Birley is Manchester Metropolitan University's halls complex in Hulme, offering convenient student accommodation in Manchester. It splits into two products at two prices: 12-bedroom townhouses with shared bathrooms at £195 per week, and 8-bedroom en-suite flats at £213. Both run on 44-week contracts.
That £18 a week gap is the whole decision for most people. Start there, then read the last section, because Manchester Met is currently showing no rooms available at Birley for 2026/27.
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How much does Birley cost in 2026/27?
| Option | Buildings | Bathroom | Per week | 44-week total |
| Townhouse | Dale, Naylor, Warde | Shared between two | £195 | £8,580 |
| En-suite flat | Dunham, Vine | Private en-suite | £213 | £9,372 |
The en-suite premium comes to £792 over the year. Rent covers all utilities, contents insurance and broadband, so there is no separate bill to budget for. A £200 pre-payment secures a room, and it is not a refundable deposit, it comes off your rent.
One clause worth reading before you sign: the contract is legally binding for the full 44 weeks. If you move out in January, you still owe the rent unless someone takes the room over. That is standard for UK university halls and it catches out students who assume a term-by-term arrangement.
Townhouses or en-suite flats?
Dale, Naylor and Warde are four-storey townhouses with 12 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms, so each bathroom is shared between two people. There is one large kitchen and living area per house, with three sofas, three fridge freezers, two ovens and a dining table. Twelve people in one kitchen is either the best thing about first year or the worst, and you will know which within a fortnight.
Warde is allocated as quiet accommodation. Choosing it means agreeing to keep noise down, and it means flatmates who agreed to the same. Manchester Met is upfront that it cannot guarantee a permanently quiet building.
Dunham and Vine are eight-bedroom flats where every room has its own shower and toilet. Vine flats have eight standard bedrooms; Dunham flats have seven plus an accessible bedroom with a wetroom. Smaller group, private bathroom, less enforced socialising.
Room numbers tell you which fills first: 264 in Naylor, 228 in Dale, 200 in Vine, 92 in Dunham.
Where is Birley?
The buildings sit on Bonsall Street and Stretford Road in M15.
| Building | Address |
| Dale | 1 to 19 Dale, Bonsall Street, M15 6GR |
| Naylor | 1 to 22 Naylor, Bonsall Street, M15 6GU |
| Dunham | 39 Stretford Road, M15 6GT |
| Vine | 48 Bonsall Street, M15 6GW |
The Brooks Building, home to Health and Education, is on the same street, so students on those courses are minutes from teaching. If your course is based at All Saints you are walking north across Mancunian Way most mornings. Hulme has supermarkets and takeaways close by and the city centre is walkable.
What is included, and what is not
Included: all utilities, contents insurance, broadband up to 1Gbps wired and 200Mbps wireless, 24/7 security and CCTV, a staffed reception at Birley Student Living, cleaning of stairwells and entrances, on-site laundry and secure gated gardens.
Not included, and worth planning for:
- Parking. Blue Badge holders only. Do not plan on bringing a car.
- Cleaning inside your flat. Rooms and communal areas are inspected once a term. Fail twice and the university sends cleaners in and bills the flat.
- A TV licence if you want to watch live television.
Is Birley worth it?
Manchester Met's accommodation was rated Gold Standard by the Global Student Living Index in 2026, and all its housing sits under the UK universities' Student Accommodation Code. Independent student reviews are more mixed, with the usual complaints about messy communal areas and lifts out of service. Both things can be true: the buildings are run well at an operational level, and living with 11 other first years is still living with 11 other first years.
The honest downside of the townhouses is that kitchen. Washing up becomes a political issue by week three. The honest downside of the en-suite flats is that they are quieter, which suits some people and leaves others feeling they missed the first-year experience.
Birley is showing no rooms. What now?
At the time of writing, both Birley room types show no availability for 2026/27 on Manchester Met's site. Cancellations do release rooms through August and September, particularly around results day, so it is worth registering on the university portal and checking repeatedly rather than once.
But do not wait on it, and definitely do not arrive in Manchester without a confirmed room. Two things to do in parallel:
- Stay in the queue for university halls. Register through the Manchester Met accommodation portal and contact the accommodation team directly, since staff often see availability before the website updates.
- Line up a private alternative now. Purpose-built student accommodation in Manchester holds stock later into the year than university halls, and contracts are usually more flexible on start dates.
You can browse student accommodation in the UK through Acolyte Living and compare rooms near Manchester Met, and our team can talk you through what is genuinely available for a September start. The service is free to students.
For international students booking from abroad
A few things that are specific to booking Manchester accommodation from outside the UK.
Guarantor. University halls and many private landlords ask for a UK-based guarantor. If you do not have one, you are usually offered the alternative of paying several months of rent upfront. Some private providers waive the guarantor requirement for international students entirely. Ask before you commit, because this single question changes your cash flow more than the weekly rent does.
Contract length. Birley's 44 weeks fits a standard undergraduate year. If you are a postgraduate on a 12-month masters, a 44-week contract leaves you homeless for your dissertation summer. Private studios often run 51 weeks or longer, which is why postgraduates frequently skip halls altogether.
Do not travel first and book later. Manchester's market moves fastest in August and September. Confirm a room before you fly.
Budget beyond rent. Use the cost of living calculator to work out a monthly figure including transport, food and phone, not just the weekly rent figure.
If you want a second opinion on a shortlist, contact the Acolyte Living team on WhatsApp. We have reviewed more than 150 properties and the advice costs nothing.
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Frequently asked questions
How much is Birley halls per week?
£195 per week for a townhouse room and £213 for an en-suite room in 2026/27, with all bills included.
How long is the Birley contract?
44 weeks for both room types. The 2025/26 contract ran 13 September 2025 to 18 July 2026, so expect similar dates.
Do Birley townhouses have en-suite bathrooms?
No. Dale, Naylor and Warde have six bathrooms between 12 residents. Only Dunham and Vine have en-suites.
Is Birley catered?
No, all Birley accommodation is self-catered with a shared kitchen per house or flat.
Which Birley building is quietest?
Warde is designated quiet accommodation.
Can I park at Birley?
Only with a Blue Badge. Parking is limited to accessible spaces.
What if Birley is full?
Register on the Manchester Met portal for cancellations and secure a private room in parallel. Private student accommodation in Manchester typically has availability later in the year than university halls.