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1 Student House Information Welcome to your student house. We hope you enjoy your stay in University accommodation. Your house is a non-smoking house for your comfort.

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Page 1: Welcome to your student house. We hope you enjoy your stay in … · 2016. 11. 30. · 5 Your Student House To help you enjoy your stay with us we have put together some useful, important

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Student House Information

Welcome to your student house. We hope you enjoy your stay in University accommodation. Your house is a non-smoking house for your

comfort.

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University Managed Housing

To help you enjoy your stay with us we have put together some useful information for you. Please read this before you arrive. You will also need to refer to it throughout your stay. It contains important information about your accommodation.

Also check us out on Facebook & join the University Managed Housing group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1559675611026081/

If you have further questions not answered in this booklet you should look at ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ on our website or contact us by either e-mailing [email protected] or giving us a ring on 01642 342255.

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Contents Pre-Arrival Information Collecting your keys ………………………………………….. Page 5 Map and Directions ………………………………………….. Page 5 Your Deposit ………………………………….………….……. Page 6 The Occupancy Agreement…...…………………………………………. Page 6

Eligibility …………………………….…………………….. Page 6 Caution Money ………………………………………………… Page 7

Paying Your Rent ….……………………………………………….. Page 7 Payment Options …………..…………..………………………. Page 7

Your Room …………………………………………………………… Page 7 Equipment ……………………………………………………………. Page 8 After you Arrive …………………………………………………… Page 8

The Accommodation Team …………………………………… Page 8 Maintenance and Repairs………………………………………. Page 9 Emergency Repairs ……………………………………………... Page 10 Inventory …………………………………………………….. Page 10 Registering with a Doctor …………………………………… Page 11

Utilities ………………………………………………………… Page 11 Gas and Electricity……………………………………………… Page 11 T.V. Licence…………………………………………………….. Page 11 Telephone………………………………………………………. Page 12

Internet…………………………………………………………… Page 12

Water Rates…………………………………………………….. Page 12 Council Tax……………………………………………………… Page 12

Practical Advice ………………………………………………. Page 13 Keys……………………………………………………………… Page 13

Internal Door Locks…………………………………………….. Page 13 Condensation………………………………………………….… Page 14 Personal Appliances……………………………………………. Page 14 Security and Personal Insurance……………………………… Page 15 Cleaning……………………………………………………….... Page 16 Refuse and Rubbish……………………………………………. Page 16 Drains………………………………………………………….... Page 17 Vermin…………………………………………………………… Page 17 Decoration………………………………………………………. Page 18 Candles…………………………………………………………. Page 18 Entertaining and Noise………………………………………… Page 19 Vacations……………………………………………………….. Page 20 Pets……………………………………………………………… Page 20

Car Parking……………………………………………………… Page 20

Safety ……………………………………………………… Page 20 Gas Leaks………………………………………………………. Page 21 Smoking and Smoke Alarms………………………………….. Page 21 Fire Prevention & Escape……………………………………… Page 22

Personal Safety…………………………………………………. Page 22 Street Wardens…………………………………………………. Page 23

Administration Withdrawal from UMH ………………………………………….. Page 24

Withdrawing from your course …………………………. Page 24

Changing rooms within a student house…………………….… Page 25

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Inspections of your student house……………………………… Page 25 Return of Deposits…………………………………………….… Page 26 Re-directing Mail……………………………………………..….. Page 26 Contacting you during the contract period…………………….. Page 26

If you have an issue or complaint………………………………. Page 26

Let us know what you think……………………………………… Page 27

Frequently Asked Questions ………………………………… Page 28 Useful Contact Numbers ………………………………………… Page 30

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Your Student House

To help you enjoy your stay with us we have put together some useful, important information for you about your accommodation. Please read this before you arrive. You will also need to refer to it throughout your stay.

Your Arrival

Arriving

Collecting your keys

You can get the keys to your room from Level One of the Student Centre (building 10 on the campus map.) To get the keys when you arrive you must give us the registration form. This is the bottom half of the covering note in the e-mail sent to you after you returned your signed contract – the top half has your current address on.

If you can’t give us this form unfortunately we will not be able to give you the keys. You should arrive no earlier than the date on your contract. If you need to arrive before this date then you need to agree this with the Accommodation team and we will start your contract from the day that your key is collected.

If you need to cancel your booking you need to tell us at least 10 days before the course start date.

You must also tell us if you are going to be delayed.

Map and Directions

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The campus map on the University web site shows where the Student Centre is situated. If you are travelling by car please refer to the website for Travel Directions. If you are travelling by train please book your ticket to Middlesbrough Station, a short taxi ride away. Campus map can be found here https://www.tees.ac.uk/docs/docrepo/about/CampusMap.pdf

Your deposit

You need to know that we can only refund the deposit of £150 if we receive written confirmation that you are no longer attending the University at least 10 days before the official start date of your course.

You also need to tell us if you are going to be delayed. If you don’t, we may re-allocate your room to another student if you have not arrived by Wednesday after the course start date.

The Occupancy Agreement

You must sign an Occupancy Agreement. You can then stay for 40 weeks beginning at the start of term in September and normally ending at the beginning of July. If you move into a property mid-term you are charged on a pro rata basis.

Each Tenant signs an individual Agreement for his/her room and shared use of the communal facilities.

Eligibility

You can only participate in the managed housing scheme whilst you are a full time registered student of this University. Under the terms of the Housing Act 1988, you do not have the right to remain in the property after your Tenancy Agreement has ended or if you cease to be a full-time Registered Student at Teesside University.

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Caution money

You are required to pay a deposit of £150. This is held against any damage to the property or breach in the Agreement. The deposit is refundable at the end of the contract as long as the property is left in a clean, undamaged condition and no debts are outstanding. If you leave before the end of the full term of the contract (e.g. if you withdraw from your course mid-year) the deposit will not be returned. Please refer to your contract.

Paying your Rent

You will be sent an invoice for accommodation fees shortly after you move into your accommodation.

This invoice will be for the full contract period of your stay.

Payment Options

You can choose to pay your accommodation fees by either:

1 instalment – due 31st October 3 instalments - due 31st October, 6th January, 25th April 7 instalments - due the last day of each month, October through to April If you opt to pay in instalments you can calculate the amounts by dividing the annual rent on your invoice by either by 1, 3 or 7.

Payments should be made on line at http://onlineshop.tees.ac.uk

Your Room

Each room has a: Single bed with a mattress Wardrobe

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Chest of drawers Desk and study chair

Equipment

You need to bring with you:

Bedding including Pillow Towels Personal crockery Cooking utensils Cutlery

The kitchen is equipped with a cooker, fridge and freezer, washing machine.

Some students find it useful to wait until everyone has arrived in the house before deciding on who will buy what equipment. This helps so you don’t end up with more than one iron, microwave etc.

You are responsible for cleaning your room and communal areas within the house and should remember to bring some cleaning equipment and materials with you. A vacuum cleaner will be provided.

You can buy bedding packs & kitchen starter packs from us (subject to availability). You need to buy these at least 10 working days before you get here. If you have not already arranged this and would like to do so please visit http://tees.ac.uk/payonline

After you Arrive

The Accommodation Team

The Accommodation team is based in Level One of the Student Centre (building 10 on the campus map). We are here to support you. Please contact us if you have an issue or a problem.

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You can contact us by: Calling 01642 342255

or e-mailing [email protected]

or by calling in to see us.

We are responsible for managing your House.

We work closely with local Environmental Health and Housing Departments to make sure we give you the best possible service. In your house you will find a Housing manual which gives you some useful additional information that you need to know.

You will also need to let us know about the following:

Maintenance and Repairs

If you have a maintenance issue or a repair which needs doing in your accommodation just let us know. Once you tell us we can then see that it is dealt with as quickly as possible.

This is easy to do. You can do it by:

Filling in the Maintenance Reporting form on the Frequently Asked Questions section (FAQs) on the Accommodation section of the University website and e-mail it back to us Or

Calling in to the Student Centre and complete a Maintenance Reporting Form

We will provide the owner with your telephone number you provided on your accommodation application form so they can be in touch with you.

Even if you are in contact with the owner and they have asked you to report repairs to them directly you must also tell us so that we can monitor the progress of repairs. Once we

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have reported a fault to a Landlord we follow it up with them to make sure these are carried out and you get a good service.

Please do not make your own arrangements with workmen for repairs or you will be liable for payment of the work undertaken. In addition, if the workmen cause any damage or do not carry out the work satisfactorily you will be responsible for any work to make it good.

Emergency Repairs

If you have an emergency that cannot wait until office hours, for example a broken window, you need to contact the Landlord directly. The Landlord’s name and telephone number will be given to you when you collect your keys.

Inventory

This is a list of the Property’s contents. It will be sent to you shortly after you have moved in. This is really important. It is your chance to tell us the condition of your room when you move in.

You must not move any furniture from one room to another as all furniture is itemised on a room by room basis within the house on the inventory.

You need to check the inventory carefully and make a note of any discrepancies, faults or items needing repair on the inventory and return it to us.

If any walls have blu tack marks, or the mattress is stained when you move in you must tell us by writing this on the inventory.

If you don’t tell us we will assume that everything is as stated and when we come to do the final check we will use this as the “official record” of the house.

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You must check the inventory for your own bedroom all the residents must check the communal areas.

The Landlord is only responsible for the furnishings and equipment itemised on the inventory. If any items have been left by previous tenants for use by you (such as a microwave, iron etc.) the Landlord is not responsible for keeping such items in working order.

If you don’t return the inventory you may not get your deposit back especially if we find any damages. We have to charge you for any damage over and above “fair wear and tear”.

Registering with a Doctor (General Practitioner – GP)

On arrival you must register with a local Doctor (GP). You can find local GPs on the NHS website http://www.nhs.uk/Service-Search/GP/LocationSearch/4

To register you need your current medical card which should be signed and include the name and address of your current GP, or if you are an International student your passport.

Utilities

Gas and Electricity

Charges for gas and electricity are included in your rent. The Landlord will be responsible for paying for the supplies and has been paid an amount of £8.00 per week per student to cover the costs. If your household uses in excess of this amount you will be invoiced for the additional amount or it will be deducted from your deposit. Any additional amount will be divided equally between all tenants.

TV Licensing

If you want to watch TV in your room you have to have a licence.

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If you have only one TV for communal use in the living room you will only require one Licence for the house.

To find out about applying for a Licence and for details of how to pay you should visit www.tvlicensing.co.uk

Telephone

If there is already a telephone installed at the property it was probably disconnected when the previous students left. A reconnection charge may therefore be payable. You would need to get the Landlord’s permission first. You will have to pay for the necessary work.

All properties will have a line to the house. If for some reason you do not, please let us know and we will sort it out.

Internet

Internet provision is supplied by your Landlord. Your weekly rent covers the cost of the internet connection.

Water Rates

You are not responsible for paying the Water Rates on the property.

If you get any letters or bills from Northumbrian Water please bring them to us and we will deal with them.

Council Tax

All our student properties are exempt from paying Council Tax as they are occupied exclusively by Students. We give the Council a list of the qualifying properties but you may need to provide a certificate of exemption.

You can get a certificate of exemption from your student e-vision account. If you need to give this to the Council Tax Office, you need to go to:

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Civic Centre Town Hall Corporation Road Middlesbrough

Practical Advice

Keys

You must collect your own keys from us.

All properties have burglar alarms and you will receive either a key or a code in order to operate this. If your group decides they wish to change the code on the alarm system, you must tell us and your Landlord immediately. If you don’t we will have to employ an appropriate contractor to reset the alarm and we will charge you for the cost of doing this.

Please look after your keys and do not tag them in such a way as to identify them with your property.

If you lose your keys, or have them stolen, you will be responsible for the cost of getting replacements. If your keys can be identified, you will be responsible for the cost of having the locks changed and getting the required number of keys cut.

At the end of the Agreement you are responsible for giving your keys back to us. If you don’t do so we will charge you rent until we get them back.

Internal Door Locks

All bedrooms are fitted with door locks. You should not lock yourself inside your bedroom in case of fire. The lock should be used for the security of your belongings when you leave the house.

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Condensation

One of the most common causes of interior damp in properties is condensation.

During the cold winter you may experience this problem.

Condensation is the water produced when warm air (e.g. steam from cooking or hot baths and showers) comes into contact with a cold surface, e.g. windows and outer walls. It is therefore most commonly found in kitchens and bathrooms. Condensation can also be created in bedrooms if damp washing is being dried in the room, an excessive number of electrical items are in use, and the room is not ventilated properly.

To try to minimise the chances of getting condensation in your house you should:

Open the windows regularly, especially when cooking and using the bath or shower and use any extractor fans (but remember to close them if you aren’t around).

Don’t let water collect on the windowsills and wipe down any windows that have condensation on them.

X Don’t dry washing in the house. If this is unavoidable you must make sure that there is adequate ventilation (i.e. open a window).

Make sure the house is warm but also well ventilated. Let us know if you have difficulty opening any of the

windows.

Personal Appliances

If you bring any electrical appliance to the property you are responsible for it. You must get it checked by a qualified Electrician.

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You cannot use any form of freestanding heating appliance (Calor Gas or paraffin heaters) in the property.

International students please be aware that UK voltage is 230 Volts so please make sure that you use the correct equipment.

Security and Personal Insurance

All UMH properties are fitted with a burglar alarm and a thumb turn lock on the front door. Most properties are also fitted with window locks to the downstairs rooms.

Keep your front door locked at all times, even when you are in the house.

When you leave the house check that the property is securely locked, all windows closed and the burglar alarm is set.

Please also remember that in the event of a burglary if you have not left the property secure it could invalidate your and/or the property owner’s insurance claim. If this happens you could be held liable for restoring the property and its contents to the condition it was in prior to any break in.

The owner of the property is responsible for insuring the

property and his/her own contents.

Your Contents Insurance is included in your rent and is

provided through Endsleigh Insurance. For details of your

cover please visit

http://www.tees.ac.uk/sections/accommodation/insurance.cf

m

Laptops, tablets and phones are not covered outside of

your room so you may wish to consider taking out additional

cover to protect these essentials. For more information

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please visit: https://www.endsleigh.co.uk/personal/home-

insurance/student-room-insurance/

Cleaning

You are entirely responsible for the cleaning of the property. It is a condition of the tenancy that the property is kept in a clean and tidy condition throughout the contract period.

We recommend that you devise a rota system for cleaning the communal areas of the property so that it is fair to all tenants and each student takes their turn to clean the kitchen, bathroom, living room and hall/stairway. You are also responsible for cleaning your own room.

Please note that any costs we incur for cleaning after you have left the property will be charged to you.

We will do a final inspection and assess whether the property is clean enough for the new tenants to move in straight away.

Claiming that the house was not clean when you moved in is not an acceptable reason for leaving it in an untidy and unclean condition. If your property is not clean when you move in you should tell us straight away.

If you do not keep the property in a reasonable condition we may refuse to help you with accommodation for future years.

Refuse and Rubbish

You are responsible for the removal of all refuse and rubbish from your property both during and when you leave the house at the end of the contract. You can check on the Middlesbrough Council website,

which day the refuse will be collected from your property.

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You must make sure that all rubbish is securely bagged up and put out into the back alley for collection on the correct day. The website address is:

http://www.middlesbrough.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/environment/waste-and-recycling/your-collection-day/

X Do not put rubbish out in the back alley before the collection day. Incorrect disposal of rubbish can result in a fine being imposed by the council.

Please dispose of personal information e.g. bank details, statements etc. carefully, shredding whenever possible.

X Do not keep bags of rubbish in the house or the back yard longer than necessary as this will attract vermin into the property.

Drains

Avoid putting grease, solids, or anything likely to cause a blockage down the plug hole or drains, as you will be responsible for the cost of clearing any blockages that are due to your negligence.

Vermin

Vermin are attracted by uncovered food left in the house. Please make sure that food is stored away correctly and any unwanted food is securely bagged up and put outside ready for your refuse collection day.

If you find slug trails in your property they are likely to be entering through a gap in the wall at ground level. If you put salt down where you think they may be getting into the house this should solve the problem. Please contact us if the problem persists after putting salt or slug pellets down.

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Decoration

The property will be in good decorative order when you move in. If the decorations are damaged when you leave the property you will be liable for a contribution towards the redecorating costs, or the full cost, depending upon the extent of the damage. If any of the furniture and fittings is damaged, you will be held liable for the cost of restoration or replacement.

You must not undertake any redecoration or alteration to the property yourself.

If you want to redecorate a room or make any alterations to the property such as fitting extra shelving or locks you must come and ask us. We will then ask the landlord for his/her permission.

Do not alter the property without first asking permission from us. If you do you will be charged for the cost of restoring the property to its original condition.

We recommend that if you fix posters to the wall you do so with drawing pins rather than blu tack. Blu tack can cause damage to the decoration when it is removed. If this happens any charges for redecoration at the end of the Agreement will be charged to you.

Candles

X You cannot use candles anywhere within your house.

X Careless use can not only cause damage to carpets and furniture but is also a fire risk.

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Entertaining and Noise

Please try not to disturb your neighbours, who will probably not be students, with large, noisy and late-night parties and the playing of loud music. All our student properties are located in the town centre and many of your neighbours will not appreciate being disturbed late at night.

If you are planning to have a party please give your neighbours as much advance warning as possible and remember that the slamming of doors when your guests leave sounds especially loud at night. If you do have a party you must not advertise this on any social media site (e.g. Facebook) as you will not have any control over who may turn up. You are responsible for any damage that your guests may cause at the house.

It is a condition of your Agreement that you do not cause a nuisance or annoyance to your neighbours and life will be a lot easier for you if you are on good terms with your neighbours.

If your neighbours do have a complaint about noise from your property they can approach the Noise Pollution section of Middlesbrough Council who will investigate the complaint and can take legal action against you if the case is proved. It is obviously in your own best interests to avoid such action being taken and we would therefore urge you to be considerate neighbours at all times.

If you have trouble with your neighbours being noisy or a nuisance please let us know as we can help with this.

You are allowed to have guests to stay overnight or for the occasional weekend but guests are not permitted to stay on a regular or permanent basis.

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Vacations

Come and tell us if you are going to leave the property unoccupied for more than a few days. We will then tell the Landlord.

Please leave the property in a clean and tidy condition and dispose of all rubbish correctly.

Pets

You are not allowed to keep pets. The only animals allowed, with our prior permission, are working animals. Please contact the Accommodation Team for more information.

Car Parking

On-street car parking is available for which a Residents permit will be required. These permits are available from Middlesbrough Council. You will need proof of your residency at the property and will therefore need to produce your Tenancy Agreement as documentary evidence. You will also need proof of your vehicle (either the log book or a current certificate of insurance) If a permit is required you should apply for this after arrival and should do so by contacting:

Parking Solutions Middlesbrough Council Middlesbrough House 50 Corporation Road Middlesbrough TS1 2YQ Tel. No. (01642) 726003

Safety

We hold Gas and Electrical Safety Certificates on file for your student house.

You may experience problems whilst you are resident.

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In the event of a Gas Leak you must report it to British Gas, Transco

If you suspect there is a gas leak at the premises, you should immediately telephone Transco on:

0800 111999

There is no cost for this service and therefore if you are in any doubt you should call them immediately. You do not need to first seek permission from the Landlord when reporting a suspected gas leak.

As soon as you suspect a leak you should do the following:

Turn off the gas supply at the meter Open doors and windows X Do not turn any electric switches on or off X Do not smoke or use naked flames Telephone Transco on 0800 111999

Once you have reported a suspected leak to Transco they will call at your property within 2 hours.

If Transco find that there is a leak, they will make the property safe. You must not authorise them to carry out any further work as that is the Landlord’s responsibility. You must inform us immediately of the outcome and if further work is required we will contact the Landlord who will arrange for the necessary work to be undertaken by his or her own tradespeople.

Smoking and Smoke Alarms

All our student properties are NON SMOKING. Smoking is not permitted on the premises, this includes the use of e-cigarettes and vaporing apparatus. The houses are fitted with 2 hardwired smoke detectors, a heat detector and a fire blanket. These are there for your safety and should not at any time be tampered with as you could place your own, and others, lives in danger. You will be charged £25 if you are

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caught smoking or have been smoking on the property for each time you do this.

Fire Prevention and Escape

Once you have moved in plan your escape routes in case of a fire. Have a plan of action within the house.

When you go to bed close all ground-floor internal doors, particularly the kitchen door. Make sure that you all know where the keys to the front, and back doors, can be found in an emergency.

Make sure that all cooking appliances are turned off.

Un-plug all electrical equipment.

In the event of a fire you must:

Leave the property immediately X Do not return to the property Call the Fire Brigade on 999

Personal Safety

You should be mindful of your own personal safety at all times.

You should make sure that all external doors are kept locked at all times even when you are in the property.

Do not leave valuables or money on windowsills or on view through windows. Always close all windows when leaving the property empty and make sure that the burglar alarm is activated and the door is locked so that the house is secure.

Never allow strangers into your property. If anyone calls unannounced at your house do not allow them in without

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seeing some form of identification. If you are ever in doubt you are advised not to allow them access.

Do not return home alone in the dark or late at night.

The Students’ Union has a minibus and they will drive you home from the Campus if you contact them. In addition to this the University Security staff will escort you home, if at any time you are concerned about walking home on your own. The Security Control Room is located in the Library and is staffed 24 hours per day 365 days per year. They will be more than happy to speak to you. You can either call in to see them or contact them on 01642 342086.

Street Wardens

Middlesbrough has a network of Street Wardens who operate in the Town Centre in the areas where students are accommodated. If you have any problems where you live that are not of a criminal nature but nevertheless require addressing, the Street Wardens should be contacted and they will do their best to try to solve any issues you may have. The contact numbers are as follows:

Street Wardens: 01642 228500 Minicom: 01642 228700 Phone lines open 10.30am to 10.00pm (until midnight at weekends) Text message service for people who are deaf or hard of hearing: 07919 303088 – the wardens will reply to the message by text.

You can find further information about the Street Wardens on the following website http://www.middlesbrough.gov.uk

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Administration

Withdrawal from University Managed Houses

Your contract is for the period stated on your Occupancy Agreement.

You are therefore not permitted to cancel your contract with the University whilst you continue to be enrolled on a full time course of study at Teesside University.

Withdrawing from your course

We hope that you won’t need to withdraw from your course but if you are thinking of leaving your course you should tell us first. Please get some advice. This can be from: The Accommodation team Our Finance Advisers (either in Student Services or SU

Student Support (SUSS) in the Students’ Union) Your School of Study

There is information which you need to know and which we will talk to you about when you contact us.

You must tell us if you withdraw from your course. It is your responsibility to do so as we will not be told by anyone else in the University.

If you withdraw you must bring a copy of your withdrawal form, which you will be required to complete by your Academic School, to us.

If you withdraw you cease to be a student at the University and unfortunately you will not be able to stay in your room. You will need to leave your room, clear your belongings and return your keys to the Accommodation team.

When we get your keys back your accommodation fees will then be recalculated but your caution money will not be returned as detailed in Clause 12 of your Agreement.

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Changing Rooms within a student house

The Occupancy Agreement you have signed is for a designated room within the property. The details are specified on your Agreement and you are responsible for any damage to the room or its contents. If another room becomes available within your property you cannot move rooms without first gaining permission from us to do so. If you would like to change rooms you must call and see us first. A room change may be possible but you will be charged £50.00 if this is agreed.

We will also need to inspect the room being vacated for any damages.

Inspections of your student house

We have a separate Agreement with the owner of your student house. Part of this means that we are obliged to check your room at least once per term.

We will do these inspections during October/November in the first term and during February/March in the second term. We will e-mail and tell you when we are coming. We would prefer that at least one of you was present for the inspection but if that is not possible we will enter the property using the Office key.

Some Landlords of properties like to do an occasional inspection in addition to the one undertaken by us. If this applies to your Landlord he/she will tell you first.

We would only enter the property without giving notice in the event of an emergency. When we inspect we will check on the condition of the property. It gives you the chance to tell us if anything is wrong. We will be checking to see that you are keeping it clean and tidy and that any repairs that may have been reported have been attended to.

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We will call again at the end of the Tenancy Agreement. At this inspection the condition of the property and contents will be checked against the inventory that you signed at the beginning of the Agreement. The property will be assessed for any damages that are to be deducted from your deposit.

Return of Deposits

We can only refund the deposit after the final inspection has been done and the Landlord has agreed replacement costs for any damages caused.

We only reimburse a Landlord when we have received receipts for any damaged items. We will itemise any deductions from your deposit

It is therefore usually August when deposits are refunded to you. They are sent to the address which you gave us at the start of the Academic year. If this has changed then it is your responsibility to tell us before you leave.

Re-directing Mail

It is important that you bring any post addressed to the Landlord, but delivered to the property, to us so we can forward it on. Please “return to sender” any post delivered for former occupants of the property.

Contacting you during the contract period

After arrival if we need to contact you we will do so at your University email address.

If you have an issue or a complaint

We want you to be happy in your house and will do our best to make your time with us a good one. If you do have an issue or complaint then you can speak to one of the Accommodation team who will try and resolve your issue. Whilst we will do all we can you do have the right to make a

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complaint and you can do this through the Student Services Complaints Procedure. This can be found on the University website at https://www.tees.ac.uk/docs/docrepo/Undergraduate/complaints.doc

Let us know what you think We are keen to work with you to make your home a happy one. If you’ve got any suggestions for how we could improve this then please let us know. You can e-mail us at [email protected] or call in to see us on the First Floor of the Student Centre or ring us on 01642 342255.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. One of my housemates is noisy. What can I do?

Tell the Accommodation team what the problem is and we will sort it out for you. We are here to support you.

Q2. Who cleans my room?

You are responsible for cleaning your room.

Q3. Can I have a pet?

Unfortunately no pets are allowed. The only animals allowed are working animals or those which are needed for medical reasons.

Q4. Do I have to clear my room at Christmas and Easter?

No. Your contract is for 40 weeks which means you can stay, or if you just want to leave your belongings in your room that is also ok.

Q5. I’ve got a maintenance problem what do I do?

There are a few ways in which you can do this. You can:

Fill in the Maintenance Reporting form on the Frequently Asked Questions section (FAQs) on the Accommodation section of the University website and e-mail it back to us Or

You can call into the Student Centre and complete a Maintenance Reporting Form Or

If it’s an emergency you can contact your Landlord direct.

Q6. Can I get some bedding or a kitchen starter pack?

You can buy bedding packs & kitchen starter packs from us (subject to availability). You need to buy these at least 10

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working days before you get here. If you have not already arranged this please visit http://tees.ac.uk/payonline Q7. I’ve lost my key what do I do?

Don’t worry. Spare keys are held in the Accommodation Office for all the Houses. You can come and get the spare key and take it to have another one cut (if the key you have can be cut at a regular locksmith’s). If it is a specially designed key you will need to let us know and we will have to order one for you.

How Can I Pay My Accommodation Fees (Rent)?

An invoice for your rent will be delivered to your room shortly after you move into your accommodation.

The invoice will be for the full 40 week contract period.

Payment Options

You can choose to pay by either:

1 installment – due 31st October 3 instalments – due 31st October, 10th

January and 25th April 7 instalments – due the last day of each

month October through to April

If you opt to pay in instalments you can calculate the amounts by dividing the annual rent either by 1, 3 or 7

Payments should be made on line at http://tees.ac.uk/payonline

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Useful Contact Numbers

Accommodation Team Student Centre 01642 342255

Student Services Info Desk 01642 342277 University Security (in the Library) 01642 342086 Your Landlord

The contact details for your landlord will be provided in your student house. You should only contact your Landlord for emergencies.