COVID-19 SPECIAL TENANCY terms & conditions FOR 2021-22 ACADEMIC YEAR BOOKINGS

The usual cancellation terms and conditions apply for all requests that are not EXPLICITLY related to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) outbreak.

Our Cancellation and Leavers Policy and all cancellation related documents can be found here.

Travel Restrictions

1. All cancellation requests must be received in writing, with supporting evidence, no later than 14 days before your tenancy agreement start date.
2. Supporting evidence must be in the form of an official government email or statement.
3. Standard cancellation policy will apply for request received after the tenancy start date.
4. Any cashback or incentives will be cancelled along with your tenancy. You will not be entitled to any full or part payout of these offers.
5. If you have signed a joint tenancy agreement, your co-tenant must agree to the cancellation criteria. Where applicable, they must sign a new tenancy agreement within 7 days of your request to cancel yours, or you will both remain liable for the tenancy obligations.
6. Your deposit will be refunded and booking cancelled, providing your request and evidence is received within specified timescale. Any deposit due will be refunded

Unable to Travel due to COVID travel restrictions

Contact your site team as soon as possible, and prior to your check in date.

General advice to minimise risk associated with Covid-19:

• If you are displaying symptoms, you must self-isolate, let your onsite team know and we can offer additional support
• Wash hands regularly with soap and water for a minimum of 20 seconds
• Coughs and sneezes should be covered with a tissue and disposed of immediately (into your elbow if no tissue) followed by the washing of hands
• You must maintain social distancing when greeting others, this includes avoiding of shaking hands
• If you have symptoms of COVID-19 (cough and/or high temperature) you and your household should isolate at home: wearing a face covering does not change this

Further Guidance

How to make a face covering

Hand Washing

Using Hand Sanitiser

COVID Handbook

COVID Video – How we’re keeping you safe

1. Call the NHS for advice to qualify your symptoms and obtain a Covid 19 test kit if required
2. Follow all advice from the NHS and self-isolate if advised to do so
3. Follow all social distancing guidelines when using all shared spaces. Ensure the spaces are well ventilated and remember to use a face covering
4. If advised to self-isolate by the NHS, please call or email your on-site team at reception who will provide you with more support information from your support pack.
5. Follow all hygiene protocols at all times, outlined in your support information, Covid 19 handbook and on-site signage
6. After you have submitted your Covid 19 test for results, please call 119 for an update and inform your site team of the outcome to testing. If your test results are negative, you do not need to self-isolate!

Mental Health Support

We have a Mental Health Support Team who are here to support students with any mental health difficulties, provide information on specialist services available in your university or area.

Welfare

The onsite teams can help to support with more practical issues which may be impacting your studies.  This may be with other students, your accommodation, support to link you to the local health services and much more.   We are here for you, even if you just want a chat.

Stay Safe

We want you to feel safe in your new home and support you in being the best version of yourself.  Sometimes you may feel vulnerable and have concerns about how you have been treated verbally and physically by others.  We all have a responsibility to report inappropriate behaviour and we are committed to helping you stay safe.

NHS Services 

You may need to register or find NHS services while you are at University you can do this by following the links below:

• Registering for GP
• Finding an NHS Dentist

Non-Emergency information

Non-emergency medical information  https://111.nhs.uk/ or call 111

Non-Emergency Police information https://www.police.uk/forces/ or call 101

Student Minds – Mental Health Support

Abodus is committed to providing and maintaining a healthy and safe working environment for all its employees, students and any other people who may be affected by its activities.

Abodus Health & Safety Teams role is to assist the onsite teams implement the Health and Safety Policy and to provide expert advice.  Our Health & Safety Team have scientific and technical expertise provided by professionally qualified advisers.

The team works closely with our University partners, for Occupational Health, and with external agencies to ensure the support is available for all our students.

Fire Safety

Your time as a student should be among the happiest of your life, don’t let a fire change that.

Every year, 17-24-year olds are involved in accidental house fires.  It is common for fires to start in the kitchen. Almost half of accidental house fires are caused by cooking.

Smoke alarms save lives!  Smoke alarms are fitted throughout the building and within your flat.  The onsite teams test them weekly to ensure we maintain a high standard of fire safety.   Do not tamper or cover any equipment that has been provided for your safety.

Student fire safety tips

• Never leave cooking unattended. And keep the cooker clean – most fires in student properties are linked to cooking.
• Tins and foil cause fires in microwaves – so leave them out.
• Do not cook if you have been drinking alcohol – get a take-away instead.
• Take extra care when frying with oil as this is an extremely common cause of fire. If one does occur NEVER put water on it as it will turn into a fireball. View more cooking safety tips: https://youtu.be/Xjc3oum0deA
• Practice an escape route with your housemates, so that you know how to get out of the property if there is a fire. And make sure escape routes are kept clear.
• Do not smoke in your room or flat, every site has a designated smoking area outside of the building.
• Do not overload plug sockets, and switch off electrical appliances, like mobile chargers and hair straighteners, when not in use.

REMEMBER: If a fire starts get out, stay out and dial 999

We are now registered and approved by The British Safety Council in response to the Audits recently carried out on-site. This means our protocols and associated control arrangements were considered to be in accordance with current UK government and sector specific guidelines at the time of the review and arrangements for continual monitoring of their effectiveness were in place.

It is important to remember that a person aged 18 or over, is an adult in the eyes of the law. As such, their privacy is protected by data protection legislation. Our students provide us with information about themselves as part of becoming a new resident in the Abodus property portfolio.

Some of the details provided are fairly routine, whereas, depending on the reason for the provision of personal data, we may take more sensitive information. We are heavily constrained in all our discussions that we have with you in regards to your son / daughter and all staff are carefully briefed about their data protection responsibilities in law. For this reason, we may require you to complete data checks to qualify speaking with you on all matters related to your son or daughter as it makes no difference in the eyes of the law related to data protection that you are their parent.

There may be occasions when you feel that you would like to discuss matters relating to your son / daughter with accommodation providers. To be clear, we have no responsibility or obligation to disclose to you any personal information relating to your son / daughter or any other relatives, even if you are the one paying the rental obligation.

To ensure we are operating within the law, your son / daughter must provide written consent for them to speak to you about their personal affairs. The letter must be sent and signed by your son / daughter and must state clearly which information they are requesting the third party to disclose to you and why.

No contact from your son / daughter?

If you have been unable to contact your son / daughter for a period of time and you are concerned, we are happy to contact them on your behalf and ask them to contact you. We cannot call you back to share information but will focus on asking your son / daughter to get in touch with you directly. If your son / daughter has not contacted you within 5 days, it is permissible for you to contact us again to advise us that you have had no contact from your son / daughter. We will be able to confirm that the message has been passed on, your son / daughter has been seen, and he/she is aware you are waiting to hear from them.

You may be concerned about your son / daughter’s health or well-being, or even concerned about their behaviour or the behaviour of other people around them. Remember, we will not be able to discuss any details relating to your son / daughter without your son / daughter’s written permission beforehand. If you are deeply concerned, there may be other agencies more suitable such as the Police.

Sometimes, young adults are deliberately fleeing a difficult situation, so please understand why we cannot inform you of their personal data or sensitive details (such as their address, contact numbers or lifestyle choices). It is however more often the case that they are having such a good time with friends that they have completely forgotten about worried parents at home.

We are now registered and approved by The British Safety Council in response to the Audits recently carried out on-site. This means our protocols and associated control arrangements were considered to be in accordance with current UK government and sector specific guidelines at the time of the review and arrangements for continual monitoring of their effectiveness were in place.