Accommodation Handbook Section 11 - Licensor and Licensee Relationship
Index to section 11:
11.3 Application and allocation
11.7 Termination/Cancelation of Contracts
11.1 Contractual relationship
The relationship between the licensor (Christ's College) and the licensee (student) is detailed in the student Licence to Occupy (see below). Student accommodation is managed by the Domestic Supervisor, whose Office is is located in the Todd Building (Z). The Domestic Supervisor and the Bursary can provide detailed information on the allocation and payment for this accommodation. In broad terms, this accommodation is operated as follows.
11.2 Licence to Occupy
Every student living in College accommodation will be provided with a Licence to Occupy: See Appendix 6 (Undergraduates) or Appendix 7 (Graduates). In addition to defining the period of the licence and cost of the accommodation, this also details the basic rules for living in such accommodation. Note that, while every effort will be made to leave students in a specific room during each period of residence, it may be necessary to move the student to alternate accommodation for maintenance or tutorial reasons, and sometimes for the benefit of the College community as a whole.
11.3 Application and allocation
The numbers of rooms available to each class of student (undergraduate or postgraduate, fresher or ongoing) is decided between the Tutorial and Admissions Office (numbers anticipated and any specific requirements such as disability), the Bursar or Director of College Services (for building and maintenance details, and future College requirements) and the Domestic Supervisor. All students are supplied with an application form, which must be returned promptly to the Domestic Supervisor, who can then allocate rooms to freshers (both undergraduate and postgraduate). Allocation of the remaining rooms is by means of ballot, held in the Lent Term. The ballot is administered by the Domestic Supervisor under the direction of the senior Tutor.
11.4 Charges for accommodation
Accommodation charges are reviewed by the College, in consultation with JCR and MCR representatives, quinquennially and set for the five years following the review. The final ratification of these charges is made by the College Council and is confirmed by the Governing Body
11.5 Collection of charges
Students are charged for their accommodation rent on a termly basis in advance. Any charges for damages will be added to the bill for the current term, except, in exceptional cases, where the student may be required to settle such bills immediately.
11.6 Damage deposits
There is no accommodation specific deposit, but all students are required to pay a general College deposit (caution money), which may be used for a variety of purposes, including paynig for damages to accommodation.
11.7 Termination/Cancellation of Licences
All licensees are required to give three months notice of termination. Since undergraduate terms are only nine weeks long, this is normally accepted as the balance of the current Term. The College will also give due notice, as detailed in the licence.
11.8 Complaints
If a student has any complaints about the delivery of services in relation to accommodation, this should be raised with the Domestic Supervisor or Director of College Services in the first instance. Complaints will be investigated and any problems identified during the investigation will be resolved. If the student disagrees with the findings of the investigation, they may appeal to a Board composed of two Fellows and a Junior Member (usually the JCR or MCR President). A final appeal may be referred to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator in accordance with the ANUK Code of Practice for the management of student accommodation (see here).
11.9 Inventories
These will be provided at the start of residency, usually the beginning of the Michaelmas Term (see Section 1).
11.10 Access to Rooms
The College will require access to study bedrooms for cleaning, maintenance and inspection purposes. Notice periods for this access are defined under the appropriate sections of this document. The College reserves the right to enter any room at no notice in cases of emergency.
11.11 Defect Reporting
Defects may be reported on line, using the fault reporting system on the College Intranet or by informing their Bedder.
11.12 Non-residents/guests
All accommodation is specific to the student mentioned in the Residential agreement. Occasional guests may stay overnight (up to a limit of two nights). College guest rooms are also available and can be booked through the Steward's Office, who will also be able to advise on the current charges for guest rooms. For Fire Safety reasons, it is essential that the College is aware of who is resident at any time and the presence of guests must be notified to the Porters Lodge.
11.13 Insurance Liabilities
The College's insurance does not cover the personal possessions of students in College accommodation.
The College has negotiated a basic personal posessions and accidental damage policy with NW Brown Insurance Brokers Limited, at preferential rates. The policy provides cover for 9 weeks from the start of each term, and and also covers personal posessions left in College accommodation over the Christmas and Easter vacations.
Information on the levels of cover provided by the basic policy can be found HERE. Students may increase their levels of cover by visiting the NW Brown website. Any claims made on this poicy are made direct to NW Brown, NOT to the College.
