General accommodation related information

There are currently 603 bedsitting rooms available for the student body.  A list of College and hostel rooms is available here.

The College has one room in Foundress Court which have been specially adapted for a disabled student.

 should normally contain at least (unless the room is very small):Pembroke College rooms

On initial occupation of a room a student should check the state of furnishings and fittings and report any damage/defects to the Housekeeper immediately to avoid being held responsible for the damage.  On vacating the room, a student is responsible for ensuring that the room and furnishings are in the same condition as they were found.

N.B. Bedsitting rooms cover single rooms with desk and bed in the same room and sets where there is a separate study and bedroom.  For the purpose of this document unless otherwise indicated bedsitting rooms will be referred to as rooms

Undergraduate

The allocation of undergraduate rooms in College and in College hostels is the responsibility of the College Registrar and Rooms Tutor.  Rooms are selected according to a ballot order determined in the course of the students’ first year. The priority thus arrived at, with certain exceptions, determines the orderly selection of rooms, mostly in Hostels, for the second year of residence. For the third year that priority is reversed, again with some exceptions, for the selection of both Hostel and College rooms.

Rooms are chosen in the summer using RMS. Full details of the process are available here.

The College offers accommodation to all undergraduate students in College or College hostels for the duration of their undergraduate course.

Any undergraduate who wishes to live in accommodation not owned by College should consult their Tutor in the first instance.  If an undergraduate chooses a room in the ballot and subsequently decides not to live in College owned accommodation, they must notify the College Registrar and Rooms Tutor, in writing, before 5 July; failure to do so may make them you liable to a term’s rent being charged.

Postgraduate

The allocation of postgraduate rooms to continuing postgraduate students is the responsibility of the College Registrar working with the Housing Officer of the Graduate Parlour and is again based on a ballot system for the selection of rooms.  Rooms are chosen in the summer using RMS. Full details of the process are available here.

New Students to the College

New undergraduates and postgraduates have accommodation allocated directly by the College Registrar once their place has been confirmed.  All new students to the College will be sent a form, prior to their arrival, asking them for further information such as their preferred rent and location.

All students are issued with a Licence Agreement relating to the occupation of their room.  Students can access their Licence Agreement and the Terms and Conditions for Occupation of Accommodation via 'My RMS' on RMS” 30 days before the commencement of occupation.  The Student will be deemed to have entered into the agreement when they take possession of the keys to the room listed on the Licence agreement.  It is important that students read these documents carefully.  On arrival at Pembroke students should go to the Porter’s Lodge to collect their room key and swipe in using their university card.

Students should normally plan to arrive after 12 noon on the first day of the Licence Period and must try and vacate their room by 10 o’clock, on the last day of the Licence Period.

Undergraduates

The Residency Periods for undergraduates for the current academic year can be found here. Residency Periods vary according to year of study and location of room.

If an undergraduate wishes to remain in Cambridge for academic and College (not social) reasons outside of the Residency Period then, where possible this will be allowed and rent will be charged accordingly.

First year undergraduate students or second year undergraduate students living in Foundress Court must fully clear their rooms on departure at the end of each term.  If they are granted permission to stay for academic reasons, then they may be required to change rooms as there is a heavy demand for College rooms during the periods immediately after the end of Full term.

Second year undergraduates in College (not Foundress Court), hostels, and third and fourth year undergraduates in College and hostels are not required to clear their rooms over the Christmas or Easter vacations but should tidy their rooms and leave them in a reasonable state so as to facilitate any essential maintenance or cleaning work that needs to be carried out.  Belongings are left in rooms at their owner's own risk and College is in no way responsible for any loss or damage to these items.  The College reserves the right to use the rooms should it be necessary and will inform the student if this will happen.

All continuing postgraduate rooms are booked out from September to the September of the following year (dates for the current year will be on the Student Room Licence agreement).

Any postgraduate student new to the College will have their room booked out from the Saturday before the start of Michaelmas term to September of the following year.  Any student on a taught course of one-year or less in duration will be contacted during the May before their course ends asking them when they will be vacating the room.

A graduate student who intermits or works away from Cambridge for any reason for a period of less than three calendar months, may continue to rent the room, at normal rates.  Alternatively they may, if possible, give 4 weeks’ notice in writing to the College Registrar that they wish to vacate the room - removing their possessions, so that the room can be let to another person.  If the date of return to Cambridge is known then, should they so wish, the College will reserve the same room for them or an alternative room subject to availability.  When a postgraduate student intermits or works away from Cambridge for more than three calendar months, they are normally required to vacate their allocated room. 

Any student (undergraduate or postgraduate) who wishes to vacate their room before the end of their given Licence Period and move fully out of College owned accommodation must give 4 weeks’ notice in writing to the College Registrar.

The College is entitled to use or let the accommodation at any time outside the Licence Period or if a room is unoccupied - where possible residents will be informed if someone is moving in.

Students occupying rooms in College will be obliged to follow the instructions of the May Ball (or June Event) Committee concerning the vacation of rooms during the May Ball (or June Event), including preparation time.  Prior notice of these arrangements will be issued by the May Ball (or June Event) Committee.

When rooms are vacated at the end of the Licence Period all personal possessions must be removed from College rooms and rooms in College Hostels.  Any possessions left behind will be disposed of as the College see fit.  If it is necessary to use a removals company to remove and store items, this expense will be charged to the student concerned.  The student may also be charged rent for the period when the possessions remain in the room.

Rents

The rent that you pay covers the provision of all utilities (including electricity, Ethernet and insurance) and cleaning services.  Rooms are banded to reflect their size, location and other facilities and features. The weekly rents for the different bands are available here

Postgraduates are charged rent for a 13 week period.

Undergraduates are charged rent according to their room booking.  It is important to note that swipe records will be compared to room bookings to ensure the correct vacation rent is being charged.  Failure to swipe in/out correctly will result in additional rent being charged.  Swipe card records are also used as proof to the University that term has been kept.  Vacation rent will be pro rata of the weekly rent for the allocated room (e.g. a room with a weekly rent of £150.68 will pay £21.52 per night during the vacation).

Long Vacation Rent

During the Long Vacation accommodation of:

6 nights or less will be charged at £34/night for a hostel room and £46.20/night for a College Room more than 6 nights will be charged at the pro rata room rent

Please note that the above only applies to students requesting to return to Cambridge over the Long Vacation and does apply if a student is requesting to remain in residence for a few days after the end of term.

Payment Terms

Rent is paid in advance and is shown on your quarterly College bill.  Payment, at the agreed rate per week, must be made to the College by the first Friday of each Full Term.  You will be reminded of the due date on the College Bill you receive shortly before the beginning of each term.  These dates are also available here

Any residency, for academic reasons, granted to an undergraduate outside of the Licence Period will be charged at 1/7th of the weekly rent, and will be shown on subsequent bills.  You should note that, if permission is given for you to remain in the vacation, then it will not always be possible for you to remain in the room you occupy during the term.

Any student wishing to vacate their room during the term must give 4 weeks’ notice, in writing, to the College Registrar.  If the correct period of notice has been given, the College will reimburse the student an amount of the rent for the remainder of that period.

Failure to pay the rent within fifteen days of the due date gives the College the right to end this agreement and to require the student to move out, but only after the student’s Tutor has been consulted and the student has been given one month’s notice to vacate. If the student is in danger of not being able to pay his/her College Bill, it is the student’s responsibility to consult his/her Tutor or the College Registrar as soon as possible.  Students will not be entitled to return into residence for the term following and Licence period for which room rent remains unpaid, wholly or in part.

The occupants of all College rooms and College Houses are held personally responsible for any damage to the furniture and decorations of their rooms, allowing for fair wear and tear.

Much chargeable damage has been done in the past by the hanging of pictures with pins, nails, Blu-Tack or other fixatives to walls and woodwork, and the use of any form of adhesive, including adhesive films, Sellotape, white-tac or Blu-Tack and its equivalent, on the walls of rooms, is forbidden.  Hangers and picture rail hooks are available, free of charge, from the Linen room or Maintenance department.  Students who mark walls by using unauthorised adhesives will incur a substantial charge for redecoration, since the minimum area that can be redecorated would be a complete wall.
 

The range of furniture provided in each room is detailed above.  College furniture and fittings must not be removed; curtains must not be taken down.  All furniture in rooms conforms to appropriate fire regulation standards, and students should not bring additional furniture items (e.g. sofas, mattresses, beds, bean bags etc.) into College or hostel rooms.  If students feel they need an additional item of furniture they must consult the Housekeeper, Kevin Arrowsmith, before bringing additional furniture to their room.

All College rooms are provided with duvet, 2 pillows, under blanket or mattress cover.  It is normally expected that students will provide their own bed linen, although bed linen can be provided by the College (4 sheets, 4 pillow cases, 2 duvet covers, 2 towels); should you require this a £50 deposit must be paid which will be refunded once all the bed linen is returned.  The washing of bed linen is the student’s responsibility.

In the interests of safety, it is essential to observe the conditions about electrical appliances mentioned in section 4.4 and 4.9; for those who come from overseas it is stressed that all electrical appliances must be adapted for 220-240 volts AC.

Furniture and furnishings must not be removed from rooms and curtains must not be taken down.  Please do not dismantle beds or other furniture.
 

Cooking is allowed only in designated kitchens and gyp rooms; it is prohibited in all other rooms in College or in College Hostels because of hazards to personal and group safety, as well as the risk of damage to furnishings and fittings.  Each gyp room (or mini kitchen) has a sink, microwave oven, hob and fridge. Hobs and electrical sockets in gyp rooms have been fitted with 15 minute timers as a fire prevention measure.  Instructiosn on how Hobsafe works can be found here.

Hot drinks and snacks should be prepared in the kitchen or gyp room located on each staircase and in each hostel, provided that it causes no nuisance to others and that you clean up promptly after yourself.  Bedmakers are NOT responsible for clearing up after you.

Students are allowed to use a travel size kettle in their room, and need to be make sure that it is not located under the heat detector, nor cause any damage to the furnishings or fittings.

The facilities provided for students’ use are intended for modest catering (i.e. snacks) only, and under no circumstances is large-scale cooking permitted.  Frying food (including deep-frying) is prohibited in gyp rooms, and elsewhere in College and in hostels.  Frying pans and woks may be removed and returned to students at the end of the term.  The College is answerable to the City Environmental Health Department for the proper conduct of all large-scale catering taking place on the College, and legal proceedings can ensue should any breach of these stringent regulations occur.  Instructions on how to use the equipment in gyp rooms and kitchens is available online.

Additional electrical appliances (e.g. personal mini ovens, rice cookers, air-fryers, slow cookers etc.) are not permitted in gyp rooms, in bedsitting rooms or anywhere else in College or in hostels.  

The College operates in line with stringent food safety legislation and guidelines. If you wish to discuss food safety issues, please arrange to see the Housekeeper, the Catering Manager or their Deputy.

The College is committed to promoting a responsible environmental policy, and to reducing energy use. The use of refrigerators and freezers in individual student rooms is not allowed except in exceptional circumstances.  Students who feel they have a valid reason to have either of these appliances in their rooms should seek guidance in advance from the College Registrar. If permission is granted, the Maintenance Department will then PAT test the refrigerator or freezer.  Students will be required to pay a £40 deposit which will be refunded once the appliance has been removed from the College at the end of the academic year.

Fridges or freezers must not be moved to landings or hallways where an obstruction might be created.

Any cases of pilferage from kitchen cupboards or fridges will be treated as theft and should be reported to the College Registrar.

College staff, known as Bedmakers (or ‘bedders’) are responsible for cleaning bedrooms and communal service areas in College and College hostels; they work each morning (except on weekends, Bank Holidays, and during periods when the College is closed) for this purpose.  

A room and bathroom/kitchen cleaning rota will be published in each staircase/hostel.  All rooms will be cleaned thoroughly and have the waste bin emptied at least once a week according to a defined rota; if you would like your waste bin emptied more often, please leave it outside your door.  By informal convention, leaving your waste bin outside your door acts as a ‘do not disturb’ sign. However it is your responsibility to ensure that bedmakers have regular access to your room and that your room is kept in a reasonably tidy state to enable them to do their job properly and that on the allocated cleaning day for your room the bedmaker is able to vacuum the floor and dust the furniture. 

Communal areas (bathroom, toilet and shower areas and kitchens/gyp rooms) in College are cleaned on a daily basis from Mon-Fri and every other day in Hostels.   Students should ensure that these areas are left tidy, especially kitchens/gyp rooms.  The bedmaker is not responsible for washing up, so please keep gyp rooms/kitchens clean and wash up any dishes promptly. Bedders are not there to tidy up after you but to help maintain cleanliness.  Where dirty crockery etc. has been left lying around, bedmakers are instructed to gather this up and place in plastic tubs and to leave them outside.  All ensuite bathrooms will be cleaned weekly.

The Housekeeper checks cleaning and maintenance in rooms at regular intervals, and will deliver the service described above. The College shall not be held liable if failure to provide any of these services is due to factors reasonably beyond its control (such as mechanical failure, staff shortages/illness).

Any problems with facilities (blocked drains, leaking taps etc) should be reported to the Maintenance department via the online maintenance request form. 

The College may need to send in people to make repairs, etc. to your room, but this will normally only be done at reasonable times, and giving reasonable advance notice, of at least 24 hours, if at all possible. The College reserves the right to enter the accommodation at all reasonable times to inspect, carry out any necessary works, and to show others round the property (e.g. builders, architects, etc.); where possible due notice will be given although this might not always be possible, especially in any case of emergency.
 

Rooms are inspected during the Lent Term, and whenever the occupancy of a long term room changes, with a view to repairing damage during the Long Vacation (if it can wait until then) and creating a maintenance schedule.  Those who live in College or in a College hostel should bring any defects in the room or its furnishings to the attention of the Housekeeper immediately upon starting to live in the room.  In this way, charges for damage for which you have no responsibility can be avoided.  All students must remember that many other people will have to live in the room after their occupancy and, while the College has a continuing programme of room redecoration and refurbishment, any extra expense caused by damage can only limit the extent of this programme.  Empty rooms are used by the College for College visitors such as Alumni and research associates as well as overseas visitors and conference guests
 

Washing machines, dryers and provision for drying (where possible) are available in the College and certain hostels for use by its members.  The facilities in College are accessed via the JHC laundry app. A list of laundry facilities locations can be found here.

Students should ask the Porter’s Lodge how to access the laundry facilities in the various hostels.

Items of clothing should not be left unattended, and the College will not accept any responsibility for loss of personal laundry.

The laundry facilities are sub contracted out and any faults should be reported to the Company in the first instance (the number is on the machines).

Wet laundry must not be draped across College furniture or banisters to dry within or outside your College room, or outside, keeping exits clear - please use a clothes horse/airer.  Communal areas, stairwells etc. are not to be used for drying laundry.

Access to the College

Every student living in College accommodation will be issued with a key to their room (see below).  It is important both for students' own security and that of the College that the loss or theft of keys and/or University Card is avoided. A charge will be incurred before a new key and/or University Card is issued. Students must return keys to the Porters' Lodge before they leave each term.

Lost University cards should be reported to the College Registrar.  There is a £15 replacement charge for lost cards further information is available here.

Lost room keys should be reported to the Porter's Lodge.

Room Keys

Students must obtain a key to their room in College or in the College Hostels from the Porter’s Lodge.  Each student will be issued with a key to their room (in the case of hostels this will open the front door of the hostel also). Any student wishing to swap their room with another student must consult the College Registrar in the first instance.  Students swapping rooms or moving into a room on the same day the current resident is moving must collect the keys from the Porter's Lodge to ensure that they are correctly swiped into the room - they must not just swap keys with the outgoing resident.

Those issued with a key are required to swipe in at the start of each term and swipe out at the end of the term when they return their key.  For graduate students this will be at the start/end of their Residency Period.  These key registrations are important in confirming:

• that term has been kept (required by the university before a degree can be awarded)
• whether additional rent is owed as that covered by the residency period.

Undergraduates should not be retain their keys over the vacation.  In the event of the keys not being returned or lost, a charge of £19 per key will be made.  The absence of a key will be held to imply continued occupation and rent will be charged accordingly.  If a key is inadvertently taken away from Cambridge, the student must telephone the Porters (01223 338100) to alert them and then return it immediately by registered post. Any key / fob that fails to be received by the Porters’ Lodge will incur a £19 lost key charge per key which will be charged to the students College account, instead of additional rent.

Students must not change or tamper with locks or copy the keys to the premises.

For the most part, the College is a relatively safe environment.  However, thefts and other intrusions do occasionally occur, and it is important that the following sensible precautions are taken:

• Never leave your room unlocked, even when you are in a nearby room, toilet or shower.
• Safeguard your keys.
• Avoid leaving valuable items on view, especially in ground floor rooms. Never let people into your room unless you know them.
• If you live on the ground floor, never leave your room without locking the windows.
• Always ensure that the outer door of hostels is kept locked; the same applies to staircases some of which have lockable outer doors.

While students are in residence, their room is their home. Everybody – Staff, Fellows, and other Students – should respect this right to privacy. From time to time however, it may be necessary for a College Officer or member of staff to gain access to student rooms as a matter of urgency, whether or not they are present. For example, there might be a potential danger to people or to the fabric of the building, or people from outside the College, such as window cleaners or electrical contractors, may need to carry out approved work; or a College Officer or staff member may need access in order to perform their duties.

Whenever practicable and reasonable, information will be given in advance of the need to gain entry into the accommodation.   However, if the matter is urgent, access must be granted without undue delay. Most staff can be identified by the uniform they wear and visiting contractors are issued with identification badges.  Any person who access students' rooms un-announced will leave a form to advise the student that a member of staff entered their room and the reason why access was necessary.

Any Visitor or Contractor on College business will be required to sign in at the Porter's Lodge on arrival.  At the Porter's Lodge they will be issued with either a Visitors' or Contractors' identification badge.  They are informed that badges are to be worn at all times whilst on College premises.  On leaving the College, Visitors and Contractors should return to the Porters‟ Lodge to sign out and return their badge.

Preferred Contractors and regular Visitors to Pembroke College are issued with 'Code of Practice for Contractors and Visitors' booklets.  Most work activities are covered by Health and Safety Law and so it is important Contractors/Sub-Contractors and Visitors to the College site understand the regulations and requirements stipulated by Pembroke College when working here, delivering goods or visiting our workplace.

Background heating is supplied to all College rooms, as needed, from early in the Michaelmas term to the end April dependent upon weather conditions. If conditions are very cold before or after these dates, the heating will be adjusted to suit.  Heating systems will be turned on from 06:00 – 10:00 and from 16:30 – 22:00 daily.  Occupants are encouraged to help save energy and costs by keeping windows closed in cold weather whilst maintaining ventilation to avoid warm moist air causing mould growth, and, where fitted, using radiator thermostatic valves.

Rooms in D, E, M, N, O, P and Q Staircases are controlled by means of movement detection and “Prefect” controls – These rooms have operating instructions posted adjacent to the controls.

The Linen room can provide additional blankets.

If you are cold then please submit a report via the maintenance reporting system, if the heating is found to be not working correctly electric heaters may be issued and are available from the Maintenance Department.  Any heaters issued must be signed for and returned to the Maintenance Office by the original requestor at the end of each term. Heaters must not be left on when you leave your room; heaters found switched on in an empty room will be removed.  Only heaters issued by the College and tested for safety are allowed in student rooms.  Heaters must not be used to dry clothes etc.

Anybody failing to return a heater to Maintenance may incur a charge

Organisation

Maintenance and repair of Pembroke College property is undertaken by a variety of means. There is a small, dedicated maintenance team in College, available for routine and emergency maintenance work.  The working hours of the Maintenance Team are 08.00 to 16.00 Monday to Thursday and 08.00 to 15.30 on Fridays. No requests other than emergencies will be responded to outside of these hours or on Saturdays and Sundays. Some regular repair work is sub-contracted to outside companies (e.g. plumbing repair and painting), as is most periodic testing (e.g. Legionnaire’s testing, water testing, portable appliance testing, lightning conductor tests etc).  Finally, specialist contractors may be brought in to undertake more major works, such as refurbishment of rooms, staircases and houses.

Any fault or damage which occurs after occupancy has commenced must be reported via the online maintenance request form, as should any other works.  The College seeks to respond quickly to any problems with equipment or furnishing in rooms and undertakes that wherever possible: 

1. "Emergency" faults e.g. electrical failure, broken door locks, burst pipes, leaks, blocked toilets, heating not working are dealt with within 24 hours Monday to Friday or during the course of the following Monday if reported over the weekend
2. "Urgent" Priority faults such as blocked sinks, faulty windows (unless insecure), broken toilet seats, loose tiles, room lights not working, faulty thermostats are generally attended to within 72 hours. Where an issue of this type cannot be resolved within 72 hours during the working week, the reporter will be sent an email informing them of an estimate of the time that the work will be completed within.
3. "Routine" Priority faults such as cracked panes of glass, requests for lamp changes, reports of mould, door closers, external lighting, and decoration will be attended to as soon as possible within four working weeks, generally the reporter will receive an e-mail advising of the timescale within which they can expect action to be taken
4. Faults to “White Goods”, cookers, fridges, freezers can be reported to your member of Housekeeping during the working day or via RMS at any time.

Once the work has been completed, and as long as it has been reported through the on-line system an email will be generated with updates informing the reporter that the work has been completed.

It is sometimes necessary for maintenance work to be carried whilst rooms are occupied.  Where feasible, students, who will be affected by the work, will be informed when the work will take place.  If its nature is very disruptive, alternative accommodation will be found.

In emergency situations where the occupant cannot be contacted, the maintenance team may need to enter a room to undertake repairs without prior notice

Approved contractors

A list of approved contractors and copies of their Public and Employer’s Liability Certificates is held in the Finance Office.  All contractors working for the College are required to wear identity badges at all times.  If you are unsure as to the identity of anyone arriving to undertake work, check their details with the Porter’s Lodge (01223 338100) before allowing them to enter your room and/or hostel.

Construction quality

Records for all of the buildings are kept by the Operations Manager in his archives.  The Operations Manager and the Architect for each specific project ensure that works are completed to the required standards..

The College endeavours to ensure that all repair and refurbishment work is undertaken to a high standard, however many of the College buildings are hundreds of years old, irregularities in wall and ceiling finishes are common due to age and do not indicate any structural failure.

Grounds maintenance

The College gardeners will maintain the grounds around all College buildings, on the main site, in a tidy, aesthetic and practical manner.

Gardens, particularly those facing onto roads, will be maintained in a manner to give some screening for occupants while in their rooms, while minimising opportunities for the concealment of intruders.

Principal pathways are maintained to provide a suitable surface for all users, including those with mobility problems.  While not all paths are fully illuminated, principal routes have suitable intensity lighting to provide security to users.

Rule for the use of College gardens are issued periodically by the Senior Tutor.

Litter clearance

All College members are responsible for maintaining the cleanliness of the College buildings and grounds, and should ensure that their waste – and that of their guests – is disposed of correctly.  External litter bins located around the College grounds are regularly emptied by Housekeeping staff.

Snow and ice clearance policies

The Gardening staff carry out snow and ice clearance as much as possible in College however students are reminded to exercise care in snowy and icy conditions and to wear appropriate footwear, paths can become slippery in these conditions as they can when wet.

Students should take particular care during snowy periods that their actions do not cause a hazard for others.  Activities such as creating ice slides on roadways or steps, or making and using snowballs containing gravel from the paths are prohibited.

Electric Appliances provided by the College

Instructiosn on how Hobsafe works can be found here.  If you need assistance in operating any of the other electrical appliances provided by the College, please consult the Maintenance Department via RMS (select Problems  -> Report a problem). 

White goods, fridges, freezers, ovens and microwaves are provided by the Housekeeping Department – issues with these appliances should be reported to Housekeeping in the first instance.

Electrical Installations (including Portable Appliance Testing (PAT))

All portable electrical equipment supplied by the College is PAT (Portable Appliance Testing) tested annually, normally during the vacations.  Fixed electrical wiring systems are tested at least every five years or after any significant alterations, in accordance with current legislation.

Futher information on Electrical Safety and Fittings can be found here under the section "Safety and Security Policy and Procedures".

Gas Installations

All gas installations are serviced annually by qualified GAS-SAFE registered operatives.  The College undertakes this type of servicing annually at times to minimise the disruption to occupants. However, Health and Safety considerations must always be paramount, and servicing and repair will sometimes have to be undertaken during other periods; as far as possible, this will always be planned so as to reduce inconvenience.

Waste Water

Waste water systems are connected to Local Authority sewers. Waste chemicals and environmentally damaging or toxic substances are not to be poured into waste water systems (via basins, baths, showers, toilets or external drains (e.g. under rainwater downpipes) but are to be disposed of correctly.  It is a student’s personal duty to safely dispose of such waste.

Students and visitors are asked to avoid placing paper towels, large quantities of toilet tissue or other items which may cause obstruction to the underground drainage system down the toilets. The results of such actions may not only cause unnecessary expense but also inconvenience to all users of the facility.  We also ask that occupants use wash hand basins and sinks only for their intended use and not as toilets as uric acid blocks waste pipes and causes pipework to deteriorate.

Water Supplies

All cold water supplies are to drinking water standard.

Water Hygiene

Risk assessments and monitoring of water in all areas of the College are carried out in line with Health and Safety Executive Policy. Testing for Legionnaire’s Disease is carried out by outside specialists on a monthly basis.  All showerheads are descaled at least annually.

Lighting

Suitable lighting is provided in all rooms, and externally around the College, most is now low energy LED lighting.  If a light fails you should report it via RMS.

Personal Electrical Appliances

The College undertakes Portable Appliance testing of all its equipment annually.

The College now arranges for a qualified tester to be available on sites for two days within the first week of each new academic year to offer testing of student’s appliances.

The dates of this service are provided at the beginning of the first term.

A list of permitted personal electrical appliances can be found here.

All privately-owned electrical equipment must be maintained in a safe state. The College may test any such appliance at its own discretion and cost.  The College will remove any electrical items that it considers are a health, safety or fire hazard.  2 pin 'continental' plugs MUST NOT be used in 3 pin socket outlets as these will not be earthed which could result in serious injury and fire.

Electric appliances with low current consumption (e.g. radios, CD players, hairdryers, electric razors) may be used; further guidance on personal electrical appliances is provided in the College Rules and Regulations (Electric Lighting and Appliances).

The safety of any privately owned electrical appliance is the responsibility of its user.   We make every effort to provide sufficient discrete power outlets for your use.  Block adapter plugs must not be used; instead, please use standard strip extension leads only.   Enquiries as to the use of electrical apparatus should be addressed, in the first instance, to the Maintenance Department using the RMS reporting system.  If additional outlets are required for good reasons, an application should be made to the Maintenance Department.

It is in the interest of everyone's safety that these rules should be strictly observed and adhered to, just as it is essential that no alterations or additions to electric wiring be made.

Further information on Electrical Safety and Fittings can be found here under the section "Safety and Security Policy and Procedures".