Code of Practice - DocuShare - The University of Sunderland

Transcription

Code of Practice
for living in
university accommodation
Living in University accommodation
Contents
Contact details
Here are the contact details of staff within Residential Services. You may wish to keep these
details safe.
University Accommodation
Contacts
Clanny House
Peacock Street West
Sunderland
Blocks 1-9
SR4 6US
Blocks 10-14
SR4 6UH
Tel: 0191 515 3658
Panns Bank
Hart Court and Douglas Court
Low Street
Sunderland
SR1 1XS
Scotia Quay
Russell House
Russell Street
Sunderland
SR1 2RH
Allan House
Low Street
Sunderland
SR1 2RE
The Precinct
Chester Road
Sunderland
SR2 7PS
Manager/Assistant Manager email:
[email protected]
Resident Student Assistant email:
[email protected]
Tel: 0191 515 3652
[email protected]
[email protected]
Tel: 0191 515 3611
[email protected]
[email protected]
Security
Contacts
Emergencies Only
4444
24/7 Control Room
2028
Accommodation Office
Contacts
Accommodation Office email
[email protected]
Accommodation Office website
www.sunderland.ac.uk/residentialservices
Accommodation Officers
0191 515 2943
Accommodation Office Manager
0191 515 2936
Accommodation Operations Manager
(Welfare)
0191 515 2935
Any University numbers may be dialled direct free of charge from the telephone in your flat.
Use only the last 4 digits of the number.
Contact details (27/7 support)
Welcome to the University of Sunderland
Our service to you
Contractual information (Terms and Conditions)
Accommodation and academic contracts
Cancellation before moving in
Circumstances that CAN break your contractual agreement
Circumstances that CANNOT break your contractual agreement
Continuing students
Exchange and study abroad students
Enrolling on a study abroad, teaching practice
or placement programme
Termination of contract (by the University)
Abandonment
Room changes
Mutual room exchanges
Paying your rent
Owing money (debtor)
Before you arrive
Arriving early
Applying for a car parking permit
Personal possessions insurance
Pre arrival induction
On arrival to your accommodation
Bedding packs
Keys, access cards and fobs
Room inventory
Living with us
Bicycle storage
Cleaning
Council Tax
Environment, energy and recycling
Furniture, fixtures and fittings
Internet
Laundry
Loss of keys
Mail/post Information
Noise
Pets
Posters (items displayed)
Property checks
Access to your room
Recycling and general waste collection
Television and licences
Visitors and guests
Volunteering for Open Days
Health and Safety
Health and well-being
Accident reporting
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If you require an ambulance or the Fire Brigade
Campus Police
Crime and incident reporting
Safety in your accommodation
Personal safety information
Travelling around campus
Student emergency taxi scheme
Fire safety information
Common causes of fire alarm activation
Fire door closers and seals
Fire service call out
Fire alarm procedures
How the fire alarms works
Student responsibilities
University responsibilities
Electrical equipment
Electricity and energy:
inclusive (rent and energy combined)
Extension cables/electrical adaptors
Voltage differences
Unsuitable household equipment
Building and grounds maintenance
General maintenance
Pest control
Repairs (including timescales for repairs)
Restricted areas
When you leave
Check your accommodation
End of tenancy check
Returning your key/access card/fob
Leaving early
Left belongings
Extending your stay
Renew your contract for next year
Staff within the University accommodation Team
How to raise a concern or make a complaint
Disputes (between residents)
Anti social behaviour – conduct and behaviour
Conduct
Misconduct
Dangerous and offensive weapons
Drugs and illegal substances
Nuisance behaviour
Social networking sites
University accommodation disciplinary procedure
Caution fees
Damage charges
Summary
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Welcome to the University of Sunderland
This code of practice is for students living
in university managed accommodation
only. For information on The Forge U
Student Village terms and conditions
please visit; http://www.u-student.com/
locations/student-accommodationsunderland/
Welcome to the University of
Sunderland. We are delighted that you
have made the decision to live in
university accommodation. This code
has been designed to explain the
contractual and operational
arrangements when living in university
accommodation.
This Code of Practice is a very
important document as it forms part of
your accommodation contract, you
have been asked to read it so that you
understand the content. When you sign
your accommodation contract you
agree to abide by this Code.
You will find a range of information in this
booklet that will help you whilst you are
living with us. We expect all our residents to
behave with mutual respect and
consideration for one another and to all
university staff. Whilst you are living with us
you will meet people from different cultures
and backgrounds, please respect each
other’s differences and take time to learn
about them.
Information concerning your accommodation
and stay will be provided in a variety of
ways: via an online induction, your student
email account, university accommodation
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website, social media, accommodation
reception, laundry notice boards,
StudentCom online notice boards and the
accommodation reception touch screen
PCs.
We have permanent Facebook pages for
each accommodation and for the
Accommodation Office where you can ask
questions before and after you arrive.
Twitter: @SUniAccom
Facebook: University of Sunderland
Our service to you
The University has signed up and is fully
committed to the National Student
Accommodation Code (Universities UUK
Code of Practice) for the Management of
Student Housing. For further information
about the code visit:
http://www.thesac.org.uk/
The following is a list of the benefits
that the code provides to our residents:
•Y
ou will receive a clear written
e-contract and statement of costs
(containing reasonable terms and no
hidden costs) which, in return, gives you
a clear idea of what is expected of you
•Y
our accommodation meets nationally
recognised standards
•R
epairs and maintenance are carried
out within advertised timescales
•T
he building meets with and exceeds,
the required health and safety standards
•Y
ou will receive clear and concise
information about operational practices
within University Accommodation
through an online induction
•T
here is a procedure for dealing with
any disputes or complaints
• There is an appeals procedure
External auditors review the University’s
compliance with the code. You can e-mail
any questions about the code to:
[email protected]
Your comments and feedback are very
important to us and throughout your stay we
will invite you to participate in customer
surveys.
Should you need any further information on
any aspect of your accommodation please
contact a member of the Accommodation
Office who will be happy to assist you. We
hope you enjoy your stay with us.
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Contractual information (Terms and Conditions)
Staff within the Accommodation Office will
be happy to offer advice and support on any
issues relating to your contract and its
interpretation. Please note that
accommodation shall be ‘let’ to you for the
purpose of enabling you to attend a
designated course of study at the University
of Sunderland. Paragraph 8 of the schedule
1 of the Housing Act 1988 applies to this
tenancy which is thus not an assured
tenancy within the meaning of the Act, in
other words you do not acquire security of
tenure.
Please remember that the accommodation
contract is a legal document and that by
accepting it you are agreeing to the terms
and conditions of the contract including to
pay rent on the room between the dates
shown on your contract (the most common
contract duration is 40 weeks or 50 weeks
depending on premise or if you are an
undergraduate or postgraduate student).
Contract lengths are determined by the
current guidance of course lengths as given
by the University – if you are unsure of
your course length then you should speak
with your Faculty before entering into an
accommodation agreement.
Accommodation and academic contracts
It is important that you understand that the
Accommodation contract is separate from
the Academic contract and will be binding
as long as you are a registered student at
the University of Sunderland. This means
that rent may be due after you have
completed your course, even if you return
the keys to us you must pay your rent up
until the end date on your contract. You
must be aware that in collecting your keys
and moving in, the contract begins even if
you have not signed the contract.
Please note that the University will aim to
let to you a room at the property address
set out on your accommodation contract but
that this is not guaranteed. The University
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reserves the right to allocate an alternative
room at another property to you should the
University consider it necessary to do so in
its reasonable opinion prior to you moving
in to the property.
Cancellation before moving in
Should you wish to cancel this contract
before moving in to the property because
you are no longer intending to study at the
University, this will be permitted PROVIDED
THAT you have given the University’s
Accommodation Office written notice of your
wish to cancel the contract before the
enrolment date for your course of study.
£50 of your booking fee will be retained to
cover administrative costs. If you fail to give
written notice of cancellation before the
enrolment date you will be held to the
contract.
Circumstances that CAN break your
contractual agreement
You will only be allowed to break the
contract in exceptional circumstances, such
as:
1. You are not completing your course of
studies at the University.
If you cease to be a registered full-time
student of the University you will be
released from your contract but you must
advise the accommodation office in
writing. You will be allowed 4 weeks (28
days) to make alternative accommodation
arrangements but you must ensure your
leaving date is notified to the
Accommodation Office. The release date
of the contract will be determined by
either the leaving date as notified to us/
the date in which your rooms keys are
handed in or the leaving/withdrawal date
as shown on the University Student
Records System (SITS) (whichever is
later). You will be charged to the end of
the 4 week (28 days) period regardless of
whether the room is re-let or not, together
with a £50 admin fee (being a reasonable
cost to cover administration).
Or
2. You have found a suitable student to
take over your letting agreement for the
remainder of the term. By suitable we
mean someone who is not already living in
university accommodation or The Forge U
Student Village and is acceptable to the
other residents.
In the circumstances above, you will be
required to vacate your room the day prior
to your replacement moving in (between
Monday – Thursday only, to enable staff
to carry out room checks, cleaning and
inventories). You will be charged to that
date plus a £75 fee (being a reasonable
cost to cover bedroom cleaning and
administrative costs). If your replacement
elects to move in on the same day you
vacate, and agrees to sign a waiver
accepting responsibility for the condition
of the room (and any damage therein)
and no cleaning being provided, the fee
will be reduced to £50 (being a
reasonable cost to cover administration).
Please note – Students who booked at
Conditional Firm and did not receive an
offer at the University of Sunderland will
be released from contract and will be
refunded £250 of the booking fee. £50 will
be retained (being a reasonable cost to
cover administrative costs).
Circumstances that CANNOT break your
contractual agreement
Should you leave voluntarily before the
expiry of the contract period you will still be
liable to pay the rent for the full term in
respect of which the accommodation
contract was originally granted. Reasonable
efforts will be made by the University to
re-let the room, and if successful you will be
charged up to the date the room is re-let
together with a £75 fee (being a reasonable
cost to cover bedroom cleaning and
administrative costs).
We recommend that you use the Sunderland
section of Student Pad
(http://www.sunderlandstudentpad.co.uk/
Accommodation) to advertise your room.
It’s a free facility. If you are unable to find a
replacement you will be required to pay the
rent up to the last day of your contract.
It is important that you fully understand the
legal status of your contract. We will do all
we can to move you to another property if
you are having problems.
Please note – whilst certain sections of the
Consumer Protection (Distance Selling)
Regulations 2000 apply to this contract,
the regulations provide that this is not a
contract to which the “cooling off”
cancellation period applied. Therefore if
you accept the contract and pay the
booking fee you cannot then change your
mind and will be held to contract.
Continuing students
Should you wish to cancel your contract
before moving in to the property because
you are no longer intending to study at the
University, this will be permitted provided
that you give the Accommodation Office
written notice of your wish to cancel before
the enrolment date for you course of study.
The University will retain £50 of the
booking fee paid on acceptance of the
contract.
Exchange and study abroad students
In exceptional circumstances where prior
arrangements have been made with Faculty
and the Accommodation Office selected
exchange students can leave early. However
in cases where an early leave has not been
confirmed, exchange students leaving early
will still have a responsibility to pay the full
rent as stated on the contract.
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Enrolling on a study abroad, teaching
practice or placement programme
It is important that you inform staff within
the Accommodation Office if there is a
possibility of you doing any of the above,
before you sign your contract. If you sign a
contract and go on a placement, teaching
practice or a study abroad programme you
will be liable to pay the rent for the full
term of your contract.
Termination of contract (by the University)
The University can end the tenancy
agreement and recover possession of your
room for the following reasons:
• y ou fail to complete your course of
study (withdrawal or leave of absence)
• y ou have breached the conditions of
your tenancy agreement
• if the University terminates your
enrolment on disciplinary, financial or
other grounds
• you fail to pay your rent
If we require you to leave, for any of the
above reasons, we will request that you
leave and advise you of the reasons for the
request. If you do not leave, we may issue
you with a ‘Notice to Quit’ normally with a
notice period of 28 days, although we
reserve the right to set a shorter period; or
we may apply to the court for possession of
the accommodation. You may incur legal
expenses and additional costs. The
University also has the right to claim
damages for your use and occupation if you
do not leave on or before the expiry of the
“Notice to Quit” this will be at the rate at
least equivalent to the room rate at that
time.
The room you have been allocated is yours
for the period of the contract and we would
only ask you to move in exceptional
circumstances when every assistance will
be given in finding alternative suitable
accommodation for you.
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Abandonment
Room changes
Mutual room exchanges
If your room is unoccupied for a period of
four weeks, without a legitimate reason, the
University is able to enforce the
Abandonment Procedure. A notice will be
left in your room advising you to contact
the University Accommodation Office within
seven days and a communication will be
sent to your home address as shown on
your University student record. If we do not
hear from you, your room will be cleared
and the locks changed. You will be charged
for changing the locks. Your belongings will
be put into storage for three months and
then disposed of through local charities. In
this instance you will still be liable to pay
the rent for the full term in respect of which
the accommodation contract was originally
granted together with the costs of the lock
change and any storage costs. In the event
that the University is able to re-let the
room, you will be charged up to the date
the room is re-let plus a £75 Fee (being a
reasonable cost to cover bedroom cleaning
and administrative costs) together with the
cost of the lock change and any storage
costs.
We ask that you remain in the room you
have been allocated unless there are
exceptional reasons for you wishing to
move. We do not encourage room changes
and we ask you to stay where you are for at
least a few weeks, to allow a period of time
for you and other residents to settle in.
Authorisation to exchange your room with
another student in accommodation may be
given provided that:
• your rent/bill payments are both paid or
up to date
• you are not in breach of your letting
conditions
• your contract runs for the same period
e.g. a student leaving in December
cannot exchange with a student who is
leaving in June.
Examples of exceptional reasons for room
changes include;
•P
roven irreparable breakdown of the
relationship between residents;
•A
situation which has or could result in
the deterioration of the student’s health
or study programme; (professional
advice will be sought)
You will be asked to provide supplementary
information or evidence in support of your
request. In the first instance contact your
accommodation reception staff.
You are reminded that your tenancy
contract is a legally binding document and
once you have signed and accepted the
terms of the contract you cannot terminate
the contract unless you leave your course at
the University. You will not be able to
change your room if you owe the University
outstanding rent.
A £75 fee (to cover room cleaning and
administrative costs) will be applied. A
room inventory should be completed
immediately, carefully check the items on
the list against the items in the room.
Please make note of any damaged or
missing items so that you are not charged
for these when you leave.
All exchanges are to be arranged through
the Accommodation Office and an official
amended contract must be obtained.
You are not to change rooms or keys
without a revised contract as you will be in
breach of contract.
Both of you will then need to go to the
University Accommodation Office to sign
the contracts to enable the exchange.
Each student will be charged a £50 fee (to
cover administrative costs). Note: No room
cleaning will take place. A room inventory
should be completed immediately and any
items missing or damaged should be noted
on the form.
Please note – If you have a 50 week
contract you will be unable to transfer to a
40 week contract (without financial
penalty).
Paying your rent
You will be required to pay your rent from
the day your contract starts to the day it is
due to end as listed on your contract. This
applies whether you remain in your room or
not. Please remember it is your
responsibility to ensure that you pay your
rent on time. Reminder notices are used,
but we do not send out reminders unless
you become a debtor. Students with unpaid
bills will be referred to a debt recovery
agent annually. All accommodation
transactions fall under the University
Financial Regulations.
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You can now check your own finance
balance by logging into your E-Vision
Account, go to the “My Sunderland” page
for more info; https://my.sunderland.ac.uk/
Rents are due as follows:
Payment
period
Date rent
due
Last date
for payment
First
As soon as you 1st
move in
November
Second
Beginning of
January
1st
February
Third
Beginning of
April
1st May
Rent can be paid in the following ways:
•T
o pay by debit/credit card go to the
University Electronic Gateway at
https://payments.sunderland.ac.uk/
open/
• By a recurring debit/credit card
arrangement over the three instalments
indicated above (other payment
patterns may be available, ask us about
them).
• At The Gateway, ground floor between
10:30 and 15:30 Monday to Friday
(term time) and 12:00 to 14:00
(non term time).
To pay by cheque post to Revenues send to:
Revenues, 2nd Floor, Edinburgh Building
City Campus, Chester Road, Sunderland,
SR1 3SD.
If you have any queries on your rent
charges contact the Accommodation Office
on 0191 515 2943, or if you have any
queries on how to pay, please
contact Revenues on 0191 515
2455.
Please note – it would help us to
provide a better service if you
bring with you written details of
your accommodation agreement
or registration number when
paying your rent.
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Owing money (debtor)
Non-payment of debts relating to your
course owed to the University may result in
a range of sanctions which can include
formalde-enrolment from the University (i.e.
cancellation of your registration, revoking of
access rights to library, IT, notification to
SLC/LEAs that you are no longer a student
etc) and debt recovery procedures via a
credit agency or legal action.
If you are an international student,
de-enrolment may result in you being in
breach of your visa conditions. Debtors may
not receive any certification of their awards,
and may not be permitted to attend the
awards ceremony.
If you owe money for your university
accommodation then you will not be able
to book any further university
accommodation and the University may
recover the debt using debt recovery
procedures including via a credit agency or
legal action.
The University offers a financial counselling
service for those experiencing financial
difficulty or wanting advice: http://www.
sunderland.ac.uk/ug/feesandfunding/
studentfinancialadvice/
or drop in to The Gateway to make an
appointment. Home students who are
experiencing hardship may be able to get
financial help towards living costs from the
Access to Learning Fund – again call into
The Gateway for an application form or
advice.
If you are having difficulty paying your rent
please contact the Accommodation Office
for advice (0191 515 2943).
Don’t delay. It is easier to
pay a small debt rather
than a large one. Let us
know if you are unable to
pay on time. If you do not
let us know you will be
treated as a debtor.
Before you arrive
Insurance information will also be provided
through your pre-arrival induction.
Arriving early
If you intend to arrive early into your
accommodation this must be arranged via the
Accommodation Office and you should be aware
that you will be charged room rate for the
additional nights.
Pre-arrival induction
Applying for a car parking permit
Students wishing to use the accommodation car
parks must apply online (this is done in advance
of your arrival if you know your allocated room).
The link http://services.sunderland.ac.uk/
facilities/carparking/student/ provides
information on applying and gives access to the
application form. You will require your insurance
and enrolment details as these need to be
uploaded with your application. Please note that a
residential car parking permit is for your specific
accommodation car park only and does not permit
parking at other accommodation car parks or on
campus between 08:00-17:00 hours Monday to
Friday.
A free campus bus and Connect service is
available for student travel from accommodation
and around the campuses. Once completed, the
online application will be processed and will be
returned to your accommodation reception within
seven working days for collection. You may park
in your contracted accommodation car park whilst
your application form is being processed by
printing off the temporary permit attached to your
application confirmation e-mail. Only one permit
will be issued per resident and residents are only
permitted to park one vehicle in the car park at
any time. Please note – parking charge notices
are issued to cars not displaying a valid permit.
Personal possessions insurance
The University has arranged as part of your
accommodation package, personal possessions
insurance for each resident. This is included
within your rent. More information on your
insurance policy, how to make a claim and
instructions on how to top up your insurance can
be found on the accommodation website at;
http://www.sunderland.ac.uk/
residentialservices/rentandcontractinformation/
possessionsinsurance
Residential Services will send an email to all
residents prior to their moving in date, the email
will contain a pre-arrival induction and provides
residents with important information on their
accommodation before they arrive.
On arrival to your
accommodation
Bedding packs
All students staying for 19 weeks or more are
offered a free bedding pack which will, if pre
ordered be available for your arrival in your room
or can be requested from your accommodation
reception on arrival.
Keys, access cards and fobs
You will be issued with a key for your room and
access cards / fobs (where applicable). It is
essential that you look after these at all times.
Access cards are only issued at Clanny House,
Panns Bank and Scotia Quay or at The Precinct
when you are issued with a car parking permit.
We strongly suggest that you do not label your
keys so if you lose your keys they cannot be
identified by anyone else. Do not lend your keys
to anyone else, not even your friends.
Room inventory
When you arrive into accommodation you will be
provided with an inventory of your bedroom and
communal area’s contents sheet. As soon as you
move into your room please complete the form,
making sure that you carefully check the items on
the list against the items in the room. It is easier
to complete this form before you unpack as you
can clearly see everything in the room. You are
asked to record any damage, discrepancies or/
missing items on the form so that you are not
charged for these when you leave. Please
complete the communal inventory as a group
activity with the other residents of your flat - and
when all of you are happy with the information
that you all sign and date the form before
returning the document to your accommodation
reception.
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Living with us
Bicycle storage
There are bicycle storage facilities available
across the University campuses and also in
university accommodations (free service).
To arrange storage facilities at your
accommodation you will need to complete
an application form and provide an
‘electronic’ image of your bicycle. The
application forms are available from your
accommodation reception. Please Note: For
safety reasons bicycles must not be stored
inside the accommodation.
Cleaning
Your accommodation is your home for the
next academic year and you are responsible
for the cleanliness of it. You are expected to
clean your own bedroom and to keep all of
the shared areas clean. This includes: the
kitchen, (including the fridge freezer, cooker
and microwave) living/dining area, toilets,
showers and bathroom.
You will be provided with cleaning
equipment, a guidance leaflet on cleaning
and a starter pack of cleaning products to
help you along. Once the starter pack is
finished you and your fellow residents will
need to purchase your own cleaning items.
As you and the other residents in your flat
are equally responsible for cleaning the
communal areas it is a good idea to agree a
cleaning rota to ensure everyone does their
fair share of cleaning. See the University
Accommodation cleaning guide for ideas
and remember the RSA’s can help in
making arrangements.
On a fortnightly basis university
accommodation staff will access your flat,
to clean the sanitary areas, kitchen/ diner/
living room floors and will check the flat for
cleanliness and defects. You will be notified
by staff in advance of the day that this will
happen.
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Listed below are general guidelines to help
keep your temporary home in good
condition:
•C
hange the vacuum bag on a regular
basis to ensure the vacuum will work
effectively. Replacement bags are
available from your Accommodation
reception.
•D
o not vacuum liquid spillages or
broken glass.
•T
he Fire Brigade has reported that one
of the most common causes of fire is a
greasy grill pan. Remove spillages from
the cooker as they happen and
thoroughly clean the cooker every
week.
• Defrost the freezer once every term.
•A
lways clean the shower, bath and
toilets after use. We recommend that
you keep your personal items in your
room.
•C
heck that the shower and sink
plugholes are free from obstruction
such as hair.
•B
ag all refuse as it is produced and
remove it from the flats into the central
refuse points. Always remember to use
the recycling facilities.
•K
eep the bench tops and sink area
clear – wash up your dishes after every
meal.
•S
weep and wash PVC floors and
vacuum carpets.
Exceptions to the above:
The self-contained units for couples and
families in Panns Bank and Scotia Quay
and two bedded flats in Clanny House are
not cleaned by the University staff but they
are visited on a weekly basis when a health
and safety check is carried out and also
each term to check for defects, damages
and health and safety compliance. Cleaning
throughout is the residents’ responsibility.
Council Tax
As a full time student you are exempt from
paying Council Tax for the duration of your
course.
Environment, energy and recycling
The environment and climatic change
impacts on us all so we have introduced
schemes to help reduce our carbon footprint:
•U
niversity accommodation has a bank of
blue recycling wheelie bins, to enable
you to recycle paper, glass plastics,
cardboard and cans. The bins are clearly
labelled and the bin lids are coloured
signed with dark grey (general waste),
blue (mixed recycling) and green lids
(glass).
•C
onserve energy by – switching off lights
when they are not needed, especially
when you leave your room, not leaving
electrical appliances on standby – switch
off your television, stereo, PC especially
overnight and if you are away at the
weekend.
•E
xcessive or wasteful use of resources
will be brought to your attention and
where appropriate charges will be passed
on to residents (in particular excessive
energy use).
•C
onserve water by turning off hot and
cold taps; report dripping taps and leaks
via the defect reporting system.
For more information and to see what else
the University is doing to help the
environment please visit:
www.sunderland.ac.uk/environment
Furnishings, fixtures and fittings
The furniture and furnishings within your
accommodation are fire retardant. Please do
not bring any furniture or electrical
appliances into your property, as they could
constitute a fire hazard and space is limited.
Additional soft furnishings brought into your
property must be in good order, must not
cause an obstruction, meet British Standards
and bear the BSI Kitemark. You are asked
not to tamper with the facilities as they are
provided e.g. do not disconnect or turn off
water heaters, wireless connections, prop
open fire doors or remove the door closers
etc. Rooms are furnished with a bed,
wardrobe, chest of drawers, a wash hand
basin, mirror, desk and chair.
Internet
Internet allowance included in your rent for
next year is provided via Wired and Wi Fi
and the base speed is 30Mbps (incrementally
increasing year on year by 5MBps). There are
no download or upload limits on the service.
In addition to this there is a 24/7 help facility
and a range of additional services available:
even faster downloads at 50Mbps and
100Mbps, IPTV, phone, web security, cloud
back up, and gaming. We appreciate many of
you will have already sorted many of these
features, so it’s optional and you can decide
what you want to buy into.
This service will be provided to you by
StudentCom the market leader in student IT
services. StudentCom is only available in
university accommodation, including The
Forge U Student Village. You will be invited
to pre-register for your IT service in advance
of arriving at the University, guidance on how
to access StudentCom services will be
provided in your online induction and prearrival information. You are reminded that
tampering or interfering with internet
connectivity is a breach in your
accommodation contract.
10
More information on StudentCom can be
found at; http://www.sunderland.ac.uk/
residentialservices/prospectivestudents/
studentcom
Students with access to the campus
network and to the Internet via JANET are
to note that you will have to supply your
own PC and adhere to the University and
JANET ‘acceptable use’ policies.
Please check you emails on a regular basis
for accommodation updates and also read
the ‘Notice board’ information on the
StudentCom DMP – this is the page that
will open each time you log on.
Laundry
University accommodation has chargeable
washing machines and dryers on-site.
Please do not leave your washing
unattended as personal insurance is unlikely
to include laundry losses. Remember to
take change with you.
“Laundry View” is an online website which
enables you to view your on-site laundry
room. It allows you to see which washer/
dryer machines are available and how long
is remaining on machine cycles without
stepping a foot out of your bedroom.
The website can be found at: http://www.
circuit.co.uk/i-want-to-do-my-laundry/
laundry-view/
Loss of keys
If you misplace your keys a member of staff
will let you into your room providing that
we can identify you. This means we will
check photographic ID or your signature.
Please report the loss of the key as soon as
you lose it. If you think you know where the
keys are we can loan you a spare key until
you get your key back.
Residents who repeatedly misplace their
keys will be charged an admin fee.
Please Note: For security reasons you
should not give your keys, access card or
fob to anyone.
11
Mail/post information
Please ensure that all letters and parcels
are addressed correctly to allow them to be
delivered to you. Premise addresses can be
found in the front of this booklet. Please
remember to include your name, room
number, flat and block number when giving
anyone your address. Letters are delivered
directly to you via Royal Mail. They will be
posted through the letter box in your flat
front door.
If you have ordered something to be
delivered as a parcel:
•D
elivered items are to be day to day
items: DVD, books etc. Not wheels,
washing machines, or televisions.
•N
o perishable goods can be accepted
(food or flowers).
•L
arge items over and above 40cm x
40cm x 40cm will not be accepted and
will be returned to the delivery office.
•H
eavy items (max weight 15 kilos) will
not be accepted and will be returned to
the delivery office.
•Y
ou must do your best to make yourself
available to receive the parcel on the
day of delivery (make best use of
delivery tracking services).
Parcels that are sent via Royal Mail are
delivered by the postman, who will try to
deliver them to you. If you are not available
they will leave you a calling card, leaving
the parcel at your university accommodation
reception for you to collect.
Parcels (within the stated limitations above)
delivered via a courier will also be left at
your university accommodation reception.
you are asked to return the mail to the
reception. (The Postal Services Act 2000
makes it an offence under section 84 by
'General Offence of Interference with mail’).
Please let anyone who writes to you know
the date you expect to leave your
accommodation or you can pay at the Post
Office to have mail redirected to your home
address please see link for further details
http://www.royalmail.com/personal/
receiving-mail/redirection. Please note that
university accommodation staff cannot
redirect your post.
Noise
It is important that you are aware that any
building housing a lot of young people will
tend to be noisy even during normal
activity. If you require a quiet environment
please discuss this with an Accommodation
Officer, or alternatively, if you like to play
your music very loud then perhaps
University accommodation may not be right
for you. Large music systems are not
suitable for University accommodation,
please leave them at home.
This is our biggest complaint from residents
and you are asked to show consideration for
others at all times:
•K
eep music, games and TV volume low
or use headphones especially at night
• Do not shout out of or up to windows
• Do not shout within the buildings
•D
o not shout or play games within the
courtyards of the buildings
•L
imit the number of friends you invite
back to your flat and remember when
they leave, to leave quietly
Please make sure that you have some valid
identification with you, otherwise we are
unable to issue parcels. See flat notice
boards for parcel collection times.
•R
emember if you are asked to turn the
volume down, do so immediately other
residents may be studying or trying to
sleep
Letters and parcels are only accepted for
current residents. If mail is delivered and
the recipient no longer lives in the property
You were asked to think about this carefully
before you signed your contract.
Pets
No pets at all are allowed in university
accommodation – except in the
circumstances of disability, please contact
the Accommodation Office if you require a
guide dog on campus.
Posters (items displayed)
Please ensure that if you are putting posters
up on your walls that you use a fixative that
will not damage or mark the walls, such as
Blu Tac, 3M command strips or something
similar. Please do not use tape, nails, screws
or staples which will damage surfaces.
Please do not attach anything to ceilings,
furniture, woodwork, windows or doors.
Property checks
Each term university accommodation staff
will check your room and communal areas
for damage and repairs – you will be advised
of the date and time of this check in
advance. If when areas are checked, staff
consider that there are risks with regard to
health and safety or hygiene, you will be
advised of the necessary action to be taken
by yourself and a date when the area will be
checked again. Serious breaches of health
and safety or hygiene regulations could result
in a caution fee or ultimately disciplinary
action being taken against you.
On occasion it may be necessary to remove
unauthorised items for safe keeping; you will
be notified of this. You can make
arrangements to collect the items(s) when
you vacate the property or as agreed.
All students sharing a communal area are
responsible for keeping that area clean, tidy
and free from refuse, and you should resolve
any disputes about cleaning amongst
yourselves. If you are unable to resolve any
issues you should consult the Residential
Student Assistants for advice and support (or
university accommodation manager(s).
Students who regularly leave the communal
areas in a dirty condition will be charged for
additional cleaning.
12
Access to your room
Recycling and general waste collection
Visitors and guests
Whilst every effort is made to respect your
privacy there are times when access into
your flat or room is unavoidable. The staff
in university accommodation have access to
your bedroom but will not enter your room
unless under one or more of the following
circumstances:
You are asked to recycle waste, making use
of the blue bags and small glass bins
provided in your the flat. Non recyclable
refuse (general waste) is collected twice
weekly from the external refuse containers
at your accommodation. For information on
collection days, please see reception notice
boards.
Study bedrooms are for occupation by one
student only, with the exception of the small
number of shared rooms and family units
within university accommodation. The
restrictions placed by Environmental Health
Legislation do not allow two people to
occupy a single study bedroom, even in the
case of couples.
Please ensure that you remove the refuse
from your flat as soon as the kitchen bin is
full (or more frequently), securely fasten,
and place all bags into the external bins
located throughout the grounds ready for
the collection. Please do not put refuse
bags on the floor next to the waste bins as
they will not be collected.
A guest is able to stay with you in your room
for up to three nights on occasion, provided
that:
• The guest must be 18 or over or
permission given by the Accommodation
Hall Manager.
• You accept total responsibility for their
behaviour, the actions and safety of your
guest/s.
• If your guest breaks the terms of your
contract as detailed in this Code of
Practice, you yourself risk disciplinary
action.
• Permission is given by all the flat
occupants, only then a guest may use
the flat’s facilities.
• You do not give your keys, entry card or
fob to your guest. A guest must not be
left alone in the room or flatwhile the
contract holder is away from their
university accommodation.
• You and your guest behave in a
responsible manner within the property
and surrounding area (particularly with
regard to noise).
• You ensure that your guest is aware of
any health, safety and fire regulations.
• Your guest may be asked to leave at any
time by any university staff including
security staff if they consider his or her
behaviour to be unacceptable with
regard to the Code of Practice.
•F
or maintenance queries or when
repairs are being carried out. These are
carried out by the University
maintenance team or by an approved
contractor and you normally will be
aware that this work is taking place.
•D
uring property checks – where you
will have been previously notified
•T
o investigate a Health and Safety issue
(i.e. Fire Drills)
•D
uring an investigation into an act of
misconduct
•W
here we have reason to suspect you
may need help from us (illness for
example)
If we have the need to enter your room and
find that you are not present at that time
then a calling card will be left to advise you
of the reason why we have entered.
Please note – we are unable to give your
friends access to your bedroom or flat.
Televisions and licences
If you are using a television set or anything
else to receive or record television
programmes (such as DVD/video recorders,
set top boxes, or a PC with a broadcast
card) you must have a TV licence.
For information on how to obtain a licence
logon to http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/
There is a charge for the licence but you
are able to claim a refund for any unused
quarters (three consecutive months).
Televisions are not provided by the
University.
You cannot have a lodger or sublet your
room. This is a breach of your contract and
will result in action against you and your
guest (if he or she is a student). A guest
becomes a lodger when they have stayed
with you for more than three consecutive
days or on a ‘regular’ basis. This does not
mean that you can have the same person
staying with you every week; it means that
you can occasionally have a guest to stay
with you for up to three days, not more than
once per month. This regulation applies
whether the guest stays overnight or spends
the greater part of the day with you. Non
residents, with the exception of bona fide
overnight guests, cannot use the
accommodation facilities, i.e. the kitchen,
lounge or shower etc, and if found to be
using these facilities will be asked to leave
and you could be charged for their use.
If we do discover that you have had a guest
staying with you on a regular basis you will
be charged double rent for the time the
guest was in residence and disciplinary
action may be taken against you.
Please note that no one may stay in your
room whilst you are away from the
University.
There is no charge for having a guest in your
room so long as you and your guest observe
the regulations as listed in the Code of
Practice.
Volunteering for Open Days
To enable new students to view university
accommodation during occupied times and,
in particular, University Open Days (October,
November, June and August) you may be
invited to volunteer to show your flat. For
offering your support it’s likely that gift
vouchers will be offered as a thank you.
A University Accommodation Senior Manager
(or nominated deputy) has the right to
prevent you having a guest to stay, if there
have been problems relating to your conduct
in the past.
13
14
Health and safety
Breaking health and safety rules and
regulations is a serious matter, which could
lead to disciplinary action being taken
against you. In your actions you need to
consider not only your own health and
safety, but also the health and safety of
others. Please report any potential hazards
to any member of university accommodation
staff.
Please note that university staff (on-site
security) carry out weekly Health and Safety
checks in communal areas of flats. This is a
legislative requirement and access is
required to do this. Findings will be reported
back to residents for corrective action.
BBQs we class as a high risk activity for a
range of reasons and they are not
encouraged. If you are thinking of arranging
a BBQ, please contact your accommodation
reception who will explain the issues and
advise you of the risks. A satisfactory risk
assessment will be required.
The following list gives examples of the type
of behaviour which constitute a breach in
health and safety rules and regulations. The
list is provided as a guide and is not
conclusive:
• Misuse of a fire alarm
•M
isuse of fire fighting equipment, such
as fire extinguishers
•D
amage to or the removal of door and
window closers
•F
ailure to evacuate immediately the fire
alarm sounds or returning to the building
before permission has been given
•P
ropping open of fire doors – any door
with a closer or a sign on is a fire door
•R
emoving or defacing notices relating to
health and safety
•B
locking corridors, stairways or fire exits
with equipment or personal items
15
•A
llowing a room or a flat to become so
unhygienic that it may cause a risk to
health
Campus police
•B
ehaving in a manner to cause risks to
yourself, other students or staff, i.e.
storing items externally on window sills,
throwing items from windows
•S
torage of flammable materials is not
allowed e.g. petrol, solvents, and
fireworks
•C
ausing a fire alarm activation due to
non attendance of food whilst cooking
(please note that this is the most
common cause of a Fire Alarm activation
– take extra care)
•U
se the laundry to wash and dry clothes
as drying wet clothes in your room can
cause damage to university property and
will create a damp and hazardous
environment.
Any student breaching health and safety
rules and regulations will have to pay the full
cost of repair and/or for replacement of any
damaged safety equipment.
Once again if the investigation of the incident
does not identify the student or students
involved, then each student within the
property will be charged. Caution fees can
range from £25 to £200 or the full cost
involved in the call out of the Fire Service.
Please note that a warning with an
explanation of the breach in code is given for
a first incident, this is to ensure you are fully
aware of the impact of your actions.
Depending upon the seriousness of the
breach in health and safety regulations you
could be given a caution fee in the first
instance.
Health and well-being
You are reminded that you must register
with a local doctor and dentist during your
stay in Sunderland. This is free of charge
for all students. If you do not register and
you require medical care in your
accommodation, this will not be possible.
Details of local doctors and dentists can be
found in your accommodation reception and
our website; http://www.sunderland.ac.uk/
residentialservices/a-z
If you have a medical condition it would be
helpful to let staff and your flat mates
know, so assistance can be offered to you
at times of need.
The University of Sunderland has an
arrangement with Northumbria Police in
order that a police officer is allocated to the
University to target crime affecting the
University students and staff. Should you
need to speak to the campus police officer
you can do so in one of the following ways;
ring on 3999, email on campus.police@
sunderland.ac.uk or by contacting security
either in the University Accommodation
reception or via the Central Control Room
on 0191 515 2028 (4444 in an
emergency).
Crime and incident reporting
The University of Sunderland is committed
to providing a safe and secure environment
for staff and students to work and study.
We are aware that there are various reasons
why students may not wish to report crimes
or incidents; we have therefore provided a
facility to complete a report anonymously.
The form is located at http://services.
sunderland.ac.uk/forms/incidentreporting/
Accident reporting
You are asked to report all accidents which
occur on-site to a member of staff, as well
as completing a university accident form
which can be requested from your
accommodation reception.
If you require an ambulance or the Fire
Brigade
Depending upon the seriousness of the
situation, you are asked to keep the RSA
and/or security staff advised if you are
feeling seriously unwell. This is so we can
offer support where appropriate. In case of
emergency please contact the University
control room on ext. 4444. Should you
require an ambulance or the Fire Brigade
please dial 1999 (internal phone). Use 999
if making the call from outside of the
University.
16
Safety in your accommodation
•N
ever leave your window open even if
you only leave your room for a few
moments. Windows are fitted with
restrictors to prevent them from over
opening. Please do not remove the
window restrictor
• Lock your room door when you go out
•D
o not give your keys/access card or
fob to anyone else
•D
o not let strangers in to your flat (or
the block communal entrances) and if
there is someone who you do not
recognise ask them who they are or
report it to security
•P
lease report anything that you think is
suspicious to security, who will attend
either in person or by monitoring the
CCTV and taking the appropriate action
•S
ecurity mark your possessions with
your home postcode. UV pens are
available at your University
Accommodation reception or ask the
RSA
•D
o not leave cheque books, passports,
credit cards or money lying around.
Personal safety information
Please take some time to read the following
personal safety information.
When you first arrive, you will be keen to
find your way around the campus and the
city. Make sure that you keep yourself safe
and ask a member of staff for general
directions before you set off.
Sunderland has a comparatively low rate of
crime affecting students and we believe
students have a safe and secure
environment here. In June 2014
Sunderland ranked in the top 15 of safest
university campuses in the UK.
Please follow the advice below to help
yourself to stay safe whilst you are here.
We offer lots of crime prevention and
17
personal safety advice on our campus
watch website:
www.sunderland.ac.uk/campuswatch
When walking, avoid any shortcuts through
dark alleys, parks or waste ground. Walk
confidently and make sure that you do not
have valuables on display such as mobile
phones, money, jewellery, laptops or MP3
players. Try to disguise your items
especially laptops in different bags rather
than a carry case.
Travelling around campus
When you are travelling around the campus
or city please stick to main roads and well
lit paths. Try to avoid being out and about
after dark especially if you are on your own,
and use the campus bus where possible.
Student emergency taxi scheme
If you find yourself stranded with no money
Station Taxis and Steels Taxis will provide
transport. Simply sign the driver’s account
slip, and hand him your Students’ Union
membership card. Your card will be
returned by the Students’ Union on
payment of the fare. The telephone
numbers Steels Taxis is 0191 510 9966
and Station Taxis 0191 565 6565 or why
not download their smartphone app.
Fire safety information
The fire alarms will be tested weekly.
Please see notices in you’re your
communal area for specific times.
Common causes of false fire alarm
activation
Fire service call out
Any call out to the Fire Service is a very
serious matter. During a call out up to three
vehicles are sent to each site leaving the
nearest Fire Station without the resources to
attend another emergency.
The following list highlights the most
common causes of fire alarm activations
and what to do to avoid setting the fire
alarms off.
• If there was a fire or a genuine belief
that there was a fire in the property you
must call out the Fire Service – there
will be no charge made.
Common causes of activation:
• If the call out is as a result of careless
behaviour for instance careless use of
aerosol sprays near to a detector, or the
breaking of the glass panel on a fire
alarm through reckless behaviour, you
will be given a caution fee (particularly
where the Fire Service attend
unnecessarily). These charges can
range from £25 up to £200 and worst
case scenario issued with NTQ (Notice
to Quit, asking that you leave your
accommodation).
•K
itchen door being wedged open to let
smoke out of kitchen when cooking
•S
moking cigarettes, including electronic
cigarettes in the bedrooms (this is a no
smoking environment and smoking will
not be tolerated)
• Steam from showers
•S
praying aerosols such as deodorant
and hairspray
How to avoid:
•O
pen the windows, and use the
extractor fan whilst cooking or using the
shower
•D
o not leave shower doors open when
in use
• Avoid spraying under the detectors
Fire door closers and seals
All kitchen and most bedroom doors have
self closing arms fitted to them. It is
essential that these doors are not tampered
with in any way. The arms should not be
removed and the doors should not be
propped open in any circumstances. To
meet fire brigade inspection standards we
will invite you monthly by email to selfinspect your bedroom door, the self closing
arms and seal. You will be asked to report
any defaults found (we have adopted a self
inspection routine to minimise the level of
disruption to your privacy and appreciate
your full cooperation).
• If you call the Fire Service out
unnecessarily you will be charged £200
plus administration costs and could
also be subject to the University’s
disciplinary procedure. The Manager(s)
will be fair and reasonable when
issuing caution fees for breaches of
health and safety regulations, but they
have a responsibility to ensure the
health and safety of all residents within
your accommodation.
If you dispute the charge you should
discuss this in the first instance with a Hall
Manager, but if you are unable to do so or
are unhappy with the outcome, you can
write to the Senior Manager giving the
specific details of your concerns.
Fire alarm procedures
If the fire alarm sounds you must evacuate
the property immediately. Instructions
specific to your property are displayed on
18
fire notices throughout the accommodation
and will be explained to you during your
orientation. Hall Staff and Security are
designated Fire Wardens, and therefore if
the fire alarm sounds you must follow their
instructions. You are asked to provide as
much information as you can associated
with the alarm activation to the staff
investigating the incident. This will help
save valuable minutes.
•E
nsure that all corridors and stairways
are clear at all times
If you see a fire or accidentally start a fire,
sound the alarm by breaking the glass call
point and leave the building immediately.
Please ensure that you are familiar with the
evacuation procedure, details of which are
available in your room.
•F
ollow instructions given to you by the
Fire Warden when leaving or returning
to the property
Any resident who fails to evacuate during a
fire alarm or fire drill will receive a caution
fee and you could face disciplinary action.
How the fire alarms work
The kitchens have heat detectors installed
and they will only cause the fire alarm to
activate when excessive heat builds up in
the kitchen area. All bedrooms and
corridors are fitted with smoke detectors.
When they sense smoke near them the fire
alarm will activate.
• Treat all fire alarms seriously
• Participate in all fire drills (twice a year)
•B
e aware of the evacuation process;
information is displayed in each room
•E
nsure you familiarise yourself with the
different types and uses of fire
extinguishers
•P
rovide any information you may know
to staff investigating a fire alarm
activation
Please advise the University
Accommodation Office if you have a
disability which may affect how you are
able to respond should the fire alarm be
activated.
University responsibilities
•T
o maintain all fire safety equipment to
the satisfaction of the Fire Safety Officer
•T
o inform residents of the fire safety
and evacuation procedures
Do not cover the detector heads as by
doing so you are putting yours and others
lives in danger and as a consequence
significant caution fees will be imposed and
you could face serious disciplinary action.
•T
o appoint Fire Wardens and Senior
Fire Wardens
Please note – the detector heads cannot
tell the difference between smoke from a
fire, smoke from cigarettes, hairspray or
deodorant, steam from the bathroom or
anything else that is similar to this, so all
of these will cause the alarms to sound.
•T
o ensure that the whole building is
evacuated in the event of a fire alarm
sounding
Student responsibilities
•Y
ou must not tamper with fire safety
equipment
•R
eport any defective equipment to a
member of University Accommodation
staff as soon as possible. If it is out of
office hours, please report to security
19
• To carry out regular fire drills
• To have a viable fire safety procedure
Electrical equipment
All electrical equipment that is supplied by
the University is regularly tested and meets
the current British Standards Institute (BSI)
guidelines (Kitemark). Any electrical
equipment that you bring to use in
University accommodation must carry the
BSI Kitemark and be in good working order
with a current Portable Appliance Test
Certificate (PAT).
Please do not bring with you additional
kettles, fridges/freezers, toasters,
microwaves, irons or other kitchen
equipment as we provide it for you. Do
notuse electrical kitchen equipment in your
bedroom.. Fridges/coolers are not allowed in
bedrooms except for those supplied by the
University in Scotia Quay and any which
have been authorised for medical purposes.
Please do not use any kind of additional
heating appliance in any part of university
accommodation as they may present a fire
risk. They can also have an adverse effect
on other heating systems. Any heating
appliances found whether in use at the time
or not will be removed and then returned to
you at the end of your contract date or
upon departure. If you are cold or having
problems with heating please discuss with
a member of staff.
Electricity and energy: inclusive (rent and
energy combined)
We have in place a “fair energy in use
policy”, simply this means as part of our
environmental commitment to reduce
waste, we monitor your energy use against
a weekly allowance, those groups of
residents over using the provision will be
contacted and advised of the consequences
(over use will be charged). Help and advice
will be provided to enable residents to
reduce waste.
Extension cables/Electrical adapters
Please note that electrical adapters are
unsafe and cannot be used in Halls. You
can use multi-socket extension leads, which
meet BSI 363A, 1984 standards, which
have a fused junction, so long as they are
used carefully (not overloaded) and leads
are not stretched across rooms or doorways,
as this will cause a trip hazard. You must
never use a continental type two-pin plug in
a three-pin socket or an international
extension lead as this is a fire risk and
extremely dangerous. If you are unclear on
what you are allowed to use, please contact
your University Accommodation reception
where a member of staff will be happy to
advise you.
Voltage differences
The supply voltage in the UK is 240v and
you connect to the power supply using a 3
pin 13 amp plug.
Unsuitable household equipment
There are certain types of household
equipment which are not permitted for use
within University Accommodation. The list
below is provided as a guide but is not
exhaustive:
•C
andles, flares or joss sticks (or any
item with a naked flame) – please do
not bring them into your
accommodation even if you do not
intend to burn them.
•F
lammable equipment such as petrol or
other fuels
• Barbecues
•C
hip pans and deep fat fryers: Deep fat
frying is not allowed in university
accommodation as it poses a serious
risk of fire. Should any ‘make do chip
pans’ be found in your kitchen staff will
remove them. They can be collected
when you vacate the property. If you do
deep fat fry and cause a fire, you will
be charged accordingly for any damage
and for the call out to the Fire Service
20
•H
eating appliances and kitchen
electrical equipment
•H
alogen bulb desk/table lamps, owing
to the risk of fire the use of lamps with
halogen bulbs is not permitted in
university accommodation
•A
ny unsuitable household equipment in
your room/flat will be removed by
University staff, in most cases items
will be stored and returned to you upon
your departure, however there are
exceptions to this such as:
•A
ny item which is illegal will be handed
over to the Police (see list of dangerous
offensive weapons on page 30)
• Items which are difficult to store due to
Health and Safety regulations such as
fireworks, petrol or other fuel will be
disposed of and will not be returned to
you when you leave.
Large items which may require storing on
your behalf will be stored off University
premises and associated costs passed on to
you. For more information please talk to a
member of staff from the Accommodation
Office.
You may have a caution fee raised against
you and disciplinary action taken where you
have breached the health and safety
guidelines.
Buildings and grounds
maintenance
General maintenance
Our aim is to cause as little disruption to
our residents as possible so we often
schedule our planned maintenance and
decoration programmes during the summer
months, when the majority of our residents
have left for the summer. Residents who
live with us over the summer may be asked
to relocate if their room is being decorated.
This is unavoidable and we therefore
commit to communicate such activities in a
timely manner to those residents involved.
Your assistance is appreciated in helping us
to maintain the grounds by not dropping
litter and in particular leaving the refuse
points tidy and free from loose debris.
The salting, gritting and snow clearance
policy is displayed in reception. “Our
service is proactive and in alignment with
our winter and road gritting provision: The
Met Office send bespoke forecasts each day
on a regional basis. The trigger for the
service is frost, ice or snow of any
significance.”
Pest control
If you find an infestation of insects (or
other) in your flat you must ensure it is
reported to your accommodation reception
so that it can be investigated and
appropriate action taken. Do not assume
that someone else will report it. If you are
unsure, ask us to take a look.
Repairs
Residents are not permitted to carry out
their own repairs.
If you find that something is broken or
missing in your flat you must ensure it is
reported so that it can be repaired. Do not
assume that someone else will report it.
21
In your accommodation reception you will
find defect repair forms, they can also be
found at; http://www.sunderland.ac.uk/
residentialservices/a-z
Please fill these in with as much detail as
possible so that it is clear what and where
the fault is.
You can also email your defect request to
the address shown on the inner page of this
document, please make sure that you put as
much detail as possible in the email so we
can find the reported fault (i.e. room
number and location).
Although we try to ensure that all faults are
repaired within 20 working days, it
sometimes takes longer if parts are needed
to complete the job. Whenever possible you
will be notified of delays.
Repairs are undertaken by University staff or
authorised contractors between the hours of
9am – 5pm. If you feel you need to be
present during the repair this can be
arranged (it’s likely that this will cause a
delay to the repair).
Priority requests
(within 7 working days of receiving the
request)
Examples of this – grill on cooker not
working; sink leaking; bathroom fan not
working; shower not working; bad smell
from drains and so on.
Scheduled requests
(within 20 working days of receiving the
request)
Examples of this – routine repairs such as
dripping taps; handles missing from
cupboards; shaver lights not working; blinds
to re-fix; drawers jamming and so on.
If you have reported a repair and it has not
been repaired within 20 working days
please contact reception.
Restricted Areas
Roofs, cleaner cupboards, offices, security
lodges, boiler rooms, teaching areas and
catering areas, during officially closed
periods, are all out of bounds to students.
The length of time you have to wait for a
repair to be completed will depend on the
nature of the repair. Facilities department
will assess each job and place it into one of
the following categories.
Timescales for repairs:
Emergency requests
(within 2 hours of receiving the request)_
Examples of this – loss of electrical power
(not caused through supplier); heating
failure to a whole building or area;
dangerous structures such as broken glass
and so on; failure of a WC or water supply
where an alternative is not available.
Urgent requests
(within 12 hours of receiving the request)
Examples of this – water heater not
working; toilet blocked; no electricity in the
kitchen; door closer not working; flat door
not latching.
22
When you leave
Extending your stay
Check your accommodation
Returning your key/access card/fob
You must vacate your room before 10:00
on the end date stated on your contract.
You will receive a reminder before your
departure giving you guidance on what you
need to do before you leave, further
information can be found on our website.
Ensure that your room is locked when you
leave. Return your key, access card and or
fob to reception ensuring that you sign the
key signature book. If there isn’t staff
members available, please deposit keys/
access cards/fobs in the relevant key box
which can be found in reception. Please do
not leave your key with a friend or in your
room or flat. If you have lost your keys,
access card or fob you should report this
immediately. If you leave keys lying around
and they go missing you will be charged the
cost of replacing the locks. If you take keys
home with you (as soon as possible) please
contact your university accommodation
reception and advise them as time delays
incur charges. Keys should be returned by
special recorded delivery to the University
Accommodation Manager in your residence.
http://www.sunderland.ac.uk/
currentstudents/beforeyougo
Please ensure that when you leave you
clear your accommodation of your
belongings, ensuring it is left in a clean and
tidy condition with all rubbish disposed of.
Any items suitable for re-use such as
unopened tinned or dried food items (which
need to be in date) can be taken to
reception. Arrangements will be made with
a local charity to re-use the goods. It is
essential that you switch off lights, sockets
and taps, close and lock the windows and
lock the door before you return your key
(and access card) to reception. If you are in
any doubt, discuss this with a member of
staff.
End of tenancy check
It is not possible for all rooms to be
inspected before you leave. The property
will be inspected when the last person has
left the flat. If you are all leaving the
property at the same time, it may be
possible to arrange a final inspection when
you are all present. To arrange this
appointment it is advisable to give 7 days’
advance notice. Please remember that
inspections can only take place Monday to
Friday during normal office hours.
23
If you do not return your keys on the last
day of your contract and there is no
explanation, a £50 administration charge
plus room rental will be charged on a daily
basis until the keys are returned or the
locks are changed.
Leaving early
For the majority of students there is no
notice period in your tenancy agreement
which means you will not be released from
your contract to live in non-university
accommodation, whether privately rented or
your home address. If you leave for any
reason, you will remain responsible for your
rent until the end of your contract or until
the room is re-let to another student who is
not already contracted. You will remain
liable for the rent until the new occupant
moves in. The Accommodation Office in
The Gateway will assist you in advertising
your contracted room on StudentPad
If you need to stay past the end of your
contract date (to re-sit an exam, graduation
or an accommodation requirement through
the summer) you must inform the
Accommodation Office in The Gateway as
soon as possible. In these circumstances it
is important that you understand this will
not be an extension of your original contract
but will be a separate contract for short
stay and will be dependent on availability at
that time. Please do not assume that you
will be able to stay in your room. In most
cases, students will need to stay in short
stay accommodation which is offered at
Clanny House.
Renew your contract for
next year
Students wishing to secure a room for the
following year are advised to visit visit our
website at http://www.sunderland.ac.uk/
residentialservices/currentstudents
Left belongings
You are responsible for the removal of all
items at the end of your accommodation
contract. We will endeavour to contact
owners when items of value are left behind.
Goods not removed will be disposed of
through our supported charity route.
24
Staff within the University
accommodation team
Your 24/7 network of support: available
evenings/throughout the night and
weekends.
We have a team of Residential Student
Assistants (RSAs) who live on-site at each
university accommodation. The RSAs are
students who have experience of living in
university accommodation themselves. They
are employed to provide information, advice
and support to residents and to contribute
to the smooth running of the student
community. They are also responsible for
fire safety, responding to emergencies and
maintaining good order in the
accommodation. There is always a duty
RSA on call between 17:30 and 08:00 and
during the weekend. The RSA will be your
first point of contact if you need help or
advice. You can contact them through the
on-site security. The RSA duty rota is
displayed in the security reception.
The RSAs staff your Accommodation
reception each evening between 17:30 to
19:00 and have designated a time to
walkabout the site, meet with residents and
provide information. (See the reception for
times).
The RSAs work very closely with the
Manager(s) and Security. They also signpost
students on to other university support staff:
nurse and medical support, health and
wellbeing, counselling, financial support
and the Students’ Union.
25
Security Staff
University Accommodation have security
staff available in the evenings, weekends
and bank holidays’/university holidays. They
are supported by the University security
control room (24/7 facility) and mobile
security providing you with support and
reassurance. They will also contact the
University campus police on your behalf if
necessary. You can contact security by
dialling the number appropriate for your
accommodation:
Clanny House3654
Precinct3611
Panns Bank/Scotia Quay
3652
University Control Room (24/7) 2028
Emergencies 4444
Police 3999
The Hall Manager and Assistant Hall
Manager
The Hall Manager and Assistant Hall
Managers are available Monday to Friday,
08:00 to 18:00. The Manager looks after
the care and well-being of all residents and
during the day is likely to be your first point
of contact.
They are also responsible for cleaning
services, registering students arriving in
university accommodation, and assisting in
the co-ordination of the security,
maintenance, recycling and porterage task.
All issues relating to damage or repairs
should be reported in writing and left at the
security reception, or online and emailed for
the attention of the Assistant Manager(s).
Please see the front of this booklet for
relevant email addresses.
The Manager is there to ensure a happy
and well cared for student community, in
which all residents can socialise, relax and
study. This is not always an easy task as
this may involve student discipline and the
issue of warnings and caution fees.
Facility Support Assistants (FSAs)
The Facility Support Assistants work with
the Hall/Assistant Managers to ensure the
site and its facitlites are working correctly.
Senior Manager(s)
Our primary role is to ensure your stay in
university accommodation is memorable for
all the right reasons, ensuring information is
clear and transparent and that our team
members are helpful, responsive and
accessible.
The Accommodation Office Manager:
Marketing & Development of
Accommodation
Responsibilities include room allocations,
contracts, rent collection, legal issues in
connection with your accommodation
contract and managing the student
complaints process.
The Accommodation Operations Manager
Responsibilities include the interpretation
and application of the University’s Code of
Practice, as well as welfare matters and
managing the student disciplinary process.
Accommodation Officers
There are a number of Accommodation
Officers based in the University
Accommodation Office in The Gateway. The
Accommodation Officers are able to offer
advice and support. They are your first
point of contact during office hours for any
queries or problems relating to your
accommodation contract.
26
How to raise a concern or
make a complaint
Disputes (between residents)
Students are expected to attempt to resolve
disputes amongst themselves, if possible. If
the dispute becomes difficult to resolve the
Resident Student Assistant (RSA) will offer
support (they can be contacted using the
University Accommodation security
number). Where the dispute has become
irretrievable or where there has been a
serious breach of the Code of Practice the
matter will be elevated to a Senior Manager
to further investigate. This could ultimately
result in one or more of the residents being
relocated into another University property.
“How to Deal with Problems with Other
Residents and How We Can Help You” is a
useful document and can be found in your
accommodation reception.
Whilst the Accommodation Team always
aim to provide high quality services, there
are times when things do go wrong, when
that happens we have a Comments and
Compliments Policy which ensures
comments/concerns are investigated and
services are improved.
If you wish to raise a concern about one of
our services then please let us know, and
we will try to deal with the problem straight
away. All details should be passed to the
Facilities Helpdesk via telephone on
0191 515 3366 or email
[email protected]
If, after the initial response you are still
unhappy or if you wish to make a formal
complaint you can complete our online form
which can be found on the following
website address: http://www.sunderland.
ac.uk/facilities/customerserviceinformation
Once your complaint has been received you
will receive an acknowledgement letter/
email within two working days. Your
complaint will then be fully investigated by
27
Conduct
us and you will receive a full response
within 10 working days.
If you remain unhappy with the outcome
you may pursue your complaint in one of
the followingways: Students should follow
the Student Complaint Procedure
http://services.sunderland.ac.uk/academicservices/
We hope that you find your accommodation
to be a good environment for both study
and leisure. In making a choice to live here
you must understand that you are part of a
community, and as such must observe any
regulations that have been agreed to make
living there a pleasant experience for
everyone.
There is a standard of conduct expected in
all university accommodation.
The purpose of this is to:
•T
heft or any criminal or serious offence
on University premises
•D
amage to, or wrongful treatment of,
the property of the University or any of
its staff, students or visitors
•A
ny action likely to cause injury to any
person or impairing the safety of the
premises or its occupants
•N
egligence which causes loss, damage,
injury or puts others at risk
•U
se of dangerous and/or unauthorised
equipment
Staff and Visitors may write to the
Residential Services Manager within five
working days.
•E
nable all students to enjoy living in the
accommodation
• Use of illegal substances
• Nuisance behaviour
Anti-social behaviour conduct and noise
disturbance
•E
nsure that the health and safety of all
residents is protected
•E
nsure the smooth running of a large
community
Students are expected to conduct
themselves generally in a manner which
does not cause risk, distress or fear to
others or damage the University’s
reputation, and which is in keeping with the
principles of all members of the University
community acting with dignity and respect.
The University is a vital part of the local
community, and our expectations also
extend to the way in which our students live
in that community and conduct themselves
in relation to others there. Because of this,
the University does reserve the right to take
action – including formal disciplinary action
– in respect of any misconduct wherever it
may have taken place, when it is considered
necessary to protect the safety, interests or
reputation of the University, its staff, or
students.
• Protect University property
•E
nsure that local residents are not
disturbed or inconvenienced
Misconduct
Some types of behaviour are unacceptable
to the University. Misconduct is treated very
seriously and may result in the University’s
disciplinary procedure being invoked and/or
your exclusion from University
accommodation. Serious or repeated acts of
misconduct could result in suspension and/
or exclusion from the University. If the law
has been broken the police will be informed.
The following list, which is not conclusive,
gives examples of unacceptable behaviour:
•T
he misuse or removal of safety
equipment, particularly fire
extinguishers and fire alarms, and the
removal or defacing of safety notices
• Possession or use of offensive weapons
• Misuse of social networking sites
Accommodation staff have a right to be
treated politely and with respect at all
times. Violence, aggressive or abusive
behaviour towards residents, visitors or
university staff will be reported to the
Campus police and will be the subject of
university disciplinary procedures.
Your conduct could also impact upon later
application to live in university
accommodation.
Dangerous and offensive weapons
The University has a zero tolerance attitude
to any type of weapon or implement that
the University finds offensive which is
stored in University buildings and this
includes university accommodation.
Weapons include anything that can be
deemed as harmful to an individual, this
includes replica weapons.
• In keeping with University policies:
sexual, racial, physical or other
harassment or behaviour that causes
fear or distress to others, including
threatening or abusive or disorderly,
irregular or unreasonable behaviour (i.e.
propaganda)
28
Firearms (including replicas, imitations and
models)
remember to consider the effect your actions
may have on any neighbours living within
your community.
• In more serious cases to enable the
University to move students to a new
location
Deactivated Firearms
Social networking sites
Swords/knives (including replicas)
Such as Facebook and Twitter: You are
asked to remember the public nature of
such an environment and anything you may
choose to write there, in particular indecent,
defamatory or not in keeping with the
University Dignity and Respect policies,
could be used as evidence within the
disciplinary policy.
• In very serious cases to enable the
University to remove students from the
accommodation or the University for the
safety or well-being of other residents
Dangerous and offensive weapons includes;
Air Guns/BB Guns (including replica)
Crossbows/Spear Guns
Anything capable of discharging any shot,
bullet or other missile or electric charge
including explosives and fireworks.
Any weapon found in accommodation will
be reported immediately to the necessary
security individuals, this can include the
police. In cases where disciplinary action is
necessary the action could result in you
being excluded from University
accommodation, irrespective of any action
the University or the police may wish to
take.
Drugs and illegal substances
Illegal substances (including cannabis) are
not allowed in residences. The possession
and/or supply of certain drugs (Class A, B,
and C) is a criminal offence and the
University strictly upholds its legal
obligations to prevent such activities taking
place on its premises. Hall Managers and
Assistant Hall Managers will exercise their
jurisdiction to confiscate any illegal or
suspicious substances if found on-site. In
cases where deemed necessary the police
will be called.
Drug possession or bad behaviour caused
by taking drugs or the involvement in a
criminal activity constitutes a University
disciplinary offence and grounds for
terminating a Student Accommodation
Agreement.
Nuisance behaviour
Residents must not engage in any behaviour
constituting to a nuisance or annoyance to
any other resident/s or interfere with the
quiet and comfort of other resident/s or
users of neighbouring property. Please
29
University accommodation
disciplinary procedure
Following the outcomes of a full
investigation you may receive a verbal or
written warning if your conduct is
considered to be unacceptable. In more
serious cases the University disciplinary
procedure may be invoked. If an allegation
of misconduct is made against you, which is
likely to lead to disciplinary action, you will
be referred to the University procedure on
the accommodation website or we can
arrange to send full written details of the
procedure.
If the misconduct is considered to be
serious enough you could have disciplinary
action taken against you without ever having
received a verbal or written warning. This
would obviously depend on the seriousness
of the misconduct.
The aim of the disciplinary procedure is to
ensure that:
•A
ll students are aware of what
constitutes unacceptable behaviour so
that it can be avoided in the future
•T
o charge for damage or a breach in
safety regulations to ensure that all
students behave responsibly (caution
fee)
Failure to attend a disciplinary or
investigatory meeting, interview or hearing
without reasonable notice may result in
your case being elevated to the next level
of the disciplinary procedure.
Whilst living in a University accommodation
you are bound by the terms and conditions
in this Code of Practice. If you feel that staff
have not acted fairly, or have not acted in
accordance with the procedures detailed in
this booklet, you should raise any concerns
with the Accommodation Manager or the
Students’ Union both of whom are able to
offer you impartial advice and support.
Caution fees
The University will issue a caution fee
where they feel a resident is putting their
own or others health and well-being at risk
due to their actions.
In most cases residents will receive a
‘warning’ before they receive a caution fee,
however, there are some actions that will
receive an immediate caution fee and in
some cases disciplinary action. Actions
where warnings will be issued include non
removal of refuse or excessive noise. Actions
where immediate caution fees will be issued
include, not evacuating during a fire alarm,
smoking within accommodation, having
items stored in your bedroom or flat which
may cause a health and safety risk such as
petrol or other flammable materials,
blocking fire doors or propping open fire
doors.
Please note – these lists are not exhaustive
and warnings and caution fees may be
issued by a Hall Manager as deemed
appropriate.
A full list of prices relating to damage can
be found in the “Information for Living In”
booklet located on your flat noticeboard and
in your Accommodation reception.
Damage charges
You are responsible for the fixtures and
fittings in your room and communal areas
within your flat. The University will charge
residents for vandalism and damage caused
to university property in halls during the
year, however, we know that accidents
happen and you may not be charged if we
feel that something has been damaged
accidentally. Please tell us about any
damage so that we can repair it and
investigate the cause as soon as possible.
The University operates this policy to
maintain the high standards of the
accommodation, ensuring future students
can enjoy the benefits of good quality
accommodation too. Items which need
replacing as a result of fair wear and tear
will not be charged to residents, however all
damage even if it is accidental will be
charged. In addition to this we will charge
for any additional work that is carried out by
staff should the cleanliness of your flat not
be acceptable.
Often fixtures and fittings used in the
University Accommodation are
manufactured to a different specification
than those you would find in at home,
therefore the costs for replacement may be
significantly higher.
How are damage charges issued?
•O
nce damage is identified a Hall
Manager will conduct an investigation
into how the damage was caused and if
possible find who is responsible. If it is
applicable a ‘7 Day Notification of
Invoice’ form will be raised and issued
to the resident/s involved in the damage
•W
here an individual/s cannot be
identified then the cost will be shared
amongst all of the residents within the
immediate area
30
•Y
ou are responsible for any guests you
invite into University Accommodation. If
they damage university property while
they are here you will be liable for the
costs
•T
he residents have 7 days to respond to
the notification. After this time a request
for payment will be raised for the full
cost of the damage. You are advised to
use this time to raise your concerns or
provide more information. Do not ignore
the 7 Day Notification as charges do
result from these forms (if no
explanation is provided)
Damage charges
These are not caution fee’s, but charges
that the University has incurred as a result
of either accidental damage or malicious
damage charged back to the resident. In
the case of accidental damage the cost will
be passed to the student (s) involved. In
the case of malicious damage there will
also be disciplinary proceedings. Students
wishing to query charges should use the
appeals procedure. All appeals must be
lodged within 7 working days of the
notification of damage.
Payment for damage charges should be
made via the online store unless advised
otherwise.
In summary
What you need to do
Read this Living In code, “it forms part
of your legally binding contract” and
helps the smooth running of the
accommodation community and for
your enjoyment of university life.
Complete your online ‘start induction’.
Complete the inventory (individual and
communal) when you first move in and
return as soon as possible
Familiarise yourself with university staff
and the support networks available as
they are there to help you.
Always evacuate if the fire alarm
sounds.
Pay your rent on time.
Report repairs, faults and problems as
soon as possible.
Report all accidents or suspicious
incidents to staff at reception or to the
Campus Police Officer 3999.
Serious incidents should be reported to
the Police (1999 from your
accommodation – (999 when calling
from outside the University).
Want to be kept up-to-date? Keep an
eye on the general and laundry notice
boards, reception touch screens and
university accommodation website and
we will email you.
Use the Accommodation Office
Facebook and twitter social networking
pages.
Please don’t!
Smoke as it is not permitted in any
area within accommodation. There are
designated external smoking points
externally on campus
Put yourself or others at risk: use the
transport available.
Leave doors and windows open when
rooms are not occupied.
Let anyone else borrow your keys or
access card. If you lose your key/card,
report it immediately.
Breach the Health and Safety rules as
you may be issued a caution fee.
Be a nuisance to others, respect their
needs; in particular don’t create noise
pollution and keep noise levels down.
Keep an untidy flat: set up a cleaning
rota with your flatmates and ensure
you remove rubbish on a daily basis.
Deep fat fry or use chip pans.
Leave your food unattended when
cooking (grill pan fires are the most
common incidents in accommodation).
Use candles or items with naked
flames.
Damage university property, fixtures or
fittings, as you will be asked to pay.
Keep pets (except in circumstances of
disability).
Forget to return your keys/card/fob on
departure.
Use the recycling facilities provided
and use your energy wisely.
Notify us of email and mobile number
changes or you can update your own
records using the Accommodation
online booking system.
31
32
The Gateway
University of Sunderland
City Campus
Chester Road
Sunderland
SR1 3SD
Tel: 0191 515 2943
Fax: 0191 515 2902
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.sunderland.ac.uk/residentialservices

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