Every Monday, firstpoint publishes five points about a topic related to life at university. This week, information about accommodation, whether in halls or private housing…
POINT ONE: UNIVERSITY MANAGED ACCOMMODATION…
The Accommodation Team can give advice and information on all practical matters with regards to living on or off campus. This small and friendly team aims to help you enjoy your time at University by providing you with help on any queries you might have about your accommodation.
During term time, you can visit them at their “hub” on the St John’s Campus, located in the middle of the halls of residence village.
The Hub is open Monday – Friday, 8:30am – 7:00pm (with Accommodation staff available until 4:30pm and the Residential Life Team available until 7:00pm) and Saturday-Sunday 10:00am-6:00pm (staffed by the Residential Life Team).
You can also contact the Accommodation team by phoning 01905 855300 or emailing Accommodationteam@worc.ac.uk during normal office hours.
POINT TWO: PRIVATE HOUSING…
The University works closely with private landlords and Worcester City Council to ensure all student shared private residences are accredited and meet with current legislation. Sometimes you may have issues with your landlord or might have concerns about your accommodation. Our Accommodation team and the Academic and Welfare Advisers at the Students’ Union can offer you help and advice.
Please see the details above to contact the Accommodation Team, or use the Students’ Union online enquiry form to arrange a meeting with their Academic and Welfare Adviser.
The Students’ Union also has lots of advice on the SU webpage with useful information about private rented housing.
POINT THREE: REPORT BREAKAGES AND FAULTS…
If something is not working in your University owned or managed accommodation, we have a handy team of maintenance people who will come and fix it for you. You’ll need to log a Maintenance Request to inform them.
Go to your MyDay page, select the ‘Facilities Helpdesk’ icon and then select from the options available to describe the issue. The system should know where you live, all you need to do is tell us what type of problem you have. You can also use this system to report damage or breakages. Log a Maintenance Request on the portal and we will be able to organise a replacement for you.
We’ve all accidentally broken something in our time, so try not to worry, but please do make sure to report it as soon as possible!
The same goes for privately rented accommodation. Make sure you report any damages to your landlord or agent as soon as it happens! It can also be very helpful to keep a photographic record of what has happened, especially if it may get worse over time, such as damp or water damage.
POINT FOUR: COMMUNAL LIVING…
For some of you, moving away to University may be the first time you have had to live with new people and share your space. Communal living requires a certain standard of reasonable and responsible behaviour. If you need help navigating any issues that might arise, from sharing out the cleaning duties fairly to dealing with late night noise complaints, have a look at the Student Support and Wellbeing’s communal living webpages or contact us here at firstpoint.
Don’t forget that our Security Team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They can help with any late night issues like noise or parties. You can contact them on 01905 855000 or email security@worc.ac.uk and they will help resolve the situation.
POINT FIVE: DON’T RENT YET…
If you’re thinking about next year, don’t feel pressured to choose and commit to a house (or your housemates). There is plenty of time to look around, we have lots of housing stock in Worcester – and a lot may change in the next few months! Make sure you take your time and consider all your options first.
On the Students’ Union housing webpage, you can find a link and password for StudentPad, which will give you access to a whole range of accredited properties and landlords.
The Students’ Union Academic and Welfare Advisers also offer a contract checking service to help you understand exactly what you are committing to. This service is available all year round, but we’d recommend accessing this support before you sign. The team can help you understand your rights and responsibilities under the terms of the contract, including your options should you experience any issues throughout your tenancy, check to see if there are any unfair terms and advise regarding practical issues like inventories and guarantors.
To access this support, you can arrange an appointment with the team online here.
Don’t forget we’re here to guide you throughout your studies and so if you’re not too sure where to start or who to ask, come and ask at firstpoint.
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