Sharing a room can be a great experience. But it helps to lay down some groundrules. That's why we've put in place the Code of Conduct for Sharers.
If you need help in negotiating with your roommate, speak to your local pastoral team in confidence. See: Contacts in halls of residence
Code of Conduct for Sharers
1. Use of room
- Sharers should respect each others’ belongings.
- Each sharer has the right to sleep without any disturbance from 11pm – 8am.
- Studying is viewed as taking priority over other activities from 9am – 11pm. Sharers must respect each other’s right to read and study free from disturbance or undue interference. Activities which might disturb study during this period are only permitted when agreed by both residents.
- Sharers are jointly responsible for keeping their room clean and tidy. Room access/security
- Each sharer has the right to free access to their room.
- Day guests are allowed only with the explicit permission of both sharers.
- Overnight guests are allowed only with the explicit permission of both sharers (and from hall Warden for stays longer than three nights).
- Each sharer must always feel free from intimidation, physical and/or emotional harm.
- Students may occasionally become ill while sharing a room. If your roommate falls ill, please ensure you are sensitive to their needs and continue to follow good hygiene practises such as washing your hands regularly. If your roommate tests positive for COVID-19, please ensure that you take a COVID-19 test immediately. In these circumstances, the hall reception team will investigate a room move for roommates who have not tested positive, however, often our halls are at full occupancy and we may not able to facilitate this.
- Roommates should be prepared to remain in the room if a room move is not available. This is in line with UK government policy which does not mandate self-isolation for household members of a positive case, but recommends frequent testing and full vaccination as mitigation measures.
- Requests for room moves will be considered by reception teams between 8am and 7:30pm. Requests received outside these hours will be considered when reception re-opens.
2. Disputes
- It is advised that residents attempt to resolve disputes between themselves in the first instance.
- Where sharers have been unable to overcome differences, they will be asked to sign up to a mediation process. All sharers will abide by the agreed recommendations (See below).
- Sharers understand that an opportunity to change rooms is unlikely after check-in.
- Where a sharer acts in contravention of this code, house rules or regulations, the Warden may use one or more of the disciplinary tools as laid down in the School or residence regulations.
Mediation process
- If serious issues arise between sharers which they cannot resolve between themselves, they should contact one of the residence Subwardens in the first instance. If necessary, a meeting with one or both sharers will be arranged.
- Where no resolution occurs after initial mediation, the Warden will arrange to speak to both sharers. At his/her discretion, he/she will prepare a list of action points to be agreed by both sharers.
- If either sharer fails to agree to the action points or fails to abide by them, the Warden may use such tools as are laid down within the residence regulations.
3. Departure of one sharer from room
- The remaining sharer is expected to refrain from extending their use of the space within the room, ie, spreading belongings to both wardrobes, desks or beds within the room.
- Rent for the full room will be incurred by those remaining sharer(s) who extend their use of the space within the room in this manner.
- The room will be shown to any new potential sharer(s) as directed by the Residential Services Office without notice to the remaining resident.
- Any new potential sharer(s) will always be accompanied by a member of the residence staff when viewing the room.