FAQ

Q. I have forgotten which flat/room I have chosen. Can you tell me which it is?
A. The Lodge have a full list of flat and room allocations. Please ask this question of them (telephone 01865 279700, email lodge@jesus.ox.ac.uk)

Q. What is the full address and postcode of my flat/room, for insurance purposes?
A. Please see the intranet under the Accommodation folder - Location-of-accommodation (link needed)

Q. When can I arrive/ return to College accommodation?
A. It depends on where you live.
Rooms in College and Ship Street
For freshers arriving in Michaelmas Term you will be given a date by which you have to arrive (usually two Fridays before the the start of term for graduates and the Monday before the start of term for undergraduates) and rooms will be available from these dates. In all other instances your room will be available from the Monday of 0th week and you may take up residence at any time after that without special application/permission. Rooms are normally available from 9.00amon the day you arrive and we ask you to vacate them by 10.00am on the day you leave (no extensions will be possible).
If you wish to arrive/return before this you must have written permission from the Accommodation Services Manager.
Flats
At the flats you may take up residence in your flat from 9.00am the start date that is shown in your lease and must vacate it on or before 10.00 am on the end date shown on your lease. Please ensure that you have applied for suitable start and end dates for you flat lease, as, although variable leases are available, they cannot be changed after the leases have been signed for operational reasons. If you need to arrive before the start of your lease date or stay after the end of it you will be accommodated in temporary accommodation (if available) that may be at any of the Jesus College properties, including College and Ship Street.

Q. How do I apply to arrive/return before my room license starts in other terms?
A. For Michaelmas term you should apply to the Accommodation Office in writing or by e-mail (tania.dandy-minto@jesus.ox.ac.uk) at least 14 working days before you wish to arrive (we may not be able to accommodate this request). For Hilary and Trinity terms you must apply by the deadlines that will be notified to you in 4th week of the term.

Q. I have just found out that I need to be in Oxford before my lease starts. Can I move into my flat early?
A. You cannot take up residence in any of the flats before the lease starts unless all of parties to the lease (including the College) agree to a different lease commencement date. If the dates of the lease are changed the full rent will be payable by ALL tenants of the flat from the new date. At least 14 working days notice is required to change a lease and there will be a one off £30 administration fee charged. Please note that it is not always possible to change the starting dates of leases once they have been signed, as the flats are let out during the summer based on the dates chosen by the student lessee in the previous Trinity Term.

Q. Are the rooms en-suite?
A. In College and Ship Street some rooms are en-suite, and some have a bathroom shared between two rooms, but most rooms are fitted with a washbasin only with shared bathroom and toilet facilities provided nearby. The bathroom may consist of a bath and shower, or a bath or shower only. On average there is one bath or shower per every four students. All rooms in the Ship street Centre are en-suite. In the flats there is a bathroom and an additional WC per flat except at Thelwall House where there is a bathroom/WC only.

Q. Can I bring electrical equipment to College?
A. Yes, you must complete and return an Electrical Equipment Registration Form, available to download from this site
 

Q. What do I do if I buy something or want to bring something else after completing and returning the Electrical Equipment Registration Form?
A. If you bring further electrical equipment into College accommodation after you have submitted the registration form then you must come to the DACC office (Staircase 4, Room 1) to register it.

Q. Can I get my electrical equipment tested at College?
A. Yes, on request to Maintenance. There is a £5.00 charge for this. You can arrange to have the test done by putting in a request via the Accommodation Faults online reporting system .

Q. My electrical equipment was all bought abroad. Will it work in the UK?
A. It depends on where it was bought and what the voltage is. There is more information about this in Electrical Safety Advice the Room and Flat Information packs on this website. If in doubt seek advice.

Q. Can we bring our own fridges/freezers?
A. Communal or individual refrigerators are provided in College staircases and Ship Street houses. The rooms in the Ship Street centre have individual fridges. All of the College flats are provided with fridge/freezers. Residents are therefore not allowed to bring their own fridges and freezers .

Q. Can I have guests to stay in my room overnight?
A. If you live in rooms in College or Ship Street your guests must leave College premises by 12.00pm and cannot stay overnight except with exceptional written authority from the DACC or the Accommodation Office (for example in the case of ‘Babies weekends’).
If you live at the flats you may have guest to stay for short periods as long as you have the agreement of your flat mates.

Q. Are there guest rooms in College?
A. We have only one guest room in Ship Street for the use of Junior Members (i.e. graduates and undergraduates) during term time only.
It is a small SINGLE room on the top floor of 4 Ship Street. It shares a bathroom with several other rooms. It is not really suitable for visiting academics and official visitors.

Q. How do I book a guest room?
A. The room can be booked by completing the form (link needed) at least 3 working days in advance of the guest arrival date or by contacting the lodge.

Q. Can my guest have meals?
A. If guests require breakfast or any other meals they must be taken to Hall by their host and the meals purchased on the host's Bodleian card.

Q. How long can my guest stay for?
A. A maximum of 3 nights.

Q. Do I need to insure my belongings?
A. We strongly recommend that you insure your belongings. The College cannot be held responsible for loss or damage to your belongings unless the loss or damage is caused by an omission or act of the College.
 

Q. For insurance purposes are the flats classed as "Halls or accommodation on-campus" or "Shared or non self-contained off-off campus"?
A. You are advised to query that with your insurance company, who may have a view on the matter. Different companies may view the situation in different ways.

Q. What is provided in College/Ship Street rooms?
A. All rooms have an individual inventory that is available from the DACC. They are all provided with a bed, bedhead, bedside cabinet/shelf, underbed storage drawers, wardrobe (may be fitted), drawers and/or shelf space, desk, desk chair, bookshelves and a desk lamp. Most have at least one other chair and a coffee table.

Q. What is provided in the flats?
A. The inventories for the flats are available from the Home Bursary. All bedrooms in shared flats have a bed, a bedside cabinet/table, a bedside light, a wardrobe (may be fitted), a set of drawers or shelves(may be fitted), an easy chair, a desk, a desk chair a desk lamp, a bookcase and a waste bin. Where these are not specifically mentioned in the inventories it is because they are fitted and not free standing.

Q. Can I ask to have furniture that I do not want removed?
A. The rooms in all College accommodation are provided as seen and in accordance with the published inventories.
Unwanted furniture cannot and should not be removed.

Q. Can I bring my own furniture?
A. Permission must be sought and given for you to bring your own furniture into College accommodation but this will be highly unlikely. An application form can be found at on furniture-registration-form-2015

Q. Does the College provide bedding?
A. In College and Ship Street a mattress protector, a pillow and a blanket are provided.
Only a mattress protector and a pillow is provided in the flats.

Q. Does the College provide cooking equipment (pots, pans, cutlery etc)?
A. If you are self catering you must provide your own.

Q. Where do I collect my keys for my accommodation?
A. All keys (including those for flats) must be collected from the Lodge. You must have signed your Licence/Lease before the keys are handed over.

Q. How do I get access to the gates, Library, IT Room etc. ?
A. Access to all College gates, the Bicycle Sheds, Laundries, the IT Room, the Library and the MCR is via electronic locks that use a proximity card or fob. These are issued by the Lodge.

Q. What about the vehicle gates at the flats.
A. Access to the vehicle gates is given to the residents of the flats only. All residents in Stevens Close have access via the vehicle gates there, all resident at 121 Woodstock Road have access via the vehicle gates at 121 Woodstock Road and all residents at Herbert Close have access to the main vehicle gates there. Non residents do not have access via the vehicle gates.

Q My electronic card/fob has stopped working. What shall I do?
A. The cards/fobs need regular updating at one of the main readers (on the Turl and Ship Street gates and the main pedestrian entrance gates to the flats). If you do not do this at least once every 28 days the card/fob will cease to work and you need to go to the Lodge to have it updated. If you have any other problems please report them to the Lodge.

Q. Will I have a kitchen?
A. Some staircases in College and houses in Ship Street have kitchens, but these are for the use of graduate occupants ONLY. The flats all have kitchens.

Q. Can I cook in my room?
A. NO! Cooking in rooms is forbidden.

Q. Are the cookers in the flats gas or electricity?
A. All of the cookers in the flats are electric.

Q. Where can I do my laundry?
A. Washing and drying machines are available in the laundry room in College, at the bottom of Staircase 16, and at Stevens Close, 121 Woodstock Road, and Herbert Close (one laundry room outside Hazel Court and one behind the bike sheds near the New Pavilion).
There are also outdoor driers at both Stevens Close and Herbert Close for the use of residents.

Q How do I pay?

A. All machines use a swipe card system or you may download the app. Swipe cards can be bought for £2.00 from the machine in the Lodge. Replacements for lost cards can be obtained in the same way. You top your cards up online. As you use the card in the washing machines/driers the credit reduces. Once you are out of credit you will need top up the card online. This can be done at any time, even before you are out of credit. 

Q. How do I get a swipe card?
A. Freshers will receive a card at their welcome sessions. Replacements for lost cards are available from the Lodge. There is a £10.00 charge for a replacement card, payable on battels.

Q. How do the machines work?
A. To use the card you need to activate it in the machine at the Lodge, where you insert the card, and then insert a £10.00 note. Each wash or dry will cost £1.25. You can top up the card with £10.00 at any time in the machine at the Lodge. There are detailed instructions in the laundries.

Q. I cannot get the card/machines to work.
A. Please report any problems to Circuit Laundry whose contact details can be found in each laundry room.

Circuit Laundry Problem Solving

Q. Where and how do I report maintenance problems with my room/flat?
A. All maintenance fault reporting should be done online using the Accommodation Faults form.

Q. I would like to bring my car with me. Is there any parking and if so do I need a permit?
A. There is no parking on the main College site or in Ship Street. If you are resident in College or Ship Street you will have to make your own parking arrangements. Flat residents may apply for a parking permit for the site that their flat is at, subject to the lease conditions.
The leases allows for one parking permit PER FLAT, but as there is limited space parking is on a first come, first served basis and spaces cannot be reserved or guaranteed except in exceptional circumstances. Permits need to be displayed and may be applied for using the form that can be found here (link needed)

Q. I do not understand. I have read the information and am unsure as to the meaning of a "not guaranteed" parking space. Could you please specify whether it means that I may not be able to obtain a permit, and hence am not guaranteed a space if I apply for one, or if it means that everyone who applies for a permit gets one and then we compete for a limited number of spaces with some people being unable to park on occasion.
A. The flat leases allow for one parking permit per flat. The lessees should therefore agree which of them will apply for it. If another person from the same flat has already applied for a permit then subsequent applicants from the same flat will be refused a permit.
Permit holders have permission to park on the premises if there is a space available, but as there are a limited number of spaces there is no guarantee that a space will be available at any given time.

Q. There is sometimes no space in the car park at my block of flats. Can I use spaces in the other College car parks?
A. No. Parking is restricted to the area that you have a permit for. In the case of Stevens Close and 121 Woodstock Road that is in the parking spaces for those two blocks respectively (ie if you have a permit for Stevens Close you cannot park in 121, and vice versa). At Herbert Close the parking is shared between all of the blocks of flats (Hazel Court, Leoline Jenkins, Hugh Price House, Thelwall House and the Old Pavilion).
If there are no spaces available when you come to park then it is up to you to find alternative parking off premises.

Q. I live at the flats. What about my visitors cars?
A. Each flat may apply for visitor's parking permits that are valid for 24 hours. Permits are available from the Lodge.

Q. What does the rent for College accommodation cover?
A. The rent for rooms in College and Ship Street covers the accommodation, basic cleaning by Scouts (cleaners) Monday to Friday and all heating and lighting. The rent for the flats covers accommodation and water rates only, with the lessees being responsible for gas
(where provided) and electricity bills. The College pays all water bills. All College rooms and flats occupied by students are exempt from Council Tax.

Q. I live at the flats and know we have to pay for gas and electric in the flats, but how do we pay?
A. Gas (where provided) and electricity is metered and charged to battels at the end of each term. Should you receive a bill direct from the utility company please send it to the Accounts Office in College immediately (via the Lodge). Delay will mean delayed payment and may lead to your gas or electricity being cut off.

Q. How much will the gas and electricity cost?
A. The gas (where provided) and electricity is metered. The cost will depend on how much you use. If you are concerned about usage I suggest that you take regular meter readings and work out what you are using in terms of pound and pence. The current rates for gas and electricity can be obtained from the Accounts Office in College, as can average usages for each block.

Q. How does the cost get divided between the 3 or 4 of us sharing the flat?
A. After the bills have been calculated the cost is split equally between the occupants sharing the flat. If you think this split is unfair because on residents has been using the gas/electricity more than the others it is up to you resolve the matter between yourselves.

Q. Can we change the supplier of our gas/electricity?
A. No. The contracts for the provision of gas (where supplied) and electricity have been negotiated by the College and cannot be changed.

Q. What the arrangements are for telephones?
A. All rooms in College and Ship Street have a telephone connected to the University Telecoms system. Instructions for the use of this can be found in all rooms or can be obtained from the Lodge. Telephone service is not provided to the flats. It is up to the lessees to arrange this themselves with their chosen supplier and to pay for any installation and connection charges, as well as all rental and call charges. It is also the responsibility of the lessees to inform their supplier that they wish to cease the service at the end of the lease period.

Q. Is internet connection provided? (revision needed)

A.Wifi is provided throughout all student bedrooms and many other locations. We can also provide an Ethernet connection in most bedrooms but this will be by request to the IT Department and may take two-to-three days to provide.

Q. Can we have Sky TV or similar installed?
A. Under the terms of your lease you are not allowed to erect an aerial or similar outside the building, nor to have one erected on your behalf.
However, if all of the residents in one block wanted Sky or similar and agreed to a communal dish aerial with the costs split between everyone in the block then the College would consider this. It would also be subject to planning permission.

Q. I am living in rooms in College/Ship Street. Do I have to vacate my accommodation at the end of each term?
A. It depends on whether you are a graduate or an undergraduate.
Undergraduates
Undergraduate rooms in College/Ship Street must be vacated on the Saturday of 8th week, unless written permission has been obtained from the Accommodation Office to occupy the accommodation beyond this (subject to availability). Details of how to apply are published in 4th week each term.
Graduates
Graduates living in College/Ship Street may choose to stay up during vacations if they so wish (subject to availability), with the exception of the summer vacation when they may stay in their rooms until the end of 9th week. Forms asking them of their intentions regarding this are sent out during 4th week each term.

Q. I need to accommodation during the summer vacation after 9th week. What do I do?
A. If you live in College or Ship Street you must apply to the Accommodation Office on the Summer Vacation Application form (sent out in 4th week). If you live at the flats you may occupy them from the start to the end lease period without obtaining further permission. It is therefore important that you choose the start and end dates of your lease carefully when asked to do so in the preceding Trinity term. If you want accommodation outside of the lease period you must apply to the Accommodation Office.
Summer accommodation cannot be guaranteed and it may be in any Jesus College accommodation, including the College and Ship Street. All accommodation allocated during the summer vacation period (10th week to 0th week) is on a temporary basis only, and you may be moved to other College accommodation on 48 hours notice.

Q. What is the rent for rooms during vacations?
A. For College and Ship Street vacation rent is the same as term time rent.
For the flats it is higher than the lease rent as an element is added for gas (where provided) and electricity as these are not billed separately outside lease periods.

Q. I live in College. Can I leave things in my room during vacations?
A. No. For residents in College and Ship Street all personal items must be removed from College and Ship Street rooms on vacation of the rooms at the end of each term or the date that you have permission to stay to if you are staying up after the end of term. If any personal items found in the room, after it has been vacated, will be treated as lost property and dealt with as per the Lost and Found Policy. (Link needed) Graduates who choose not to officially vacate their rooms and who continue to pay rent may, of course, leave their belongings in them, but this is at their own risk.