- Your application
a) Accommodation is provided on a minimum contract period of 40 weeks starting on 15th September 2018 and ending on 22nd June 2019. Earlier arrival dates and later departure dates can be accommodated upon request. If you are on a study abroad program the dates will be as per contract. Bursary students’ contract will be as per their award letter and are not required to pay a security deposit to secure their room.
b) A resident must be a student engaged in full-time study or in a programme of professional work placement or internship, leading to a degree or professional qualification.
c) Offers of accommodation will be made via email and will have a confirmation deadline. To accept an offer you will need to pay a booking fee which is non-refundable. This will hold your room on a temporary basis but we reserve the right to withdraw our offer should we run out of availability.
d) To fully confirm your offer you will need to pay your Security Deposit which will then guarantee your room.
e) We cannot accept cancellation of a room booking less than 30 days before the start of term. Bookings cancelled giving less than 30 days’ notice prior to the start of term will forfeit the security deposit.
f) Applications can be withdrawn without penalty provided that an offer has not been made or accepted. - Accommodation and Accounts
a) Residents will reside in the room allocated to them. They cannot make arrangements with other residents to exchange rooms. Any change of accommodation must be done via the Accommodation department.
b) When a student is staying in a shared room alone, due to the other bed(s) in the room not being sold, International Students House has the right to ask the resident to re-locate to a different room, of the same type of accommodation, so as to fill all spaces in one room. If the student refuses to move, International Student House reserves the right to accommodate temporary guests in the other bed(s) in the room.
c) Payment for the duration of the contract must be paid in two instalments. The first payment must be paid and cleared in International Students House’s Bank Account, 4 weeks prior to arrival. Or if space is offered after this, the payment must be made prior to arrival. Failure to pay prior to or on arrival will result in the resident not being allowed to check in. The second instalment to be paid and cleared in International Students House’s Bank Account by the 1st December 2018. If the contract is less than 20 weeks the entire period must be paid for in advance. In exceptional circumstances alternative payment methods can be agreed with the Front of House Manager, but this must be done prior to arrival for the year.
d) Late settlement of any account will result in an immediate surcharge of £15.00 for each seven-day period that the account is outstanding unless prior permission has been requested in writing and such permission has been granted by the Front of House Manager.
e) A deposit of £600.00 is payable on acceptance of any offer of accommodation. This deposit is refunded to the resident after departure, providing that all financial commitments towards ISH have been met. The deposit will be retained in the event of a resident departing the residence without the required notice or if any damage is found to have been done to the room whilst occupied by the student. Should part of the deposit be levied for any reason during the year, the student is required to replace the charge incurred. Refunds will be by bank transfer or credit card only. - Guest stays
a) Residents are allowed to have a guest in their room for a maximum of three nights at any one time in a 7 night period, without the Front of House Manager’s permission. The maximum number of guests permitted to stay at any one time is one. A small fee is charged if a mattress is required. The roommate(s) must agree to have the guest in the room in the case of shared occupancy. If the room is not fully occupied, residents must book an unoccupied space at the Short stay rate via the Accommodation Office. Gender will affect the Accommodation Office’s approval for the guest. Short stay rooms are available for guests who need to stay longer and can be booked via the accommodation office.
b) Residents are personally responsible for the conduct of any guests and are liable for any damage they might cause. All guests must be signed in and out of the building. Residents will be charged for guests not signed out on departure. Guests can be signed in no more than 3 consecutive nights without the Front of House Manager’s written consent. The Front of House Manager and the Dean of Student Life retain the right to request a guest to leave at any time. - Smoking, drugs, damage and maintenance
a) Smoking is not permitted in any building. From 1 July 2007 it is illegal to smoke in ANY area of the house. Any resident found smoking will face disciplinary action and could be prosecuted and fined by the Courts. Provision has been made for designated smoking areas outside each residence.
b) ISH has a zero tolerance approach to all drug matters. Any student found taking or supplying drugs or illegal substances of any kind will immediately be removed from the house and the police informed.
c) All rooms are fitted with smoke detectors and covering up or tampering with the fire alarm system can endanger the lives of all residents. Anyone found to have covered or tampered with the smoke heads, fire extinguishers or other fire safety equipment may be dismissed from ISH. ISH reserves the right to fine any resident who regularly sets off any fire detection system for whatever reason.
d) Residents are responsible for the contents, fixtures and fittings of their room. Any problems with the accommodation must be reported upon arrival. If it is found later in the term that there has been any damage to the contents, fixtures or fittings the student will be liable for any replacement, repair or cleaning costs. This will be charged against the security deposit and will need to be paid within two weeks of being charged.
e) In the case of any damage, breakage or repairs necessary within a room, residents are required to enter a maintenance request through the student portal on the website. Residents will be required to pay for any damage for which they are deemed responsible. In the case of shared rooms, if no individual admits responsibility, costs will be shared between all students in the room.
f) ISH reserves the right for authorised members of staff or its nominated representatives to inspect accommodation as necessary to affect any repairs, undertake any maintenance and any other reason deemed necessary. Where possible, notice will be given for any maintenance work. - Cooking, heaters, naked flames and food storage
a) Any heat generating devices or cooking appliances are forbidden in the bedrooms, e.g. microwaves, small hob stoves, heaters etc. ISH reserves the right to confiscate such items which will only be returned upon departure. Hairdryers and kettles are permitted.b) Naked flames such as candles or incense burners are forbidden in the bedrooms at all times.
c) To avoid problems with pests, food items must be kept in sealed containers or in fridges and not left out on the floor. - Bedding and Cleaning
a) Each student will receive linen upon arrival. The pack will contain a standard single size sheet, a standard single size duvet cover and a standard size pillow case. Each bed space comprises a bed and mattress, duvet and pillow. Students are responsible for the laundering of their bedding on a regular basis. Launderettes are available in our main buildings. Extra linen packs available for sale upon request.b) Students are responsible for keeping their rooms and bed space clean and tidy. ISH cleaning staff will vacuum bedrooms and empty rubbish bins on a weekly basis. Where bedrooms have en-suite facilities the bathrooms will be cleaned by the housekeeping staff once a week.
c) Bedrooms will be inspected by the Housekeeper once a week. Students are not allowed to put do not clean/do not disturb notices on their bedroom doors. Housekeeping will ignore and still enter the room on the designated cleaning day each week.
d) Residents are required to keep their rooms in a respectable state of living. Rooms will be checked on a weekly basis. - Carbon reduction and recycling
a) ISH has an active Carbon Reduction Committee which includes student representation. Students are required to minimise energy consumption by turning off unnecessary lights, equipment and heaters.
b) Facilities are provided on each floor for recycling of paper, plastic and glass. - Dean of Student Life
a) All residents must register with the Dean of Student Life, within seven days of arriving at International Students House, either at the appointed sessions during orientation or by making an appointment to see the Dean of Student Life.
b) Residents must inform the Dean of Student Life of any change of their next of kin address or emergency contact information. - Security
a) ISH takes the security of all our residents very seriously. Each student resident is issued with a coded key for their bedroom which will also allow access, via secure doors, to the main buildings and the bedroom corridors. It is essential that students do not leave the door to their bedroom, the resident’s entrance or the main front door open on entering or leaving or let other people in without key cards.
b) A charge will be made for any lost, stolen or damaged key.
c) If a resident locks themselves out of their room more than three times in one month and the Duty Manager has to let them into their room a charge of £15 will be levied for the inconvenience.
d) All ISH buildings are covered by CCTV with digital recording. This information will be used to investigate any activity which may jeopardise the safety and security of the House or the residents. - Vacations and Holiday Charges
a) Your Accommodation Contract provides your bed to you for the entire duration of the contract. If you would like to vacate your room over International Students House’s designated Christmas/New Year or Easter period, this can be requested by completing a Holiday Request via the Portal. ISH will endeavor to sell your bed whilst you are away. Your account will be credited for every night that has been sold whilst you are away, that falls in the designated holiday period. For this concession, rooms must be totally vacated and your account must be fully paid up. If the bed is empty and ISH has not been able to sell the bed, then the empty nights are chargeable.
b) During the summer vacation there are a limited number of places for residents who have valid academic reasons for staying in London. Residents wishing to remain in residence should apply, in writing, to the Dean of Student Life. Applying for a place does not guarantee a place and the space offered is unlikely to be your term time room. Residents who are successful in gaining a room over the summer must pay for their accommodation costs for the period when the room is offered prior to moving in. - Notice and departure
a) You are bound by contract for a minimum period of stay depending upon the term for which you have applied. You will not be allowed to leave during the contract period.
b) In exceptional circumstances, residents can give notice of their earlier departure in writing, but they will still have to pay until the end of the contract, i.e. the 22nd June 2019. This must be submitted in writing to the Dean of Student Life for consideration. The Dean’s decision will be final.
c) On departure from ISH residents must leave their room and checkout at GPS Reception by 10.00a.m. The security deposit will only be refunded after checks of the bedroom have been carried out. - Internet Access
a) Where the Internet is used, it is subject to the ISH Fair Use policy. Residents are expected to adhere to all laws including copyright, computer misuse act and data protections act. No routers are to be installed without the written permission of the IT Manager. Be aware that we have strict controls on file sharing and downloading of illegal content is not allowed.
All devices must have an up to date antivirus system installed. Sharing on username and passwords is not permitted unless IT requires it to aid diagnostics.
Residents are not allowed to plug anything into our IT system other than their PC/Laptop. Excessive usage may result in your service being restricted or cancelled. You will be cut off permanently if you abuse the system. The full acceptable usage policy will be in your handbook, online when connecting to our network or a copy can be obtained from the IT Manager. - Returning residents
a) Any student wishing to continue living at ISH after the first year can apply to the Dean of Student Life to return for further years provided they remain in relevant study.
b) Residents of ISH are fully encouraged to participate in the social life of the House. Students considering applying to the Dean of Student Life to return for a further period are reminded that their application will be considered in relation to their involvement in House activities and programmes.
c) All returning Residents will be expected to assist in the ‘Meet & Greet’ programme for new residents. - General behaviour
a) International Students House staff and residents are entitled to work and live in a safe environment without the fear of verbal abuse or physical attack. International Students House will not hesitate to prosecute or remove any person who threatens our staff, residents or customers.
b) Residents must refrain from any behaviour in the local area or on the premises likely to bring ISH into disrepute or cause any discomfort to other residents or members of staff.
c) Any resident who is engaged in inappropriate behaviour or who is in violation of ISH rules and regulations will face disciplinary action from the Dean of Student Life or her designee. This may include warnings, financial penalties, loss of privileges or dismissal from ISH. A copy of the rules and regulations are in the Student Handbook.
d) The Duty Manager, Warden or other nominated employee shall have the right of entry to any room at all times to ensure compliance by students of house rules. This would only occur if they have reasonable grounds to believe that house rules are not being complied with. - Communications
a) All general communication with students will be via email. It is essential that students keep their email address up to date so that they can receive emails, access the ISH portal to report maintenance or pay room accounts.
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Data Protection – Fair Collection Notice.
International Students House collects, holds and processes personal data relating to its students in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) May 2018. It is essential for it to do so in order to manage our operation effectively. If you do not want your data to be held in this way please contact the Accommodation Office at accom@ish.org.uk.