Bucks student sitting at her desk in bedroom student accommodation

Accommodation FAQs

Accommodation FAQs

Information relating to Halls of Residence can be found on our High Wycombe accommodation pages. If you have any further questions please check the list below.

Applying

Applications for September 2023 opened on 15 March 2023

Once you have been given a conditional or unconditional offer and you have accepted BNU as your first choice, the application information will be sent out automatically, via email to the email address you gave UCAS. For 2022-23 entry, we plan to be in contact soon if we haven’t already to all students that have made BNU their firm choice.

If you have still have not received any information from us in August, then please contact us, with your student ID number to hand, if you have been given one.

Your application should be completed as soon as possible, as rooms are allocated on a first-come first-serve basis. Therefore, the quicker you submit your application the more chance you will have of getting your first choice of accommodation. At BNU we guarantee a room in University Halls for all applicants that apply for one of our undergraduate programmes.

 

If you are a new applicant to the university, we have or will contact you as long as you have accepted the offer from BNU as your first choice. Make sure UCAS have your correct email address, as that’s the one we’ll use for new applicants. Once applications open, these emails will be sent out regularly, but please note, the process can take up to 5 working days.

If you believe you should have been contacted, but haven’t, then you can email accommodation@bnu.ac.uk, and we can make sure you get it.

Everything is done by email and online. Simply follow the link we send and then the on screen instructions to complete your application.

Please be aware that we have a high number of applications and so, once you have applied, it could take a few weeks to confirm your room, but you will get an email when we make the room offer.

 

At BNU, we do not ask for a deposit in order to secure a room, which means that you will be able to book without paying money until the new 2023/24 academic year.

 

Our accommodation is generally mixed gender, however if you would like to be in an all-female / all-male flat you can specify this on your application form and we will do our best to accommodate your request.

If you would like to live with your friends then just list their names in the notes section of your application.

 

There is no University-managed catered accommodation. In High Wycombe, there are catering services on Queen Alexandra Road campus and there are three large supermarkets (Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and Morrison’s) all within a short walk of the halls.

 

The contracts are all on a 42 week basis as any shorter than this would not make the halls financially viable. The halls contracts are still shorter than private sector contracts.

 

It is possible to live in halls over summer; however this is a separate contract and not a continuation of your licence (if you lived there over the academic year). Rooms depend on availability.

Life in Halls of Residence

 

Rent is paid in three termly instalments, after or at the same time that you receive your student loan; October, January and April.

 

To pay rent or any outstanding fees for halls, please head to the epayments and log in to view your account.

 

The last thing we want to do is evict you for not paying rent. However, we expect all students to make every effort to pay their rent on time. If you have difficulty paying rent it is essential that you inform us straight away so we can discuss payment arrangements with you and set up a manageable payment plan.

If in the Private Sector we also advise you speak to the Students’ Union Advice Centre who can offer you financial support and advice.

 

All visitors have to be signed into halls, in person, with photographic identification, by 10pm. We have a flexible approach to overnight guests for the odd night, as long as they don’t stay too often and other students have no objections. When residents sign in a guest, they have to take full responsibility for their guest’s actions.

 

All of our halls accommodation is covered by staff 24 hours a day. Only residents and visitors which are signed in by a resident can enter halls.

 

It is possible to move rooms within our halls of residence; however this depends on available rooms and there is a room cleaning charge. We cannot guarantee that a move can be accommodated but each case is reviewed individually and where possible we try to help.

 

A Senior Resident (SR) is normally somebody who has been a student at BNU for at least a year. There is a team of SRs based at Brook Street, Hughenden Park Student Village and Windsor House. The SR role includes dealing with lifestyle and welfare issues and they are available to help with issues that may be making living in your accommodation difficult, such as noise complaints and cleanliness.

The SRs can mediate problems between housemates, are first aid trained and are responsible for assisting the security and supporting the accommodation team in monitoring and addressing discipline. On moving in day the SRs will be available to help you settle in and are on hand to answer questions.

Excessive noise is not acceptable in any University-managed accommodation. If you experience excessive noise or anti-social behaviour outside of office hours you need to contact the SR or security at your halls. During office hours, please report to the Accommodation Service.

 

In the first week of the Licence period, a new student may give two week’s notice to leave for any reason. You will be charged to the end of the notice period, or to the date your key is returned, if later, plus a cleaning fee. If you fail to give the appropriate notice, then rent in lieu of notice will be charged.

After the first week of the Licence period: The Licence Agreement becomes an absolute covenant and a student will be charged rent until the end of the residential agreement (whether they leave the accommodation or are evicted from it). Students can only give notice and be released from this clause in exceptional circumstances.

If you cease to be a student: If you cease to be a student at any time during the Licence period you must vacate the halls, giving two week’s notice. You will be charged to the end of the notice period, or to the date your key is returned, if later, plus a cleaning fee. If you fail to give the appropriate notice, then rent in lieu of notice will be charged.

 

No, all our halls are located in densely populated areas; you are therefore prohibited, through planning consent, from bringing a car, or any other motor vehicle including motorbikes, regardless of where you might park it. It is also contrary to the Licence Agreement and can result in the loss of accommodation. Blue Badge holders are permitted to bring a car, however you need to contact the Accommodation Service to arrange this.

Nursing and Placement Students

 

We do not have any University-managed accommodation in Uxbridge, but students can live in our High Wycombe halls of residence and use the free shuttle bus, or look for accommodation in the private rented market. See our Uxbridge Accommodation page for more information.

 

Uxbridge based students can apply for halls of residences in High Wycombe. We can accommodate you on a shorter licence to cover the period you are studying at Uxbridge before you go onto placement. Please be aware that the Uxbridge campus is approximately 15 miles from High Wycombe and that there is no parking for students at the halls. Therefore, you would have to use public transport which could take an hour at busy times, there is currently a free inter-campus bus link which runs from 8am to 9.30pm Monday to Friday. Students must show their ID cards to access the free service.

 

Yes, nursing accommodation at the hospitals is often available to students both on placement and studying on the Uxbridge campus. Your placement advisor will assist you with accommodation options, it is also advisable to see the information available on the private rented page.

 

In the private sector, contracts can be 6-12 months, and therefore you will need to check with the estate agent or landlord. Some estate agents and owners will allow you to do a six month contract.

If you are going on a placement then the Accommodation Service will book your room with an end date to coincide with the end date of the teaching; i.e. this will end when your placement starts.

In case of nursing accommodation at the hospitals, you will need to discuss with the provider as this can vary, but most hospitals will accommodate this request.

Private Sector

No, but you must contact The Student Hub in High Wycombe (located on the first floor of North Wing next to the Accommodation Service, N1.02) or in Uxbridge (located on the 2nd floor) to request council tax exemption. If you do not do this you may receive a court summons. See wycombe.gov.uk for more information.

Alternative Sources

For alternative accommodation options in the private sector, please see the below.

Alternative Sources - Uxbridge

Alternative Sources - High Wycombe

Alternative Sources - Aylesbury