Living in Halls 2020/21
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LIVING IN HALLS 2020/21 1 Welcome STUDENT ACCOMMODATION Contents Congratulations on CODE being offered a place Universities UK (UUK) is the Your contract 01 to live in our halls of representative body for the executive Before you arrive 04 residence. heads of UK universities and is Rules and regulations 06 recognised as the umbrella group for Living in halls 12 the university sector. One of its principal This booklet covers all the information aims is to spread good practice Contact details 20 you will need to know about our halls, throughout the higher education sector. Other information 21 from the contract you accept to general advice on your stay. The Student Accommodation Code covers a broad range of issues It is important you read this booklet as relating to the management and it includes information on your safety quality of higher education residential and the safety of your fellow residents. accommodation, including health When you agree to your contract you and safety, maintenance and repair, are confirming that you have read this and the legal relationship between booklet. accommodation managers and student tenants. By following the standards and This booklet provides information about good practice guide contained within what you need to know before you the code, universities can ensure that accept an offer of accommodation from their students understand the standards the university, and what you need to applied to their accommodation, the know once you have moved into halls. university’s responsibilities and the better homes for Please read the information carefully students’ obligations as tenants. students as you will need to understand the nature of the contract you have with the The Student Accommodation Code university. was approved by Parliament in April 2006 and the University of Brighton This booklet also includes is one of many national universities COVID-19 information on what to bring to your that has registered its residential accommodation, including areas of accommodation as complying with the code’s standards, subject to annual The measures we are taking are consideration such as cars and parking. audits. referenced in your contract (2.1– The remaining section details aspects 2.6.6). of living in your accommodation such as welfare, health and safety and other If you would like to find out more about the code, visit We will notify you in your arrival services available to you. If you have www.thesac.org.uk. instructions of expected procedures any queries about any aspect of this and behaviours to ensure the safety information, please contact the relevant of all residents and staff working in accommodation service, either at our residences. Brighton or Eastbourne (details on page 20). The Circus Street Halls, Kaplan Living Brighton, are registered under the ANUK Code, www.nationalcode.org. Your contract A LEGAL RELATIONSHIP YOUR CONTRACT WHEN DOES THE ACCOMMODATION When you accept your place in halls The accommodation contract creates CONTRACT BECOME of residence, you agree to abide by a contractual relationship between you BINDING? the standard terms and conditions and the university and the obligations in of residence which form the legal the agreement are legally enforceable. This varies depending on whether you contract you have with the university. The agreement operates within a have accepted your accommodation This document is referred to as your framework of housing law, landlord online or signed a paper contract. accommodation contract. All student and tenant law and consumer law, all of tenants are required to enter into which place obligations on both you and If you apply online, the agreement an accommodation contract with the university. between the university and the student the university before they take up becomes binding when the student has: occupation. The university’s accommodation a) ticked the box on the university’s contract is a detailed document accommodation application website It is important that you read this guide that explains both the student’s and confirming that they have had the and the accommodation contract before university’s obligations so that it is clear opportunity to read the terms and accepting your offer of accommodation. and fair to both parties. The agreement conditions, and that they agree to is formed of six sections: them; and Students in halls of residence are • general obligations b) clicked the accept button on allocated a single study bedroom (clauses 1.01–1.6) the university’s accommodation (often within a flat) in a named hall of • coronavirus measures application website confirming that residence. The accommodation contract (clauses 2.1–2.6.6) they accept the university’s offer of is a single tenancy and contains rights • student’s obligations accommodation on the terms stated for students to use the shared parts (clauses 3.1–3.15.5) in the offer; and of the flat/unit in the hall of residence • university’s obligations c) paid the first instalment of rent as for a fixed period of time, 39, 40 or 50 (clauses 4.1–4.7) stated in the offer. weeks. This information is found on • other conditions the front page of your contract. Due to (clauses 5.1–5.17) If you have signed a paper contract, service needs, it is not possible to offer • termination of your contract the agreement between the university extensions to hall contracts. (6.1–6.14) and the student becomes binding • consumer protection and privacy when it has been signed by the student If you need accommodation beyond (clauses 7.1–7.10) and counter-signed and dated by the the end date of your contract, please university. contact the accommodation service International students should be aware at least 2 months before your contract that this agreement is made under terminates. It is not possible to extend English law, which may be different your contract but we may have a room to the law applicable in their own available in a flat with a longer tenancy countries. or in Homestay accommodation. The accommodation contract is You can view the terms and conditions an exempt student tenancy under of your contract on our website paragraph 8 of Schedule 1 of the https://accommodation.brighton.ac.uk Housing Act 1988. This agreement expires on the stated end date without separate notice being required (or can be terminated earlier under clauses 6.3 or 6.4 of the agreement) and the student has no contractual right to remain in the room after that date. 1 THE UNIVERSITY AS YOUR If you think you may have a problem CHARGES FOR DAMAGE LANDLORD paying your rent please speak to someone in the income office (01273 The university does not require a The university aims to be a responsible 642592) as soon as possible so that you damage deposit when you move into landlord providing safe, affordable can be advised of the best course of halls of residence. accommodation to its students. action to take. You can also contact the However, it is essential that the Student Advice Service (page 24) for The university will invoice for the cost university is able to apply to the courts advice on loans or grants for which you of putting right any damage caused. to seek legal redress, such as an eviction may be eligible. Where damage is caused anonymously order, when students behave in a way in a shared communal area the which is dangerous or disruptive to The university also has a dedicated university is entitled to charge each others, or when they fail to pay their rent Accommodation Income Officer whose student for a proportion of the costs. or cause damage. role is to help students manage their accommodation payments (email Where accommodation has to be The university also reserves the right [email protected]). cleaned or decorated before it is fit to move a student to alternative to be relet, we will charge the cost of university accommodation, but only It is extremely important that you do not cleaning, decorating and repair to the where it is reasonable to do so. This ignore reminders about rent arrears on outgoing tenant. may be in circumstances where, for your account. The university is entitled example, there has been a fire, or to terminate your accommodation Items which need replacing as a result where a student or group of students is contract if payment is overdue by of reasonable wear and tear and behaving disruptively. Unless the reason 28 days or more and will pursue the decoration which is necessary as part of for the relocation is the student’s own outstanding debt using debt collectors ongoing maintenance are not charged behaviour, the university will try to offer and the courts. It is in your best interest to students. accommodation of a similar standard. to seek help and advice at the earliest Where the new accommodation is less possible opportunity. Where a charge has been divided expensive, only the reduced rent is between a number of students, any payable. If the new accommodation is student who has grounds for objecting more expensive, rent will be charged at Example of rent payments to the charge (e.g. if they can show the old rate (see clause 6.12). If your rent for university they could not have been at the accommodation is £150 per week for a university at the time when the damage 39 week tenancy, it would be payable in occurred) may make representations RENT the following instalments: to the Senior Accommodation Manager (Accommodation Services) Students living in halls are legally 1. £300 within three days of the who will fairly and impartially obliged to pay rent to the university accommodation offer being made consider the statements made and throughout the period of their (equivalent to 14 days rent) the evidence presented.