Don't be Noisy Neighbours
Noise travels more easily than you might think, and what might sound ok to you may not be for others, especially if they are trying to study or sleep. If you’re planning on making lots of noise – if you’re having a party, for example – it’s best to check with neighbours first.
For the rest of the time, keeping things quiet between 10pm and 7am is a good guideline for getting along. Obviously, be extra careful during exam periods and at dissertation time when people are going to be tired and stressed.
Keeping your Student Accommodation Clean
It is the responsibility of all tenants to keep common areas such as living rooms, kitchens and bathrooms clean. Those who don’t pull their weight will find they become quite unpopular!
If there’s one thing that’s sure to turn your stomach after a heavy night, it’s coming into the kitchen to see it full of other people’s dirty dishes complete with mouldy leftovers!
We all have different standards when it comes to cleanliness and tidiness and it is one of the biggest causes of arguments in student accommodation.
To stop little niggles turning into big issues, it’s best to tackle things early on. The most important thing is to be honest and straightforward. If your housemates’ messiness is making you unhappy let them know, and try to negotiate some house rules. You might want to call a house meeting, and our handy cleaning rota might help.
Of course, if you are the one that’s being messy then it might be time to mend your ways!
Preventing Arguments
Going to university is a great opportunity to meet new people from different backgrounds and different parts of the world, but it can be easy for misunderstandings and differences of opinion to arise. If you find yourself constantly clashing with one of your housemates it might be worth taking a step back.
First of all, don’t panic! It’s quite normal to disagree from time to time when you’re all getting to know each other. For your own peace of mind, you need to be sure you’ve done everything you can to resolve the situation with the other person. Are they really being unreasonable, or do they just have a different point of view? Do you understand each other properly? Is there anything you could do or say to clear the air?
Antisocial Behaviour
By renting a StudentHQ property you will be living in the community side by side with local residents, it is therefore important to act in a respectful manner at all times.
If coming or going late at night or in the early hours of the morning then please keep noise levels to a minimium to ensure that you do not disturb your neighbours, who may have work the next day or children sleeping in the house. If you do receive a complaint about noise please take the comments onboard and apologise if you feel your actions have been unreasonable.
We understand that a night out is often not complete without a trip to the local take away. If you do decide to stop off for some refreshments on the way home then please ensure that any empty wrappers or drinks cans are disposed of appropriately and not discarded on the street. It is not fair that local residents should be subjected to littering so please bear this in mind.
Environment
Save energy, save the planet.
Saving energy might not be right at the top of your list of priorities; especially as all your bills are included in your rent. But using more energy does have a long term impact – both from an environmental perspective and closer to home, creating higher rental costs for students.
Here at StudentHQ we’re working really hard to bring energy use down, such as designing more efficient spaces fitted with low energy lighting. As energy prices go up, we don’t want to pass those costs on to students!
So think about energy saving as doing your bit for future students, both short term and long term.
NUS Student Switch Off have given us these energy saving tips for you:
- Switch off lights and appliances when not in use
- Put a lid on the pan when cooking – save time and energy!
- Don’t overfill the kettle (also saves time!)
- Put on extra layers rather than turning up the heating
- Open your curtains during the day to let in the sunlight and close them at dusk to keep in the heat
- Take shorter showers
- Wash your clothes at a lower temperature (30oC or 40oC is usually fine)
- Cook meals with your flatmates to save time and energy.
Looking for a more comprehensive guide? Check out our guide to shared student living in Lancaster.
