Generally, you are responsible for keeping your room and communal spaces clean. Key information includes:

• A housekeeping team is responsible for cleaning communal areas outside your flat. This includes hallways, stairs, lifts and entrances

• Everyone in the block, house or flat is jointly responsible for cleaning communal areas such as kitchens, corridors and bathrooms

• Once a week, there is a housekeeping team who will visit your shared kitchens and communal bathrooms. You should not rely solely on this to keep your spaces clean

You can read the full expectations and details of the University for cleaning here - Living on Campus.

The University expects you to take care of your items and living spaces. If items are damaged and have to be repaired or replaced, the University will pass on these costs to you:

• Charges may include the cost of disposal, delivery and other associated costs with remedying the damage

• The University is in the process of creating a table of charges which outlines these costs

• The tables of charges are a general guide and actual charges may be more or less depending on the amount of labour (including administration and management time) and the materials required.

• You can read the Halls Code of Conduct & Information Policies linked above which details all the conditions and expectations for students living in halls.

You will be expected to pay your rent on time at key dates outlined in your tenancy agreement:

• You can find out when and how much to pay via your eVision portal in the My Money tab under Key Dates.

• If you find yourself in financial hardship and unable to make your payments, reach out to the Sales & Allocations team as soon as possible for guidance – email - bca@brunel.ac.uk

• Please note, if you are unable to make your payments by the due date, the University may apply a £50 charge for banking and administration which will be added to your Brunel account for each instalment of the accommodation fees not paid on or by the due date

Visit Student Support and Welfare team in the Student Centre if you are worried about your financial situation. You’re not the first person in this situation and you really don't need to struggle alone.

Student Living staff will conduct inspections to ensure you are adhering to your tenancy agreement. This covers residences, communal areas and bedroom inspections:

• Residences – Staff will check the cleanliness of your hall of residences and to monitor any maintenance, electrical safety, fire or health and safety issues.

• Communal - Staff will inspect the communal areas of your accommodation regularly throughout the term, including kitchens, hallways, and bathrooms.

• Bedrooms – Staff will inspect your bedroom, and en-suite if you have one, regularly throughout the term. A brief summary and the outcome of any inspection will be sent to your Brunel email account.

Failed Inspections

• If you fail an inspection, Student Living will usually arrange another one within 24 hours, and it will again be sent to your Brunel email.

• If you and/or your housemates fail a second time, health and safety rules mean we have to to resolve the situation. If any costs are incurred, you will be invoiced. Your room and/or flat will then be checked more frequently.

An Individual Tenancy is where each tenant has a separate agreement they alone have signed

Each tenant has the exclusive right to occupy their room, and the shared right of access to the common areas e.g. bathroom or kitchen.

Each tenant is individually responsible for paying the rent for their room.

The landlord has the right of access to the common areas without your consent, and the right to bring in tenants to replace tenants who move out.

A Joint Tenancy is where a single tenancy is granted to, and signed by, a group of people.

The whole of the house or flat is tenanted and the tenants, together, have the exclusive right to occupy all of the premises.

The liability for observing the terms of the housing contract and paying rent is ‘joint and several’, meaning everyone in the house is responsible.

If you have a 'resident' landlord you will not have an Assured Shorthold Tenancy - you will be either an 'unprotected tenant' or a 'licensee'.

To qualify as a resident your landlord must have lived in the same building as you continuously since the start of the tenancy and it must be your landlord's only or main home.

A tenancy may either:

• Last for a fixed number of weeks, months or years - a fixed-term tenancy.

• Run indefinitely from one rent period to the next - a periodic tenancy.

Check this with your landlord, as it will affect the notice you can or must give to end the tenancy.

Below is a handy list of a few things to bear in mind when it comes to your responsibility as a tenant. Always read your contract carefully as you will generally find a more detailed outline of responsibilities.

• Report any repairs and allow the landlord to access

• Repair or pay for any damage you have caused

• Keep the house clean and dispose of any rubbish

• If possible, keep the house well ventilated to avoid damp

• Pay your rent on time, and bills if they are not included in rent

• Test your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors! It is the tenant’s responsibility to make sure that they remain in working order so it’s a good idea to test them monthly and report it to your landlord otherwise.

Landlords/Agents have responsibilities to their tenants to ensure they meet their legal obligations, this is a list of private landlord's key responsibilities:

• ensuring the property is fit for human habitation and free from hazards

• not charging unfair fees for a tenancy and capping tenancy and holding deposits (Tenant Fees Act 2019)

• protecting tenancy deposits in a government-approved scheme

• providing tenants with an update copy of the How to rent: the checklist for renting in Englandguide

• keeping the property in a good state of repair

• carrying out gas safety checks every year and giving a copy of the certificate to the tenant(s) before the start of the tenancy.

• getting an energy performance certificate if required, and giving a copy to the tenant at the earliest opportunity (rented homes must meet the rating E or above)

• having the electrical installations in the property inspected and tested at least every 5 years

• installing smoke and carbon monoxide alarms as per the Electrical Safety Standards

• only renting to those with “right to rent” e.g., citizens, those with student visa, settled status, refugee/humanitarian protection and many more– find a full list here (section 22 Immigration Act 2014)

• Landlord and tenant rights and responsibilities in the private rented sector GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)providing tenants with correct contact details, including a telephone number for emergencies, name and UK address (Section 48 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987,)

Learn more about Private Landlord's Responsibilites