Houghall Court, Durham

You can move in on or after the start date of your tenancy.

A 3/4 sized bed is larger than a single but slightly smaller than a standard double.

It's worth checking online for 3/4 sized bedding specifically as many stockists now offer this. Otherwise, they would recommend opting for bedding that fits a small to standard double bed.

All our show flats, and the images on our website, are representative of a particular room type unless labelled otherwise – however they are not identical. Your room will have all the same features and fittings, just in a slightly different set up. If you are unhappy with your room, please speak to the reception team. Where there are other rooms available they will offer these as an alternative. Please be aware that these requests may incur a charge.

You can collect your keys from reception when you arrive. Remember, if you have been asked to do so, make sure you have booked a check-in slot. At your allotted time, just come straight to the main reception with your photo ID and the team will have your keys ready and waiting for you.

You just need to bring a valid form of photo ID to prove who you are when you arrive. There’s no need to print off your tenancy agreement or booking confirmation. They can accept a valid passport, driving licence or national ID card as proof of ID.

They can accept a valid passport, driving licence or national ID card as proof of ID. If you don’t have any of these, please bring any proof of ID that you have. The team will check this and will need to ask a few security questions before they can provide you with your key.

It's a good idea to plan for your check-out in advance of the end of your tenancy, so you can share the cleaning responsibilities. You and your flatmates are equally responsible for leaving the cupboards, fridge, and freezer empty and the kitchen clean.

If your flatmates have left without cleaning the kitchen it is your choice whether you do the cleaning yourself. Any charges will apply to all flatmates – yourself included – so we recommend putting in the effort to organise this ahead of everyone leaving.

The team will be ready and waiting to check you in when you arrive, and give you the keys to your new room. If you have been asked to book a time slot for arrival, please make sure you stick to this.

You will receive information on your new home and city and they'll let you know what to do if you need any help or support while settling in.

Please leave anything illegal out of your new home. Candles and other hazardous items are not allowed either.

Unfortunately you'll need to leave any pets at home too. If you need a guide dog or working dog to assist you, please get in touch to discuss your options.

Fridges are another no-no. However, they do make some exceptions, for example if you’ve got a medical reason to have one. You'll need to check this with your property team before you move in.

You can find out what’s included in your room by checking the information for your room type on your amber webpage.

Aside from exploring the local area, meeting your flatmates and enrolling at your university, you should also consider the following;

• Register with a GP – you can often do this on your university campus
• Open a UK bank account – your university’s international office should be able to help you with this
• Get a TV Licence – if you’ve got a TV in your flat or plan to watch TV online on your laptop you’ll need to get a TV licence.
• Fill in the Council Tax Exemption Form

– As a full-time student you don’t need to pay council tax but you will need to provide them with your Council Tax Exemption Form.

As a full-time student you don’t need to pay council tax, but you may need to let your council know. For more information on how to do this in your city, please speak to your reception team. If you leave university during your Tenancy Agreement period you may then need to pay council tax. Please contact the reception if the student status changes.

When you book with us the personal items inside your room are automatically insured against fire, flood, theft and accidental damage by the residence insurance partners.

When you book with us, your room will be allocated at random. If you have a preference on who you'll be living with (for example same sex flatmates or postgraduate flatmates), you can contact us and we will try to meet your preferences, but we can't guarantee this as it is dependent on availability.

Already have a group of friends you want to live with? Book your group booking by reaching out to amber agent.

Yes, you can book a flat with friends. For more information please be in touch with amber agent.

Bedding is not provided in the properties. You will need to bring your own bedding to use when you arrive.

The property have partnered with UniKitOut, the UK's leading Student Kit supplier, so whether you need bedding, kitchen, bathroom, or everything - they have something for you. You can buy them from their online Shop.

No. For security reasons, the residence team can only give your room key directly to you.

The easiest way to check your block and room number is to login to My Account.

You'll find a summary of your booking in the 'My bookings' section.

Your flat number, floor, and block (where applicable) can also be found on your tenancy agreement.

All customers should follow their property’s rules on having guests. Please speak to your property team if you don’t know what these are.

You’ll need to bring your own pots, pans and other kitchen items

We have partnered with UniKitOut, the UK's leading Student Kit supplier, so whether you need bedding, kitchen, bathroom, or everything - they have something for you. You can buy them from our online Shop.

You can find out what’s in your flat in your welcome guide.

You can make your payment and check how much is due by logging into My Account. Please pay any charges as soon as possible to avoid receiving a late payment fee.

Speak with your flatmates in advance of check-out to make sure all cupboards and the fridge/freezer will be left empty. It’s important to work together so that the activity can be shared equally.

If any food or belongings are left in the kitchen, they'll need to apply a charge for them to be removed, and the charge will be split equally between everyone in the flat including yourself. If you are the last person to check-out of your flat, we recommended that you make the decision on any food left in the cupboards, fridge or freezer – you may want to take it with you, donate it to the foodbank or dispose of it responsibly.

Yes. You’re responsible for leaving your room clean and empty. You can recycle or donate unwanted items, and all rubbish must be disposed of responsibly. Any items left in your room will be removed, and they’ll need to apply a charge for this.

If you’re sharing a flat, it’s a good idea to find out when everyone is leaving so that the cleaning in your kitchen and hallway can be shared equally.

Please leave your kitchen / lounge / hallway clean and empty – don’t forget to clean inside the fridge and freezer, and to empty your cupboards to avoid cleaning charges. If there are any items or food left in the kitchen or hallway, then removal charges may apply.

All cleaning, damage and removal charges will be split equally between all tenants.

No. Unfortunately they're not able to store anything in the property after check-out, so you’ll need to take all of your belongings with you.

If you need to store your luggage locally, they've partnered with LOVESPACE who specialise in secure storage with collection and delivery options.

You must leave your room empty. If you left any belongings in your room or kitchen by mistake, please get in touch with the property straight away. They will remove the items and put them into safe storage at your property, where they will be kept for 14 days (from the day you checked out). You will need to contact your Property Team and make arrangements with them to collect your belongings. After the 14 days has passed, any uncollected items will be recycled, donated to charity, or disposed of responsibly

It may be difficult to park directly outside your property, so they recommend researching alternative parking in the area.

If an item in your flat has stopped working, please raise a maintenance request in their app before you check-out. If they are aware of items that need repairing in advance, and there has been no malicious damage, you won't be charged.

They need to be fair and consistent with their approach to damage charges, which is why they encourage you to complete the inventory thoroughly when you first move in. They document any damage on their own room checks so they will have a record of this damage, and can cancel any charges for damage you didn’t cause. Please speak to staff in your Property Team if you need to report damages before you check-out.

They do charge for damages, however, if the person responsible for causing the damage is willing to take full responsibility, then they will only charge that person. If no one accepts the responsibility for damages in a communal area, then the charge will be split equally between everyone in the flat.

It's better to report damages whilst you’re living with them so they can get it fixed, and you can avoid any charges when you leave.

If something has been damaged – even if by accident - please report it to a member of your Property Team straight away.

No. Your maintenance team will be happy to help with any repairs, so please log your maintenance request through their App.

If you have a credit on your account, you will be able to see this on your account statement. However, if you have an upcoming future instalment (within the next 10 days) any credit that has previously shown on your account will have now moved to offset the future instalment.

This means that any rent will be deducted less the amount that your account was in credit.

They cater for students of all abilities. From accessibility to neurodiversity, let’s work together to make student life easier for you. If there’s anything you need to tell us about before you arrive, they're here to listen and have a conversation on how they can make student life easier for you.

Let us know how they can help as far in advance as possible, so that they can make sure they accommodate you in the right way. You can contact by emailing the property or you can also take their pre-arrival disclosure form..

Any condition which specifically requires staff intervention or requires staff to be first responders e.g. a seizure alarm that requires staff to respond.

Alcohol free, designated quiet, vegan, vegetarian, dietary restrictive, or one specific gender flats.

Specialist desk furniture/equipment. (This may be funded by Disabled Students Allowance, reach out to your universities disability team for further information).

If you’ve got any allergies and you’re concerned about living in a shared flat, get in touch with the residence team and they can advise on the best steps to take and how to manage this with your flatmates.

If you’ve recently had an injury (such as a broken bone) or have a condition that will temporarily affect you, let the property team know as soon as possible so they can make sure all the right safety measures are in place for you.

You can email or fill out our pre-arrival disclosure form .They may also require you to complete a temporary PEEP form with the property team. If you have already checked in and would like to make a disclosure, please fill out the post-arrival disclosure form.

They've created virtual tours for most of the properties but if you would like to see the property in person, you can get in touch with the amber agent.

If you’ve not got a UK bank account, it’s important that you get one when you arrive.

It will save you time to look into it before you get to the UK, but there’s no need to worry if you’ve left it a little late. Each bank will have different requirements about what is needed from non-UK nationals to open a bank account.

It’s safe to say that you will need some form of identification, and proof of your residency and course here in the UK as standard. In most cases, you’ll also need a letter from the property to confirm your UK address, and they're happy to provide this for you.

They may well require more information and documentation, and may even need to arrange a meeting with you before this can be set up.

There are so many banks here in the UK, and each will have a slightly different policy.

If you are arriving later at night or early in the morning, simply call our Emergency Control Centre and they'll arrange for someone to come out and let you in.

The team will be ready and waiting to check you in when you arrive, and give you the keys to your new room. If you have been asked to book a time slot for arrival, please make sure you stick to this.

You will receive information on your new home and city and they'll let you know what to do if you need any help or support while settling in.

Aside from exploring the local area, meeting your flatmates and enrolling at your university, you should also consider the following;

Register with a GP – you can often do this on your university campus

Open a UK bank account – your university’s international office should be able to help you with this

Get a TV Licence – if you’ve got a TV in your flat or plan to watch TV online on your laptop you’ll need to get a TV licence.

Find out more about TV licences and how to buy one here.

Fill in the Council Tax Exemption Form

– As a full-time student you don’t need to pay council tax but you will need to provide us with your Council Tax Exemption Form.

It’s your responsibility to clean both your room and the shared areas of your flat.

Find guidance on keeping your room and flat clean and tidy from the residence team.

All flatmates are responsible for keeping the communal areas clean and tidy. First, try to establish a cleaning rota. The rota is the key to working together to keep the place clean. All it takes is four simple steps:

Make a list of the regular cleaning tasks that need to be done

Decide with your flatmates who’s doing what, and on which day

Write each task for each person in the relevant day column

Do your tasks on the relevant day, and tick the box when you’re done

If you're still having trouble getting your flatmates to do their part after establishing a rota and speaking to them about it, please speak to your team at reception who will try to help.

Find guidance on keeping your room and flat clean and tidy from the residence team.

The heating in properties maintain a base temperature to stop rooms from getting cold. You’ll then find a thermostat in your individual rooms that you can use to alter how warm your room is.

There are two types of thermostats in our properties. The most common version has a single boost button. When you hit the boost button on your thermostat, it means that the heating will ramp up for 45 minutes, and you can do this multiple times.

But once it hits the upper temperature, you won’t be able to keep increasing it. Instead, it will simply maintain that level of warmth when you press the button.

In some buildings, you'll find a different thermostat that has five different settings (off, low, medium, high, boost). You can choose which setting you would like to have the heating on, and then use the boost button to increase the temperature for 45 minutes.

Once that temperature has been reached, the heating won’t come on again unless the thermostat senses a drop below that pre-set temperature.

When you book with us the possessions inside your room are protected through property Insurance.

If you need to make a claim you'll need to get in touch with insurance Claim Centre.

Wi-Fi calling also known VoWiFi (voice over Wi-Fi), is a feature that allows you to make or receive calls and text messages over a Wi-Fi network. You can do this in the buildings by following these steps:

On Apple devices:

Make sure you are connected to the Glide Network and are signed in.

Go to settings > Phone > Wi-Fi Calling > On

On Android devices:

Make sure you are connected to the Glide Network and are signed in.

Go to settings > connections > WiFi calling > On > Set to Wi-Fi preferred to make sure that Wi-Fi calling is the default connection method when connected to Wi-Fi.

If you’re having difficulty connecting, there’s a few things to check:

Clear your browsing history, cookies and cache

Forget the Wi-Fi network and search again

Turn off your Firewall -

remember to turn your firewall back on once you’re connected.

If you’re still unable to connect, or you think your internet has gone down, it’s best to contact your internet provider directly.

Your internet provider will depend on the property you’re living in:

Help with Glide Wi-Fi

Get in touch with Glide directly by calling or by emailing.

Help with University Wi-Fi

If your internet is provided by your university, your reception team will be able to help.

If you’re not sure who your internet provider is, talk to your reception team.

When you choose to live with the property, access to up to 300Mb/s Wi-Fi is included in your rent. Connect up to 50 devices simultaneously, whether you're in the common room, study area or your bedroom, you're always connected.

Your Wi-Fi will be provided by Glide, unless it’s provided by your university. Glide delivers a Gigabit service with up to 1Gb on wired ports and 300MB on Wifi.You’ll be given further information on your internet provider when you arrive. In the meantime, you can check your Broadband and Wi-Fi availablity here.

Please be aware that some older devices may not be gigabit capable. Check your settings to find out more information on your connection.

How you connect to your Wi-Fi depends on the property you’re living in:

I've received a Passkey from Glide

Scan for available Wi-Fi networks, select

Glide-US-Resident

Enter your passkey

I haven’t received a Passkey from Glide

Scan for available Wi-Fi networks, select

Glide-US-Signup

or

US_Glide

Open a browser

Register your details on the Glide welcome screen

Help with Glide Wi-Fi

Get in touch with them directly by calling or by emailing.

Wi-Fi is included in your rent. If your internet is with Glide, you’ll have access to up to 300Mb/s and can connect up to 50 devices simultaneously. If your internet is provided by your university, they’ll be able to tell you your allowances.

The cost to use the laundry facilities in your building may differ slightly. Pricing information will be available once you've checked into your property.

You'll find information on the location of the laundry room at your property in your property Welcome guide. You'll be sent a link to this by email ahead of checking in.

They have dedicated on-site Service and Safety teams in all the cities – which means that there will always be someone around to help if you need them. Part of their job is doing patrols of the buildings and attending to incidents, so don't worry if there is nobody at reception. You can let them know that you need help by contacting them via the security call point located near your reception or front door, or by calling the Emergency Control Centre.

You can also raise a locked out request in the property app, which will connect you directly to the Emergency Control Centre if you are locked out.

A villavent helps to ventilate your flat by extracting old air and pumping fresh air into a room. You’ll find the villavent unit for your flat in your kitchen above the oven, and connecting vents in your bedroom and bathroom.

If you’re having problems with the temperature of your fridge, check the temperature control switch - this will indicate how cold the fridge is. You can find the control inside your fridge at the top.

If the drawers of your freezer are hard to open, you may need to defrost it.

All of our flats are fitted with Prefect temperature controls which you can use to adjust the temperature.

If your toaster, kettle or iron has stopped working, they can arrange a replacement for you to collect from reception.

Simply raise a maintenance request in the property app and a member of your property team will be in touch to let you know when you can collect your replacement.

Please note that the following exclusions apply:

Toasters in Aberdeen properties

Kettles and toasters in Portsmouth properties

Toasters and irons in Bournemouth properties

Kettles, toasters and irons at Calthorpe Court and Beech Gardens in Birmingham

Kettles, toasters and irons at Cathedral Park in Bristol

Kettles, toasters and irons in Cardiff properties (Except Blackweir Lodge which provides all)

Kettles and toasters at Bridgewater Heights and Mill Point in Manchester

Kettles, toasters and irons in Southampton properties

Your room is yours until the end of your contracted time listed in your Tenancy Agreement. That means you can leave anything you like in your room when you leave the property, for example the Christmas break.

There are a few things to remember to do before you leave your room:

Lock your bedroom door

Lock your windows and close your curtains

Take the rubbish out

Switch off the lights

Unplug your appliances

Your room is yours until the end of your contracted time listed in your Tenancy Agreement. That means, if your contract covers holiday periods like Christmas and Easter, you won't need to move out during these times.

There are TVs in many of the communal areas, and some bedrooms include TVs too - you can check what's available at your property on your property page or in your welcome guide. You'll be sent a link to your welcome guide before you arrive.

You will need a TV licence for your bedroom if you’re watching TV live or on-demand, and if you have a TV licence for your bedroom this automatically covers the communal kitchen too.

If you just want to watch TV in the communal kitchen, then you and your flatmates can arrange a single TV licence together. Students living in a studio will also need to arrange their own TV licence if you plan to watch TV live or on-demand.

How you connect a TV in your room will depend on the property you’re living in. Most of our rooms don't have aerial points, but if you have a Smart TV you can connect through Wi-Fi.

If you plan to watch live or on demand TV, you’ll require a TV License. For more information on this, visit www.tvlicensing.co.uk.

Students should follow their property’s rules on having guests. If they don’t know what these are, they should speak to their property team.

The property work with Avon Fire and Rescue Service to go above and beyond what the fire safety regulations demand from our homes, policies, and procedures. The fire risk assessments are done by experienced assessors who are members of the Institution of Fire Engineers.

On-site teams test our fire alarms every week, and show all new arrivals their evacuation routes and assembly points - so they know exactly what to do in an emergency.

You'll find emergency signage located throughout each building, but if you’re ever unsure or worried, you can speak to staff who’ll be happy to explain where you’d need to go.

Nothing is more important than your safety, and that includes keeping safe from fire in your flat. There’s safety equipment and systems on site that help to keep you safe every day, but there’s a part for you to play too.

Here’s the best ways to keep fire safe in your flat:

Keep doorways and hallways free from obstructions

Keep fire doors closed and never wedge them open

Switch on your cooker extractor fan when you cook

Never leave your cooking unattended

Don’t start cooking if you’re tired or under the influence of drugs or alcohol

Never cover a heater or dry your clothes on them

Never cover a smoke detector

Use the bathroom fan when showering - steam, and even deodorant spray, can set off the smoke alarm

Never use faulty electrical equipment

Be careful to not overload plug sockets or extension leads when in use (appliances which give off heat should only ever be plugged in alone eg hairdryers etc)

And around the building:

Keep all exits and hallways clear of any obstructions

Never wedge communal fire doors open

Report any faults with fire doors or equipment to us as soon as you spot them

Never block emergency access to your building

Familiarise yourself with fire escapes and your fire assembly point

Only use the dedicated smoking areas and never smoke or vape inside

And remember, tampering with fire safety equipment is against the law. Don’t tamper with your fire extinguishers, fire alarm system, smoke detectors (including covering them), break-glass and fire exit signs.

If there’s a fire in your flat, we know this can be scary. No matter how small or big, it’s important to act quickly. Don’t panic and follow these instructions:

Get out immediately if you hear the alarm

Leave your flat and close all doors behind you

Use the stairs, never use the lift

Call 999 – never assume someone else has

Stay away from your flat until you’re told it’s safe to return

There’s also key fire safety information in your flat usually on the back of your door, it’s a good idea to make yourself familiar with this when you arrive.

Your fire test day and time, as well as your assembly point, are in your welcome guide. Select your city and choose your property to find specific information for where you live.

False activations are frustrating. Not only do they disrupt you, but they can also make others become too relaxed when it comes to hearing the fire alarm. You should never assume a fire alarm is just a false activation, and always evacuate whenever you hear the alarm.

There are however a few things you can do to help reduce false alarm activations:

Keep the bathroom door closed when showering as steam can activate the fire alarm

Use aerosol sprays in the bathroom and turn on the extractor fan

Do not cover your bedroom heater with clothes or other items

Do not use candles

When cooking - open your kitchen windows slightly and keep your kitchen fire door closed. Don’t leave cooking unattended.

If your break glass point is damaged, let your Unite Students team know

Don’t smoke in the building

If you suspect that others might be smoking in the building, let your Unite Students team know

All of the buildings are non-smoking, so they don’t allow smoking or vaping inside your flat, room or communal areas. They do have some designated outdoor spaces that they ask the residents who smoke or vape to use instead. There are cigarette bins located on site and they ask that residents use these where needed to help keep things tidy.

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

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

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