Elmstead Place, Colchester

Absolutely! They want their community to suit you, so they wont force you to come to their events but you are always welcome. If you have your own suggestions for them even better!

No they do not advise you to bring your own electrical cooking equipment for health and safety reasons.

The students are responsible for their own rooms and communal kitchen within the flat. All other rooms and communal areas are cleaned by the site cleaner.

Smoking is not allowed within the accommodation, however there is a designated smoking area outside the building.

If you are having any issues please contact the accommodation team in the first instance, they will do all they can to help. In exceptional circumstances it may be possible to move you; however they would look to resolve any issues with you all.

Drop them an email or pop into the office to let them know, their on-site Maintenance team will be able to deal with most things.

No pets are permitted under the term of the tenancy agreement.

Yes. Groceries can be delivered to the reception area, but you are to ensure that you are available to take receipt of the delivery. Delivery drivers are not to be given access to the flats.

To learn more about the deposit requirement, please check the policy section above, or feel free to reach out to your amber agent.

Some of the accommodation include contents insurance with Howden.

It is important all students confirm their cover to ensure you understand what is and isn't covered. Plus you'll also be entered into a prize draw, courtesy of Howden!

Visit confirm your cover to see:

What is and what isn’t covered

• Key exclusions where cover isnt provided
• Policy excess the amount you pay when you make a claim
• How to make claim
• Personalise cover

They understand students have a limited budget so Howden have launched brand new, unique student insurance options. They have been designed to cover the risks that you may encounter whilst living in student accommodation and away from home.

Yes, WiFi is included in your rent. You'll also have a broadband connection in your room on your desk.

For more details about guarantor requirements, refer to the policy section above or connect with your amber agent.

Housing Hand provide a guarantor service for both International and UK students who do not have a suitable or qualifying UK guarantor.

Housing Hand works in partnership with the accommodation to stand as your UK rental guarantor. Accommodation requires all students to have a guarantor if you are not able or willing to pay your rent in full for the year. If you choose the instalment plan option and can provide your own UK guarantor, providing they qualify, then you do not need to use Housing Hand. If you choose the instalment plan option and cannot provide a UK guarantor, then Housing Hand will be able to provide this service for you.

Housing Hand charges a one off fee that you will either pay up front at the start of your tenancy or monthly (if on a 12 month contract).

For students the fee will be between 60-95% of your monthly rent with the minimum price starting at 295 for 12 months cover. The exact cost depends on your personal details and several factors including the amount of your rent, you will be given a no obligation quote for the cost of the service on application.

For more information on payment plans, refer to the policy section above, or contact your amber agent for assistance.

Yes you are entitled to cancel your booking but they will need you to provide proof for this.

Facilities and features can vary; typically you are provided with a bed, a study with a desk and a chair, bookshelves, wardrobe and plenty of storage. Bedding is not provided with each room as most of their students prefer to bring their own, however you can order bedding and kitchen utensils from their friends UniKitOut to be delivered to your room prior to your move in.

Most sites will be more than happy to arrange an airport pick up service for you. You just need to let them know your name, arrival date and time and your flight number, well then arrange the transport for you. Please ensure you have enough UK Sterling to pay the taxi fare and check with your chosen property first.

It is possible but it depends on each scheme. The residence team would advise you to check with them before you make any arrangements.

Most of the sites offer summer stays. Please check with the amber team for further information.

You will need to bring a method of Identification with you to the accommodation, either a Driving License or Passport, a letter of confirmation from the University. They also need a passport photograph.

If you are travelling via car on move in day they will inform you in advance whether there is a drop off bay on site for you to off load any suitcases or belongings, or they will send you the location of the nearest car park. Its important to book your move in slot with them in advance so that they can make sure these resources are available to you on the day.

They understand that sometimes students will need to arrive outside of arrival hours. They ask for you to contact your Accommodation Team at the earliest possible opportunity to ensure that they can provide all the necessary information and ensure that they have got everything ready for your arrival. For example they need to ensure that they have received all relevant documentation, the booking fee and first instalment before they can move anybody in.

It might not be a manager who will be there for the check-in however the Accommodation Team will always aim to introduce themselves at the earliest opportunity so you know who they are.

Yes but you will still have to pay rent for the full length of your agreed tenancy, even if you no longer live at your accommodation.

In the event that something is broken or doesn't work in any part of the accommodation, the student needs to report the issues to the accommodation office who will escalate it accordingly. They have accommodation maintenance wizards that work full or part time on site depending on the property. They are there for the hour of need replacing light bulbs, blown fuses, blocked showers etc. They do also work with local contractors for isolated issues. Your son/daughter will always be given at least 24 hours notice if a maintenance operative or contractor needs to access their room. They always offer for the maintenance operative/contractor to be escorted for the jobs entirety if necessary.

They know it can sometimes be unsettling when your son/daughter leave home for the first time, despite it being one of the proudest moments they understand it can be hard. As parents its natural to worry, they find a common one is their students not responding to phone calls or e-mails as quickly as they might have done at home. They always respect that all their students are responsible adults and are sensitive to respecting their privacy, however they appreciate that some situations can be distressing. They therefore always encourage all their parents to contact the accommodation team by phone or e-mail (details available on your relevant scheme page) if you have any concerns regarding your son/daughter. A member of the accommodation team will pop over to their room to give a friendly knock on the door to check everything is okay. If there's any reason why they aren't able to support your concern they will always try to direct you to the appropriate department at the University/College.

They are proud to offer a postal service during office hours within their schemes. They always communicate the postal process to their students when they move in, however they will always make every effort to ensure that your daughter/son gets their mail safely. They always asks for students to inform the staff if they are expecting a recorded or special delivery for the site team to ensure that someone is available for the delivery. They also always ask for the student to bring some ID for when they come to collect the parcel. They recognise that the students cant always come down themselves; they are flexible with friends picking up parcels however the student needs to contact the accommodation team to let them know in advance.

They cannot be liable for any direct, indirect or consequential loss arising from accepting mail on students behalf. Although they will make every effort to ensure the students get their mail safely, they will not be responsible if recipients fail to collect their deliveries, packages are stolen or damaged due to circumstances beyond the control of the accommodation team. They also are not responsible for packages that arrive outside office opening hours or when the accommodation team are out of the office. If the students dont collect their mail within 4 weeks it will be returned to the sender.

They take booking preferences very seriously and take great pride in being able to accommodate these in most cases. There is a preference box on the booking form which allows the student to put any preferences they might have, for example friends they wish to live with, location of room within the building, same sex cluster flats. They always do their best to accommodate these preferences, if for whatever reason they cant fulfil them they will always try to achieve one or two and notify the student if they aren't possible.

Students do not have to pay Council Tax, but the council must be informed that you are a student and apply for exemption as this does not automatically happen. It is the responsibility of every student to apply for exemption, your University/College or accommodation provider* cannot do this for you, though they can help you!

At accommodation, they want you to feel safe and secure at all times. They understand how important safety and security is to students when it comes to choosing a place to live. That's why we've taken every effort to ensure that they provide the best services so that their students can thoroughly enjoy living with them. They have 24 Hour CCTV Cameras installed in all of their buildings, internally and externally. Secure Key Fob Door Entry & Bedroom Door Locks. There are also locks on all private bedrooms and out-of-hour security is there to support the community if you have any security concerns, ensuring your security and safety.

The properties have been specifically designed to be used by students. These properties have benefited from significant changes in fire safety, building regulations and coherent fire and management strategies. They have extensive fire safety systems in place in all the buildings that they manage. They are also audited by their own internal team, as well as external consultants, on a regular basis to validate, and if necessary update, their extensive fire safety systems, policies and procedures.