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Home > Student Centre > Housing > Halls of Residence > Your Questions Answered

Your Questions Answered

Answers to some frequently asked questions about University Halls of Residence

First year undergraduates living outside the boundary of the Greater London area who apply to the Student Centre for accommodation before the 15th May are guaranteed a place in Halls, provided they have firmly accepted a conditional or unconditional offer of a place on a full-time course, and provided they are aged 18 years or above at the time of taking up residence in the Hall.  Students on the Diploma in Nursing Studies Programme can apply for a place in Hall but are not included within the Guarantee Scheme.

Returning undergraduates should apply before 31st March for the following academic year. Results will be notified as soon as possible after this date. The University does not operate a guarantee scheme for returning students and places are limited.  Students with disciplinary warnings from previous stay in hall accommodation are not usually considered for accommodation.

Postgraduates are advised to apply as early as possible as demand is high. The University does not operate a guarantee scheme for postgraduate students, but priority is given to postgraduate students who are just starting their courses, and who are coming to the UK for the first time.

Please note that all offers are sent via email, if you are successful we will notify you, using the email address that you supply on your accommodation application, as follows:

First year undergraduates who have a conditional offer of a place on a course at the University can expect to hear from us once the 'A' level results are released in the UK in August.   We must wait until this time to confirm that you have met the conditions of the offer that the University has made to you.  If you are holding an unconditional offer you can expect to hear from us before this - usually in June or July.

Final year undergraduates can expect to hear if they have been successful in obtaining a Hall place by the end of May.

We will contact postgraduates students between June and September regarding their accommodation applications.

Q. Can I choose which Hall I want to live in?
If you have a preference for a particular Hall, you can write this onto the bottom of your accommodation application form so that we are aware of your request.   When we come to allocate the rooms, if we can give you your preferred choice of Hall, then we will.   However, please be aware that we cannot guarantee to be able to meet your request and you are advised to put more than one preference down on the form, in choice order.

There is no accommodation for couples or families at City University.  If you are married or have children you are advised to come to London on your own initially until you have found somewhere suitable for you and your family to live.  Housing staff at the Student Centre will be happy to advise you should you require assistance and, if you require somewhere to stay whilst house hunting, temporary accommodation may be available for individuals in Halls during the summer vacation period, subject to room availability.

 

Heating, lighting and all utilities costs for your room or flat are included in your Hall fee. The launderettes are coin operated.  Telephone call costs are not included in the Hall fee, although there is no additional charge for the extension itself.   Pre-paid telephone cards can be purchased from the Hall receptions to enable you to make outgoing calls from the telephone in your study bedroom.  Bedding is not provided; you have the option of either providing your own bedding or purchasing a bedding pack from the Hall, which contains a single duvet, a pillow and a set of single bed linen.
 
The average floor space for a single study bedroom is approximately 12 meters square.
 
Residents will need to bring bath towels, tea towels, cutlery, crockery, pans and kitchen utensils. Bed linen is not supplied in any of the Halls of Residence although in Finsbury Residences, Willen House and Alliance House you can purchase a bedding pack from the Hall Reception upon arrival which contains a single duvet, one pillow, a single bed sheet, duvet cover and a pillow case.

You may bring your own television with you if you wish, but please be advised that aerial signal reception in Central London is not always consistent, and in some Halls of Residence reception can be quite poor at times.

There are no car parking facilities at the University or at any of the Halls of Residence. You are advised not to bring a car unless it is absolutely necessary. The local authority administers an on-street parking scheme; applications for a permit should be made directly to:

 All of the Halls of Residence have designated bicycle storage facilities, which are provided free of charge.
 
Yes, although certain restrictions may apply in relation to the number of nights allowed per week, and procedures for signing guests in and out of the Hall.  In some residences overnight guests are not permitted during the University's annual shutdown period at Christmas and New Year.
 
Residents are responsible for the cleaning of their own room or flat.  Vacuum cleaners are supplied in each of the residences, but residents will need to purchase their own cleaning products.  If special cleaning is required or requested the appropriate charge will be levied.   Hall management staff inspect the accommodation on a regular basis to ensure an acceptable standard of cleanliness is being maintained. Communal areas of all Halls are cleaned on a regular basis by housekeeping staff.
 

If you watch TV in your room or communal area, you will need to purchase a TV Licence, which currently costs £142.50 for colour and £48.00 for black and white .  This is irrespective of what channel you're watching, what device you are using (TV, computer, laptop, mobile phone or any other), and how you receive the programmes (terrestrial, satellite, cable, via the internet or any other way).  If you don't have a Licence you risk prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000.
 
To check the licensing requirements, contact TV Licensing on 0844 800 6734 or visit 
 http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/information/students.jsp

 

If students state a preference for a particular Hall on their application form then every effort is made to allocate their preferred accommodation.  If you have a request regarding single sex accommodation you must specify this at the time of making your application to us.   If you have a disability, or a medical condition that you need us to take into consideration when allocating a room to you, you must provide us with full information at the time of applying for accommodation.   In general, rooms in flats are allocated to a mixture of different nationalities of male and female students.
 
 
The keys for your room or flat are available from 12.00noon on the date of your arrival at the relevant Hall reception. Hall visits prior to the academic year may be possible by direct arrangement, in advance, with the Hall concerned, but this would be at the Hall Manager's discretion. 

If you live within the Greater London area you may still apply for a Hall place but you will not have priority.   We will only consider your application once all applicants from outside of Greater London have been accommodated.  London students will be placed on a waiting list for a Hall vacancy, but can usually expect to wait until December/January before a place comes available.

As there are limited spaces in City University Halls we cannot guarantee that returning students will be offered accommodation.   2nd year students are usually expected to find their own accommodation in London, however you may still apply as a 2nd year and we will hold your application on a waiting list for a vacancy.   We are only able to consider 2nd year returning undergraduates once we have accommodated all final year students who have applied for accommodation with us.

Q. What should I do if I have a medical condition or a disability?
If you have a medical condition or a disability you should state this on your accommodation application form then send supporting documents with your accommodation application. You may also be requested to register and discuss your condition further with our Learning Success Team, who will then advise us whether your condition requires us to make any reasonable adjustments  whilst you are residing in our Halls.

The Licence or contract period for all the Halls is inclusive of the Christmas and Easter holidays. It may be possible to book additional nights' stay during the summer vacation, or outside the designated contract period, directly with the Hall reception, but this is subject to availability.

If you decide to terminate your contract early, you will remain financially liable for the Hall fees until a replacement student is found to take over the remaining contract period from you.   Only if you withdraw from your course and leave the University completely would you then cease to be financially liable for the room in Finsbury and Heyworth Hall and Peartree Court, however please refer to the accommodation provider's own cancellation policy for Liberty Hall, Liberty Court, Alliance House and Willen House.  You could be liable for the room until a replacement is found.

 

You can only change your room or Hall under exceptional circumstances.   We would strongly recommend that you read all the terms and conditions of your offer and view the virtual tours of the rooms and Halls on our website before accepting an offer of accommodation from us, as a request for room or Halls change may not be possible once you have signed your contract.
Please also be aware that you may be charged an administration fee for moving rooms or for changing to a different Hall of Residence.

If you are having problems with your room, or with people occupying rooms close to you in the Hall your first point of contact should always be the management team within the residence.   They will do their utmost to resolve any problems that you are experiencing and if they deem it necessary they may allow you to move rooms.  If in the event you are still unhappy with the situation, then please contact the Student Centre for further advice.

For students who have recently left Halls

Q. Once I have left Halls how long will it take to get a refund of my deposit?
If you resided in Finsbury Halls, Heyworth Halls, or Peartree Court, then once you have left the residence it will normally take up to 28 days to refund your deposit to you.   This is dependant upon your having provided your full bank details to the Hall Manager before you departed.   Delays may occur where bank details have not been supplied, or incorrect information has been given.   Please refer to your "Standard Terms of Residence" document for the conditions of the refund.

If you resided in Liberty Court, Liberty Hall, Alliance House or Willen House then alternative arrangements may apply.   You should refer to the housing providers' terms and conditions for further information.

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