Preparing for Halls FAQs

All of the University of Northampton’s Halls of residence bedrooms and kitchens/ kitchenettes are fully-furnished.

Each bedroom contains a bed, wardrobe, set of drawers and/ or shelves, desk, chair and bin (please see our individual room pages for further details).

Kitchens are equipped with essential kitchen items (including microwaves, cookers, fridge/ freezers, kettles, toasters, irons, and ironing boards, etc) and cleaning equipment (including vacuum cleaners, dustpan and brushes, mops and buckets, etc).

You will need to bring personal items to your halls of residence, such as:

• Bedding: duvet, pillows, sheets, duvet covers and pillowcases. You can check the bed sizes on the individual room size pages.
• Pots, pans, plates, cups, cutlery, and any other cooking, eating and drinking utensils that you need
• Clothing, towels, and any other belongings you need for your room.

Electrical appliances such as hairdryers, hair straighteners, TVs, etc, can be brought and kept in your room, providing they have passed PAT testing.

If you bring a TV for your room, you will need to buy a TV licence.

In order to ensure your time in student accommodation at Northampton is not only comfortable and enjoyable, safety is very important. Some items are permitted but must be kept in the kitchen, others are not permitted at all.

All kitchens come supplied with electrical equipment such as fridges, kettles, irons, etc, so students are asked not to bring any items like this for personal use.

You may bring other kitchen items to your university accommodation such as blenders and coffee pod machines (as long as these are only used in the kitchen). However, you are not permitted to bring any appliances which that promote unsupervised cooking such as pressure cookers, deep fat fryers, additional plug-in hobs, etc.

For further information, see our Terms and Conditions of Residency (Word, 86KB)

Can I bring a pet to University?

No. Pets are not allowed on campus.

No. Because of data protection, we are unable to confirm who you will be sharing accommodation with. Once you have accepted a room offer, we will invite you to join our Facebook page which will give you the opportunity to find each other.

Will I be allocated a flat with other people on my course?

We allocate rooms based on the date you submitted your application, not by course. This means the residents in each flat will study a mix of university courses.

Yes. Standard room insurance through Howden is included in your rent; your items will be insured providing you keep to the terms and conditions, including ensuring you lock your windows and door when you leave your room. Try not to bring high-value items to University; but if you do, you may need to top up your halls insurance to a higher value.

If you are living in our Waterside Halls of residence or Scholars Green Student Village, you can apply for a Halls parking permit so that you can bring your car or motorcycle with you to university. (Unfortunately, there are no parking spaces available at St Johns Halls.)

However, parking spaces across our sites are limited, and therefore receiving a permit is dependent upon meeting our Student permit criteria and is not guaranteed.

Many students living at Waterside Student Village and St John’s Halls accommodation find that they do not need a car as they live near or in the town centre, which is very accessible by foot or cycle. In addition, cycling or walking can help save money and keep you fit.

Scholars Green Student Village residents are issued with a free weekday Stagecoach bus travel pass for route 19, which runs frequently to and from Waterside Campus during term-time.

You can move into your halls of residence after enrolment. Students who have confirmed their room offer will receive instructions on booking a timeslot to attend a Welcome Weekend where they will enrol and collect their keys.

As different Halls are allocated on different days for arrival, it is important that you book your timeslots accordingly.

What happens if I don’t enrol in time?

If you don’t enrol in time, unfortunately we will be unable to give you the keys to your university room. You will need to come back the next working day to enrol and pick up your keys.

When you move into your university accommodation, we ask you to check the furniture and fittings against an Inventory. This is for your protection against damage charges when you leave. If the Inventory is not completed and returned, or the information is incorrect, you may be charged for damage to your room that was not your fault. Completed Inventories help us to make a fair and considered decision when releasing your deposit at the end of your stay.

It is possible to change accommodation rooms after you move in; however, this is subject to room availability and therefore cannot be guaranteed.

We open a transfer request waiting list one month into the first term; transfer request forms are available on request by emailing accommodation@northampton.ac.uk.

If you feel homesick, have an issue with a flatmate, or just fancy a chat, the University of Northampton’s Residential Life team are available to assist you while you are resident in Halls. They can offer confidential help and guidance on any problems or concerns you may have.

We do not have an opt-out clause for our halls of residence, except for serious extenuating circumstances. Once you have signed your accommodation license, you are liable for the accommodation fees as stated on your license.

For further details, please see Terms and Conditions for Application.