Accommodation in Halls of Residence
Living in Halls
Living in Halls
All students should receive notification of their hall of residence, room number and moving in date before by early September at the latest. Postgraduate / Foundation students have separate moving in dates to undergraduates, so all students should check their term dates.
- Your contract
- Hall / room entry
- Cleaning
- Bedding
- Furniture within student rooms
- Communal facilities
- Essential items you will need
- TVs and electrical equipment
- Personal possessions insurance
- Candles / naked flames
- University College smoking policy
- Parking
Your contract
Please ensure you read your contract fully. The Undergraduate contract period is generally 36 weeks. In some cases, depending on the course of study and term dates, this may need to be extended. In such cases additional payment will need to be made for any extra days in hall. All students are required to sign a contract for their room for the whole academic year. Please refer to the Residents' Handbook and Terms of Occupancy for further details.
Hall / room entry
For most halls on campus you will be given two keys; your room key and a key to your mailbox (located on the first floor of the Students' Union building).
Bring a key ring with you for your keys and make sure it is easily recognisable (but not named or stating room location in case of lost or stolen keys). If you lose your keys you will be charged for replacements and in some circumstances replacement locks - please look after your keys at all times.
Most halls have proximity card access with the exception of Old House and Waldegrave Park Halls.
Cleaning
Rooms are cleaned weekly by the University College cleaning staff. The cleaner does not have the time to tidy the room before cleaning it. You will be advised which day she comes to you and should tidy up the previous night so that the room is available for cleaning by 9am.
Bedding
Fire retardant duvets and pillows, which meet safety regulations, are provided. However, you must bring your own bed linen, i.e. duvet cover, pillowcases, sheets and towels. You will be responsible for laundering your bed linen and personal clothing.
Furniture within student rooms
Essential furniture is provided (usually a wardrobe, drawers, desk and chair) and rooms have shelf space and a notice board. Posters or photographs can only be displayed on the designated board. You may bring your own items with you, e.g. TV/Hi Fi, etc but please be aware that the University College takes no responsibility for your possessions.
Communal facilities
There are communal kitchens available in hall for students on the meal plan. These
provide snack making facilities i.e. fridges, microwaves, kettles and toasters.
Each student is responsible for their own washing up and you must provide your own crockery and cutlery. The kitchens also have irons and ironing boards.
Students must not bring any cooking equipment into the halls of residence, however small (mini) fridges are permitted. There are shared bath/shower/toilet facilities in non en-suite halls of residence.
Essential items you will need
- Bedlinen – duvet cover, pillowcases and sheets and towels.
- Kitchen equipment – crockery, (plate, cereal bowl, cup/mug, knife/ fork/spoon), microwaveable dish, washing up cloth and tea towel.
- Limited consumables i.e. tea/coffee, sugar, cereals, etc.
Other items are available to purchase in local shops. You are advised not to bring too much with you in the first instance as you can always bring more from home at a later date.
TVs and electrical equipment
If you bring you own television you must provide your own TV licence (please call 0870 600 1236 or check the TV licensing website for student details and how to apply).
Electrical equipment is subject to PAT (Portable Appliance Testing) testing by our University College electricians.
Personal possessions insurance
You are strongly advised to take out possessions insurance if you are not covered by another policy. Some useful insurance websites are cover4students, SIS Direct and Endsleigh.
Candles / naked flames
Due to the potential fire risk and risk of damage to property the burning of candles or any naked flames is strictly prohibited.
University College smoking policy
Students are asked to note that smoking is strictly prohibited in both communal areas and student bedrooms in halls of residence, as is the case in all other University College buildings. Smoking is permitted in external areas.
Parking
Students are advised not to bring their own cars as there is NO parking provided on campus for students unless you are a blue badge holder. Unauthorised vehicles parked within the University College car parks will be clamped and a release fee will be charged.
