Student Damage Policy - University-Owned Accommodation
Please note, we are not yet accepting accommodation applications for 2024-25. We'll contact you when the portal opens.
Purpose Statement
To promote consistent and fair practice when dealing with damage attributed to residents or their guests.
Applicability and Scope
All residents and visitors who have a contract, or booking for, University-owned Accommodation.
What do we mean by ‘damage’?
Any loss or breakages, including accidental damage, up to a maximum of £5,000*,this excludes damage caused by the University, its employees or agents and allowing for fair wear and tear.
Your responsibilities
On arrival, you will be sent, by email, an inventory listing fixtures and fittings of any area that you have a contractual responsibility for. You should check your inventory carefully noting any damaged or missing items before returning it to Reception within seven days. Where a room swap has taken place, the inventory should be returned within 48 hours of receiving your room keys.cIf you do not tell us about any problems, we cannot rectify them and you may not be able to prove at the end of your tenancy that you are not responsible for any damage.
Where a discrepancy is reported, we will arrange appropriate repairs/replacement, or the discrepancy will be noted, so that a charge is not raised during or at the end of your contract.
Reporting damages
We will inspect your bedroom and communal areas in line with your accommodation cleaning Service Level Agreement and when your bedroom or flat is vacated and keys returned to reception at the end of your contract. We will notify you, by email, if any damages have been identified. You will have seven days from receipt of the email to contact us to discuss the damages, any costs and next steps.
At the end of your contract year, due to the high volume of inspections we need to undertake, it may take up to six weeks before we are able to notify you of any damage charges.
You can report damages to your Village reception in person, via email, telephone or the online Repair Request web form. Full details can be found at Reporting a Fault.
You are responsible for any damage caused by you, or your guests, in your bedroom. You are also responsible for any damage carried out within your bedroom if you leave your bedroom unlocked, or give your key to another person.
In cases of accidental damage by you or your visitor(s) where there is no gross negligence, your liability will be capped at £5,000. This limit on liability does not apply in cases of damage caused deliberately or by gross negligence.
Where damage occurs in a communal area where an individual claims personal responsibility or is found to be responsible following investigation we will charge you for the full cost of damage caused up to a maximum of £5,000*.
A depreciation cost, equivalent to 10%, is applied to the replacement cost of all carpets and soft furnishings which are over one year old, up to a maximum of 10 years (100%).
Where a carpet or soft furnishing is more than 10 years old, you will only be charged for the labour element of the replacement. Where a repair can be carried out, you will be charged the full cost of the repair.
It is important to be aware that all fixtures, fittings and soft furnishings are manufactured to a higher specification than those found in a domestic environment hence the higher cost of replacement. A guideline of standard charges is provided in Appendix 1 of this document.
Damages - Replacement Costs
Kitchen & Communal Area |
|
Item |
Average cost |
Microwave Kettle Toaster Fridge/freezer Under-counter fridge/freezer American fridge freezer Tub chair Breakfast bar stool re-cover/replace Dining table — replacement Dining chair Cupboard door Ironing board Worktop – replacement Table top (Walnut) replacement En suite door TV unit (Walnut) 2 seat sofa repair/replace Skara swivel chair recover/replace Cube seat recover/replace Cube chair recover/replace Coffee table Hob/oven/cooker/combination microwave Poly prop chair Modular corner seating unit Laptop table Freestanding Cooker |
£65.00 £8.00 - £17.00 £30.00 £269.00 - £330.00 £130.00 - £155.00 £500 - £600.00 £245.00 £52.00/£140.00 £150.00 - £230.00 £55.00 - £86.00 £55.00 £15.00 £90.00 – £600.00 £45.00 £100.00 £95.00 £258.00/ £560.00 £177.00/ £268.00 £54.00/ £79.95 £86.00/ £168.75 £60.00 - £140 £349 - £465 £38.00 £1000.00 £120.00 £220.00 |
Bedroom Area |
|
Item |
Charge cost |
Desk chair – recover/ replace Easy chair – recover/ replace Office style chair – recover/ replace Easy chair – recover Bed – Single/ Double/ 7’ Mattress – Single / 4’ / Double Shower curtain – replacement
|
£30.00/ £89.00 £47.00/ £159.00 £37.00/ £65.00 £47.00/ £55.00 £148.00/ £248.00/ £102.40 £62.00/ £95.00/ £103.00 £8.00 |
Miscellaneous Items |
|
Item | Charge cost |
Carpet – patch repair, per patch Carpet - replace Sofa repair/ replace TV Window - glass repair Window - film replacement, per pane Redecoration Vacuum cleaner Calder Divan Zip Beds per pair Washing machine Bean Bag |
£40.00 - £100.00 £250.00 - £500.00 minimum £57.00 - £990.00 £150.00 - £350.00 £30.00 - £80.00 minimum £7.00 £90.00 - £300.00 £100.00 £244.00 £179.00 - £195.00 £60-£70 |
These damages costs do not include VAT or administration charges, and do not take into account depreciation.
Repairs
All property repairs will be undertaken by the University’s Estates & Facilities Team or an approved contractor. You are not allowed, and should not attempt, to carry out repairs. Replacement furniture and fixtures will be purchased through University approved contractors.
Appeal procedure
If you wish to appeal against a damage charge, you must do so within 28 days of receipt of an invoice being raised. This must be in writing and addressed to the Assistant Residences Manager at your accommodation and should specify the grounds for appeal which may only be one or more of the following:
• procedural irregularity
• bias or prejudice
• excessive or inappropriate charge
The appeal will be considered initially by the Assistant Residences Manager who will decide whether there is a case. If there is a case for appeal, this will be considered by a Disciplinary Panel, consisting of the Operations Manager and a University Manager from outside of Accommodation Services, who will confirm, amend or dismiss the original charge. Where the appeal has been dismissed, there shall be no further appeal within the University