Responsibilities in your new accommodation

Before you take occupation, residents of University accommodation must enter into a licence agreement, which is a legally binding agreement between the University and the resident. The licence agreement comprises of two documents, which are:

1. The Offer of Accommodation
2. The Standard Terms and Conditions of Residence

You should read these documents before accepting an offer of accommodation. Once you accept an offer of accommodation, you have entered into a legally binding agreement with the University, and you  will only be able to cancel it in certain circumstances. If you cancel after moving in, you will be liable to continue paying rent for the room until the end of the licence period unless a suitable replacement student is found.

You are responsible for keeping your room clean and jointly responsible for the communal areas in your flat. The university provides mops, buckets, and brushes for you to use within your flat. While the university will clean the shared areas of the building, maintaining the shared areas within your flat and individual rooms is your responsibility.

If your flat isn't cleaned to a reasonable standard, you would be in breach of your licence agreement. Here are some suggestions that can help to maintain cleanliness:

• Remember to plan a cleaning rota and schedule with flat mates to make sure everyone contributes fairly to the upkeep of the flat.
• If there are any concerns about the cleanliness in your flat, please contact the Reception team or seek additional support from the Res Life team.
• If your flat isn't cleaned and maintained to a reasonable standard, you can be held accountable under the Student Code of Conduct.

Inspections occur around three times a year. If you fail to comply with your licence agreement, inspections may become more frequent. You'll receive at least 48 hours notice before an inspection. Ensure your room and flat are up to the required standard during these times.

You're responsible for your own laundry as an additional cost to you. On-site laundry facilities are available, and you'll receive more information about them upon arrival.

The University is responsible for repair and maintenance of the building, and are permitted to charge for damages where a student is in breach of the terms of their license agreement. The University will clean the shared areas of the building, but not the shared areas within a flat or individual rooms — these areas are the responsibility of the people who use them. 

If you or a flatmate become aware of any damage within the flat, it is important to report this as soon as possible on the grounds of health and safety and for repair. It's important to take responsibility for any damage if it was caused by you or your guests. Otherwise other residents could be charged for communal damage unfairly.

There are obvious risks associated with having a party within your flat - damage is more likely to occur, and you could then be in breach of your licence and face charges for the damage. Any guests are your responsibility according to the Student Code of Conduct. It is worth checking with Halls Management about particular restrictions on  parties at your residence. 

We discourage advertising parties publicly - especially on the internet, as you will be responsible for everyone at your party. Don’t invite anyone who you don’t know.

If you have a TV in the communal area or your bedroom, you must obtain a valid TV licence. Watching or downloading BBC programmes on iPlayer also requires a licence. The university arranges licences for TVs in common rooms outside flats.

The Standard Terms and Conditions of Residence do not allow you to make alterations to your room. Please don’t redecorate it, put up shelves or strip lighting, fix aerials or satellite dishes, alter the wiring or plumbing, put additional locks on your door or make any other alterations. If you do, you will be in breach of your licence agreement and could be liable for the costs of putting the room back to its original condition.

Feel free to use non-marking sticky stuff for posters. If your posters leave marks on the walls or furniture you could be charged for redecoration or replacement costs.

Removing furniture from your room or flat is not allowed.

The university may confiscate items that are unlawful or pose a risk to health, safety, or welfare. You will typically be warned and asked to remove such items before they are confiscated.

Each flat has its own lockable post box and you will be given access details on arrival. Please note that Royal Mail deliver all letters into these post boxes directly. Large packages or items delivered by courier services will be signed for at the reception, which are available to collect during office hours.

Your halls reception team will advise on the arrangements for collecting large parcels from reception. You may need to either download the app for your hall of residence, present a bar code for collection or show a form of personal ID to ensure that parcels are given to the correct resident.

We all understand that students like to celebrate and enjoy themselves, but it is important to remember the impact your behaviour may have on others around you.

If you plan on having a party or gathering, be considerate of your flatmates and let them know. Quiet hours operate from 23:00 to 07:00 Sunday to Thursday and between midnight and 08:00 on Friday and Saturday nights.

Please keep in mind that not everyone will be on the same schedule. Just because you don't have early morning lectures, that doesn't mean nobody else does. Please ensure you aren't disturbing those around you who are trying to study or sleep.

Even outside of quiet hours, we ask that you be mindful of noise levels and those around you. Noise can cause serious distress, and in some instances, excessive and constant noise can ruin a student's experience within halls. If you are struggling with a constant noise problem, please don't hesitate to contact your 24/7 halls reception team in the first instance at the time that this noise is occurring. They will be able to assist you and support to resolve the noise issue as soon as possible. The contact details for your halls of residence, including out-of-hours contact details, can be found on our Safety and Security page.

If you would like to speak about any concerns you may have about the behaviour of other residents and would like assistance to mediate and resolve these concerns the Residence Life team can help.

Wi-Fi is provided to all flats free of charge as part of your rent and information on how to connect to WiFi will be provided shortly after your arrival.

All students are bound by the university's Policy and Procedures on the Appropriate Student Use of University Electronic Information and Communications Facilities and Services, as well as the university's Regulations for the Use of Institutional Learning and Information Services Facilities and Institutional IT Facilities. The university may suspend internet access to your room if you contravene these policies or if you are in serious breach of the terms of your licence agreement.

Assist us in reducing landfill waste by properly disposing of waste and making use of the recycling facilities within your halls.

Each hall of residence has waste and recycling points, containing bins labelled for General Waste and Recycling. Each flat kitchen has both General waste and Recycling bins. Separate your general waste using black bags and use clear bags for recycling. Check the labels of your food and drink packaging to see if they can be recycled, if so, you can also put the packaging straight into the recycling bin - don't forget to wash out jars and tins before putting them into the recycling bins.

If you are unsure or have any questions, ask your reception team.

Living with others can be challenging. Effective communication, mutual respect, consideration, and compromise are key to a harmonious living environment. If disputes arise, we encourage you to try and resolve them yourselves in the first instance. However, if you would benefit from talking things through first with an adviser for guidance and support or would prefer for us to mediate the Residence Life team are here to help.

Your personal possessions are insured under the Block Halls Scheme and the premium for the scheme is included in the rent. If you need to make a claim please refer to the Terms and Conditions to make sure the policy is adequate for your needs. You can find these terms and conditions on your accommodation portal. 

We recommend that you examine this insurance to ensure it covers all of your needs. If you have any items of high value (e.g. a bicycle), it may be worth considering top-up cover. Details of additional cover, and charges, are set out in the terms and conditions of insurance.