faced by all our students, including those living in our halls of residence.  

We work hard to provide a safe and supportive living environment conducive to success at university and at the lowest possible cost. We also work hard to minimise accommodation fees, and in fact have kept these low in comparison to other Aotearoa New Zealand universities despite being in the most expensive of its main cities.  

Does the University make profits from its Accommodation service?  

No, we aim to achieve a break-even position or a small surplus which is then reinvested in facilities – noting this is highly sensitive to occupancy rates. 

What does the University do if it does have a surplus of funds through Accommodation operations?  

The University aims for very small surpluses and when we achieve them, they are reinvested in maintenance and upgrades of properties. For example, we are currently undertaking a $20m upgrade of University Hall Apartments to improve their overall quality and life safety systems such as fire sprinklers. We are also undertaking similar upgrades to O’Rorke Hall.  

Whenever we do not cover all our costs, they must be met by the University through funding that would otherwise be spent on teaching and research.  

Why are University Accommodation rent increases more than inflation? 

Fee increases for 2025 are on average 4% for catered halls and 3.3% for self-catered halls. These are slightly higher than the Consumers Price Index (CPI) because many of the costs associated with student accommodation have increased at rates higher than CPI. For example, our cleaning and catering contracts will be increasing to keep pace with living wage increases which are 6.9% from September 2024.  

Does the University measure its Accommodation rent against the average rent prices in the Auckland Central area?  

Yes, we do. However, it should be noted that the average rent prices in the central city cover a very wide range of accommodation types and do not provide a standard comparison.  

Most rentals in Auckland do not provide the quality of accommodation, facilities and pastoral care provided in the University’s student halls, and this needs to be considered when making comparisons. University of Auckland rent includes electricity, water and our properties are fully furnished. Comparable properties in the private market are more expensive.  

Why won’t the University subsidise accommodation?  

The University is unable to divert tuition fees or government tuition funding for teaching and research to subsidising accommodation. We are also prohibited from using the Student Services Levy to subsidise accommodation.  

Even if we could use those funds, we don’t believe it is appropriate to require the 90% of our students who don’t live in accommodation to subsidise the 10% who do. Doing so would place an additional financial burden on non-resident students who themselves are already struggling with the cost of living. This is a position that has been strongly supported by AUSA.

The exception to this principle is the offering of scholarships for Māori and targeted equity groups, some of which include the cost of University accommodation. The accommodation component of our scholarships is valued at $10m, $3.2m of which goes to scholarships for Māori and Pacific students. The University puts considerable effort into, and has had good success at, fundraising from private donors to support scholarships.