Coronavirus (COVID-19): Information for our current and future residents

Last updated: 15th April 2020

We understand that it’s a difficult time for students and that there is a lot of uncertainty.

We want to reassure you that the health and wellbeing of our residents and our staff is our main priority.

We intend to keep all our UK villages open, and sufficiently staffed. Reception will remain open and you can continue to live in your room until the end of your contract.

For further information on Coronavirus (COVID-19) please review the information on the NHS website here.

Information from UK government is available here.

 

What do the latest isolation measures set out by the government mean if I am staying in the village?  

The recently introduced social distancing measures have been increased to stop the spread of the virus. It is important we all follow the instructions set out by the government immediately.  

You are now only allowed to leave your home (cluster flat or studio) for the following reasons:  

  • Shopping for basic necessities, for example food and medicine, which must be as infrequent as possible.  
  • One form of exercise a day, for example a run, walk, or cycle – alone or with one other member of your household if going outside.  
  • Any medical need, or to provide care or to help a vulnerable person.  
  • Travelling to and from work, but only where work cannot be done from home.  

 

These four reasons are exceptions – even when doing these activities, you should be minimising time spent outside of the home, and ensuring you are 2 metres apart from anyone outside of your household.  

The isolation measures will be for three weeks initially and may be enforced by the police through fines.  

The full guidance is here.  

 

What precautions are Campus Living Villages taking to protect their residents? 

Our central actions include: 

  • We have assembled both an Incident Management Team in each country, and a Global Crisis Management Team who are meeting regularly and actively monitoring updates and seeking guidance from the various health authorities; and aligning our policies and processes with the information we receive 
  • Specifically for the UK, we are closely monitoring advice provided by the UK Government as well as working with the relevant health authorities when required 

In our Villages actions include: 

  • An already enhanced cleaning regime has been further developed and includes regular cleaning (several times per day) of all communal high touch points such as handrails, door handles and push buttons 
  • We have cancelled all of our resident life events (Village Life) for the next 30 days initially 
  • No guests of residents are allowed in our villages 

 

I am a resident, what should I do if I think I have symptoms? 

You should self-isolate immediately following the guidance here. You should also contact your reception team by telephone. If you do not have the number, please contact us on 0161 850 6664. You will need to make your flatmates aware who will also need to self-isolate for 14 days as part of the same household. We will do this for you if you prefer. 

 

I am a resident and one of my flat mates has symptoms, what should I do?

You should self-isolate for 14 days and follow the guidance here.

 

I would like to contact someone in the village and they are not answering their phone

If you are concerned about one of our residents and are unable to contact them please let us know by calling 0161 850 6664. Our team are available Monday to Friday, 10am to 6pm and Saturdays and Sundays, 10am to 4:30pm. Outside of these times you can contact our out of hours numbers provided below:

I have checked out of my room and will not be returning. Do I need to pay my final rent instalment, or will I get a refund if I’ve already paid?  

The situation in relation to future rent payments at each village is being reviewed on an individual basis due to the complexity of the agreements in each building. We have now emailed the majority of our residents personally outlining the actions required. If you have not received an email from us by the end of Friday 17th April please contact our Customer Contact Village by phone on 0161 850 6664 or you can email contact@campuslivingvillages.co.uk. 

We will continue to review cases of hardship on an individual basis so that students are appropriately supported during this difficult time. You can request support here.

 

If I’m still in the village, can I check out early? 

The information from the Department for Education is as follows: 

The Government’s advice is that students remaining at university in England should now stay where they are and not attempt to travel. If they are living in student halls, or private rented accommodation, they should remain there and stay indoors while current restrictions are in force. As the Prime Minister said, staying put and remaining indoors are now crucial to slow the rate of transmission of COVID-19, to protect the NHS from being overwhelmed, and save the lives of fellow citizens. 

We would advise you to continue monitoring advice from the UK Government on social distancing and travel. 

 

I am unable to return to my room to collect my belongings before the end of my contract. What should I do, and will I be charged any additional fees?  

If you have friends or family who are able to collect your belongings, please continue to follow UK Government guidelines on social distancing and travel.  

You may also arrange for a courier or a shipping company to collect your belongings once it is safe to do so. Some of these services may be able to securely store your belongings until you can safely collect them, or arrange shipment back to your home address. Seven Seas Worldwide are a company who provide collection, shipping and storage services to students (please note, they will not be able to pack up your belongings) – you can find their details here. 

We cannot take responsibility for any lost or damaged items caused during collection/removal of your belongings.  

You may be charged a storage fee but this will be confirmed in an email to you personally. 

  

Is my village staying open? Can I continue to live here?  

We intend to keep the majority of our UK villages open, and sufficiently staffed.  

Reception will remain open and you can continue to live in your room until the end of your contract.  

If you need to remain in your room after your contract end date due to UK government guidelines on non-essential travel, we will seek to arrange this for you free of charge. We will contact you regarding this after the 1st May 2020. 

  

If I return home, can I return to my room at a later date if I’m able to do so?  

Your room will be available for you to return before the end of your contract. Please continue to follow UK Government guidelines on social distancing and travel. 

I’ve left my student accommodation but had to leave my possessions in my room. Are my possessions still covered by the contents insurance included in my rent?

 Insurance provider Endsleigh normally wouldn’t pay a claim if you leave your belongings in an empty property for more than 60 days. However, they have removed this condition for the rest of your policy year. This means if you’ve left some of your belongings behind, you’ll still be able to make a claim, even if nobody is living at your student address.   

If, at some point, you need to move my possessions to off-site storage, how would this affect the insurance cover which is included in my rent?

Insurance provider Endsleigh has extended its cover to insure storage areas. These storage areas will be secure and only accessible by staff. 

What if my course start date is delayed for 2020/21? What happens with my contract?  

We are in constant communication with all of our university partners, and there is nothing to suggest that the 2020/21 academic year will be delayed at this stage. If you have a booking with us for 2020/21, no action is required from you at this point.  

Can my contract be cancelled if my University have moved to online teaching for the 2019/20 academic year?  

The situation in relation to future rent payments at each village is being reviewed on an individual basis due to the complexity of the agreements in each building. We have now emailed the majority of our residents personally outlining the actions required. The remaining residents will be contacted by Friday 17th April. Any communication received will only be relevant to you personally. If you have not received an email from us after Friday 17th April please contact our Customer Contact Village by phone on 0161 850 6664 or you can email contact@campuslivingvillages.co.uk.

We will continue to review cases of hardship on an individual basis so that students are appropriately supported during this difficult time. You can request support here.