Licence agreement for students in Kingston University halls 2024/25

4.1: You are required to make an advanced payment of £200.00 and set up a Recurring Card Payment instruction (RCP) at the point of booking your room. The RCP provides authorisation for the University to request payment by card and is a mandatory requirement in order for you to pay your halls fee by instalment in accordance with the Financial Information at the end of this Licence Agreement. Should the advanced payment and RCP not be set up at the point of booking, your room selection may be cancelled.

4.2: If a RCP is not in place or dishonoured by the card issuer, or payments of Halls Fees are not made, we may begin legal proceedings for recovery of the debt and / or to end the Licence. The University uses the services of external agencies to pursue the outstanding debt as part of its debt recovery procedures which may result in a County Court Judgment (‘CCJ') being registered against you in the amount of the debt, plus costs, plus interest. If the University takes action to end your Licence, we will seek to recover our legal costs from you.

4.3: If you are experiencing difficulty in the payment of Halls Fees you are advised to notify the Accounts Receivable team via accountsreceivable@kingston.ac.uk immediately, and to seek advice from a Student Money Adviser via studentfunding@kingston.ac.uk. Liability to pay halls fees when due is not affected by non-arrival of student loans or other sources of funding.

4.4: The halls fees include all utility bills (gas, electricity and water) and wireless internet connection.

4.5: The obligation to pay the Licence Fee for the full duration of the license dates listed applies irrespective of your individual course of study dates (which may start later or finish earlier than the period of residence) and irrespective of when or if you move into or out of the Accommodation.

4.6: If someone other than you pays all or part of the Licence Fee to us directly (e.g., a Sponsor or parent) this will not reduce or affect your responsibilities under the Agreement or result in any kind of rights or benefit to that other party.

5.1: If the booked Accommodation is not ready for occupation at the start of the Licence period then the University will endeavour to provide suitable alternative accommodation until the Accommodation is ready. Where the alternative accommodation is more expensive than the booked Accommodation, the University will be responsible for the additional cost. You will be charged only for the cost of the booked Accommodation for this period.

5.2: You must complete and sign the Inventory Forms within 48 hours of moving-in and return them to the Halls Management Team.

5.3: If you overstay beyond the Licence End Date, or a Notice to Vacate, you will be liable to pay use and occupation charges for each day you overstay. The University will commence court proceedings for possession of your room, and then a warrant for eviction. The University will seek to recover its legal costs from you in such cases. In addition, if for any reason you become or cause us to become liable for council tax for the Accommodation then you will pay such council tax (or reimburse us for any sums we pay within fourteen days of written demand).

5.4: If you are permitted early arrival into your hall room then the terms and conditions of this Halls Licence Agreement 2023/24 and Student Halls guide shall apply to this additional period of occupation.

5.5: More information on moving in and moving out is in the Student Halls Guide

6.1: The University reserves the right to require you to move rooms. If the halls fees for the new room are less than the fees payable for the original room, the University will refund you the difference if you have already paid your full fee or reduce the remaining amount payable.

6.2: If you do not move to another room if requested under section 6.1, the University may hold you liable for any costs incurred.

6.3: If you wish to move rooms within university halls, these must be requested from, and prior approval given by, the University at its sole discretion. Unauthorised room moves or swaps without the University's explicit written consent are not permitted and may lead to action being taken by the University to end your Licence and to recoup any costs incurred.

7.1: All halls licences are granted on the basis that you are a registered student with the required enrolment status at the University and that the room will be occupied by you only. We may end your Licence at any time for reasons outlined in section 12.

7.2: You must not smoke (including e-cigarettes or vapes), or permit any of your guests to smoke, anywhere within the accommodation.  All halls rooms are non-smoking, and smoking is only permitted in designated outside smoking areas.  Any smoking paraphernalia (including ashtrays) within your room may be interpreted by the University as evidence of smoking within your room.

7.3: All accommodation is allocated on a mixed sex/gender basis, with the exception of a limited number of single-sex flats. If you are residing in a single-sex flat, please be aware that halls staff, guests, and contractor/maintenance staff of the opposite sex are permitted to visit the flat.

7.4: Subletting or allowing someone other than you to occupy a room is strictly forbidden. We may interpret a frequent guest or someone else who has possession of your room key as potential subletting and reserve the right to request identification verification. 

7.5: Pets are not allowed. The only circumstances in which animals may be allowed in Halls of Residence are assistance or emotional support/ therapy animals for disabled students or those with long-term health conditions which have been approved at least 28 days in advance of your Licence Start Date by the University. The University therefore reserves the right to refuse access to any animal at its discretion. Failure to obtain agreement under this procedure will result in a request for the immediate removal of the animal.

7.6: You cannot use the Accommodation for any business purpose or as the registered office of a company. 

7.7: You must not damage or change the structure or decoration of the Accommodation. You will be charged for any damages at the full cost to the University (see Student Halls Guide Additional Charges). You must not change (add or remove) the furniture or decoration of the Accommodation.

7.8: You must keep your room keys safe and not give them to anyone else. If you lose your keys, the locks to the room and other parts of the flat will need to be replaced and new keys issued to residents in that flat. You will be charged for these costs (see Student Halls Guide Additional Charges)

7.9: If you watch or record television programmes in your own room or studio as they are being broadcast you must purchase your own TV Licence. This includes watching BBC "catch-up" TV services on electronic devices.

7.10: The University has arranged some contents insurance under an Endsleigh Insurance policy. The cover is not unlimited so it is important to find out exactly what you are covered for as you may need to extend cover to protect all of your possessions both inside and outside of your room. Review policy number HH1217 at www.endsleigh.co.uk/reviewcover. You are responsible for the insurance and safe keeping of your personal property. We are not liable for any loss/damage whatsoever to such property (except to the extent that any such loss or damage is caused by our negligence).

7.11: You are responsible for keeping your room or studio clean and collectively responsible with other residents in the flat for the cleaning of the communal areas, such as the kitchen. If you do not keep your room or studio and flat clean we will implement additional cleaning and you may be charged (see Student Halls Guide Additional Charges).

7.12: You must not bring bicycles into the residences, including electric bicycles or electric scooters. These must be stored in the external bicycle sheds.

8.1: Guests must be over 18 years of age and sign-in and out at Hall Reception. You must stay with your guests at all times and you are responsible for the behaviour of your guests (see Student Halls Guide – Guests section for more detail)

8.2: Guests must be infrequent. If the frequency or length of your guest's stay is deemed unreasonable, you risk breaching 7.3 of this halls licence agreement. 

8.3: A resident must not have more than 2 guests at any one time. For residents residing in designated quieter flats this is limited to 1 guest at a time.

8.4: You must not give your room keys to guests, or share them with anyone other than authorised staff.

8.5: In single-sex accommodation, only visitors of the same sex are permitted to stay overnight. All other visitors must leave the Accommodation by 11pm.

9.1: We will provide the following services and facilities in the Hall:

• Maintenance and repair of the Hall
• Provision of fire-fighting and fire safety equipment in the Hall
• Adequate supply of hot water for domestic use to the wash basins, showers and sinks in the Hall
• Heat in the Hall during the term of the Licence having regard to prevailing weather conditions
• Adequate lighting and power supplies to the Hall
• Adequate furniture / equipment which complies with the appropriate safety standards
• Internet connection in the room
• Launderette facilities (chargeable on usage)

9.2: We will ensure that all staff and contractors requiring access to your room carry identification. If you are not present when staff attend they will leave a Calling Card to let you know they have attended to your room and the reason for their attendance.

9.3: We will not interrupt your occupation of your room except when necessary, but reserve the right to enter your room at any time without prior consent

9.4: In the event of any interruption to our provision of the facilities listed above we will do our best to find a temporary solution, until the problem is fixed, or a more permanent solution arranged. For example, this could include provision of alternative shower facilities or the provision of electric heaters.

9.5: If your occupation of the room is interrupted for more than twelve hours, the University will endeavour to provide you with suitable alternative accommodation. Where the alternative accommodation is more expensive than your booked accommodation, the University will be responsible for the additional cost.

9.6: We will not be liable for any loss or interruption to your occupation of the room or provision of the facilities arising as a result of any matter beyond our control, such as extremes of weather, power cuts or a Force Majeure Event. A Force Majeure Event includes acts / events / omissions / accidents beyond the control of either you or the University and includes (but is not limited to) Acts of God, fire, flood, earthquake, windstorm or other natural disaster, war, terrorist attack, civil war, riots, nuclear / chemical / biological contamination, pandemic, mandatory compliance with any law, or strikes / industrial action.

10.1: You must follow the Health and Safety information in the Student Halls Guide and report the following:

• Any fire or accident resulting in injury to any person or any damage to the Hall immediately to Halls Management.
• Any damage, need for repair or failure of services within 24 hours of becoming aware of it to Halls Management.

10.2: You must allow us to enter your room at any time for purposes including but not limited to compliance, health and safety and University regulations providing maintenance work and conducting an inventory or welfare check. Should you not be in your room when we call, we will enter using our signed-out pass keys and leave a card to show we have attended.  Our staff all carry ID cards.

10.3: You must treat all residents, their guests, and staff including Halls Management with consideration and respect in accordance with the Personal Conduct section of the Student Halls Guide.  Inappropriate behaviour in Halls may be dealt with under the University's Halls Conduct and Behaviour Procedure and/or the Student Conduct and Behaviour Procedure which you accept both by enrolling as a student as well as through your agreement of this halls license.

10.4: You must assist Halls Management in its administration of the Halls when requested and must not obstruct or otherwise cause difficulty in Halls Management carrying out their administration of the Halls.

10.5: You must show a valid Kingston University ID card and provide your valid personal details (including room details) when requested by a member of University staff or Halls Management.

10.6: Rooms in ‘Show-flats' are designated to be available for up to 10 Open Days across the academic year. If you have booked a show-flat room, it is a condition of the booking that you allow Open Day visitors into your flat for each of these open days. You will be notified in advance of the specified date that your room will need to be accessible, and it is expected that the room and flat will be clean, tidy, and presentable.

11.1: Once you have accepted the Licence Agreement for a room in our Halls of Residence, you will be liable to pay the Halls Fees in section 2 for the duration of your full Licence period, irrespective of the length of your course of study or teaching periods.

11.2: If you wish to leave halls before the end of your licence period, and you are not withdrawing from your course or suspending your studies, then you must notify The Kingston University Accommodation Team in writing, giving a minimum of 14 days' notice. At the end of the notice period, you must clean and vacate your room and return your key to the Hall Reception by midday on the day of departure. You will remain liable for the full rent under the Licence until another eligible student who is not already resident in Halls, and who is acceptable to the University (in its sole discretion), can be found to accept the remainder of the contract. The university takes no responsibility for finding a replacement for your room should you wish to leave halls early, and it may not be possible to find a replacement at all.

11.3: If you wish to terminate your Licence early on medical grounds, you must submit a request with any requested evidence in writing to The Kingston University Accommodation Team. Any decision to release you from the halls licence early on medical grounds is solely at the University's discretion and there is no obligation upon the University to do so.

11.4: Students who withdraw from or interrupt (suspend) their studies are no longer eligible to reside in university accommodation. Students in this situation should notify The Kingston University Accommodation Team in writing as early as possible. You will be required to leave the hall room within 5 working days from the date of withdrawal/ interruption of studies. You will be liable for the accommodation fees until you have fully checked-out of the Hall (vacated and cleaned your room, removed all rubbish, and returned your key to Hall Reception), or your withdrawal has been confirmed, whichever is the latter.

11.5: Council Tax liability. If you have a Licence for a room or studio flat at 71–75 Penrhyn Road you will be liable for Council Tax at the relevant rate set by the Council, unless you provide suitable proof of exemption (such as full-time student status) to them directly yourself. If you move out before the Licence End Date you will be charged for the period the property is vacant. You will also be liable for Council Tax for the period between when your course ends and the Licence End Date (if later).

12.1: We may end the Licence at any time prior to its end date by issuing a Notice to Vacate for you to leave if you:

1. i)                are not, or cease to be, enrolled as student at Kingston University; and / or
2. ii)               are suspended from the University for reasons other than a tuition fee debt; and / or
3. iii)              have failed to pay the accommodation fees by the required date; and / or
4. iv)              have caused serious nuisance or other anti-social behaviour; and / or
5. v)               have caused a serious risk to the health, safety or wellbeing of yourself or others; and/or
6. vi)              are believed to be subletting your room
7. vii)             are in serious or persistent breach of the terms of this Licence

12.2: Students are required to engage in the University's processes and procedures by attending interviews and responding to communication from the Halls Managers and/or University. Failure to attend interviews may result in a decision being made in the student's absence.

12.3: If we end your Licence under section 12.1 you will remain liable for the full Halls Fees until the end of the Licence period unless the University is able to re-license the room to another eligible student.

12.4: If you do not leave Halls we will commence Court proceedings for possession of the room and a warrant for your eviction. The University will seek to recover its legal costs from you in such cases.

13.1: Notices to be sent to The Kingston University Accommodation Team must be sent to accommodation@kingston.ac.uk

13.2: Notices to be sent to Halls Management or Hall Reception must be delivered to the Reception at the relevant Hall of Residence site, or sent by email to their published email addresses.

13.3: Any notice served by the University on you will be deemed to have been duly served if emailed to you via your Kingston University email address, or your personal email address as held by the University, if applicable. You may also be served a notice through a message being placed on your door/under your door or in your Halls of Residence Mailbox.

14.1: This Licence is governed by English law and under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Courts of England and Wales.

14.2: If any provision of this Licence is found by a Court to be invalid, the other provisions of the Licence remain in force and in full effect.

14.3: Any delay by either you or the University in enforcing any rights under this Licence is not a waiver of those rights unless agreed in writing.

14.4: The rights and obligations under this Licence are personal to the University its subsidiaries and You and are not intended, unless expressly mentioned, to confer rights or benefits to any third party. The Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 shall not apply.

14.5: The University regards this agreement as a Licence but in the event of any Court or Tribunal finding that this document is a tenancy agreement and not a Licence, we hereby give formal notice that possession might be recovered under Ground 4 of Schedule 2 Housing Act 1988 (student letting).

14.6: Our rights to decide whether or not you have breached this Licence will be exercised reasonably but will be made ‘on the balance of probabilities' and taking into account all circumstances that we reasonably deem relevant.

14.7: References to the University include its subsidiary companies, and references to University staff include subsidiary company staff (specifically KUSCO Limited staff) and any third parties involved in management of our Halls of Residence.

14.8: Your personal data will be held in our cloud-based accommodation management system, accessible only to staff of Kingston University, KUSCO Limited and any third parties involved in management of our Halls of Residence. Your personal data will be kept confidential and held in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulation. The legal basis on which your personal data is processed is to enable the University and its agents to perform its contractual obligations under this Licence.

14.9: The University reserves the right to make changes or additions to the Student Halls Guide during the course of the Licence which will be binding upon you. In the event of any such changes, the University will notify you via email, outlining the changes and their potential impact.

All complaints should be submitted under the University's Student Complaints Procedure within 15 days of the event which has given rise to the issue or, if a series of events, within 15 days of the final event in the series. Complaints will only be considered outside this timeframe in exceptional circumstances.

Reporting Maintenance or other Issues with the Accommodation

In the first instance, report any maintenance or fault issues to the Reception at your Hall of Residence.

If the matter remains unresolved to your satisfaction, you should then put the issue in writing to Halls Management at your Hall of Residence.

If the matter is still unresolved, you should then put the issue in writing to the relevant team, detailed below; 

Complaints about this Licence Agreement

Complaints about the operation of this Licence Agreement should be made to The Kingston University Accommodation team by email to accommodation@kingston.ac.uk

All other student complaints

Any other general student complaints should be sent to Kingston University's Academic Registry via: studentcomplaints@kingston.ac.uk.

You may wish to contact to the Kingston Students' Union who will be able to provide advice and guidance with the Student Complaints Procedure. Information on the support offered can be found on the Union website: https://www.kingstonstudents.net/support/academic-advice/complaints. For further information, please contact the Union via email: support@kingston.ac.uk or by telephone: 020 8417 2974.

• You must take responsibility for your own and others' safety and you are expected to comply with any Health and Safety Policies and Fire Regulations that are in place.
• You must evacuate the building when requested.
• You must not interfere with, cover or otherwise misuse the fire fighting and safety equipment or signage installed in the Hall, Flat or Studio, or allow anyone else to do so.
• Don't prop open doors or cover detector heads as this could pose a serious danger in the event of a fire. Escape routes and fire exit doors must not be obstructed in any way.
• Only cook in the designated kitchen areas. Cooking equipment should only be stored in kitchen areas.
• Other equipment such as heaters, small refrigerators may only be brought into the Accommodation with the prior written permission of Halls Management, or upon the written prior recommendation of a University Disability or Mental Health Adviser.
• E scooters and E bikes are not permitted anywhere within the Halls of Residence. You must not charge their batteries anywhere on site, as this can present a significant fire risk. You cannot store them in any rooms, corridors or hallways as they may block the escape routes required for emergency evacuation.
• You are responsible for the safety of any electrical appliances that you bring onto University premises. All equipment must be fitted with a suitable and fused plug and must carry the CE mark. All device chargers must be certified as compatible with the items being charged.
• Candles, incense sticks, hookah and shisha pipes, or similar potential burning or smouldering materials are not permitted.
• Nitrous Oxide (a.k.a. laughing gas) is a banned substance on all Kingston University premises, including halls of residence.
• Smoking, including the smoking of e-cigarettes and vaporisers, is not permitted in Halls of Residence. You and your guests must not use the Halls for any illegal purpose. This includes the possession or supply of prohibited drugs. Weapons or replicas, including guns, air guns and swords, are not permitted.
• You are required to ensure that you keep your room or studio in a condition that does not cause an unnecessary risk to yourselves or others. 

Breach of the above may be treated as misconduct and dealt with under the Halls Conduct and Behaviour Procedure or the Student Conduct and Behaviour Procedure which applies to all University Students. This could result in the termination of your Licence Agreement. In this case you will be liable for the Halls Fees for the room until the end of your original Licence period unless the University is able to re-let your room to another eligible student

Items prohibited in halls, which will result in disciplinary action if found, are detailed on under 'What to bring when you move into halls?' on the 'Moving into university halls' page.

You should behave with consideration and respect and not do anything that is likely to cause a nuisance or annoyance to other residents, guests or staff in the Halls, or to the neighbours and community around the Halls.

You must follow the guidance for acceptable behaviour online detailed in paragraph 6.2.4 of the Acceptable Use Policy – Social Media. It states that You must not post any statements or photos that could damage the reputation of you, your family or that of Kingston University and its Partners. You must not make offensive or derogatory remarks about students, members of staff or other individuals, and you must not post obscene or derogatory images.

Stereos, televisions and other noise must not be audible outside your room at any time. You should also ensure that noise created by you or your guests does not cause a disturbance to other residents. For the comfort of all residents, noise should be kept to an absolute minimum between 11pm and 7am. Please note: Designated "quieter flats" require this to be between 10pm and 8am – see below.

Halls of Residence are private living and studying environments; they are not appropriate locations for parties, particularly those involving a large amount of people. You must not host or advertise unauthorised events within the Halls of Residence or invite excessive numbers of guests into Halls of Residence.

Anti-social or inappropriate behaviour is unacceptable, incidents specific to the Halls will be dealt with through the Halls Conduct and Behaviour Procedure below, other misconduct will be dealt with through the Student Conduct and Behaviour Procedure. This could result in your Licence Agreement being terminated; in this case you will be liable for the Halls Fees for the room until the end of your original Licence Agreement unless the University is able to re-let your room to another eligible student.

As outlined in 7.11 of the Halls Licence (above), you are responsible for the cleanliness of your flat.

You are expected to keep your own room clean.

You must also work together with your flatmates to keep the communal areas of your flat, like kitchens, clean and remove rubbish. Regular checks will be made to ensure your flat meets the required standard of cleanliness. If you and your flatmates do not meet the standard, you may all be charged costs to rectify the situation.

It is good practice to have a rota and agree responsibilities with your fellow flatmates to ensure the required cleaning is done in a fair and timely manner.

Section 8 of the Licence Agreement (above) explains the expectations of residents regarding guests. You should familiarise yourself with these and also consider the following…

When you are planning on inviting guests to your accommodation it is good practice to inform your flat mates and be considerate of them.

Any non-residents must be signed in at reception before they can enter your flat. You can have up to two visitors (one visitor in a quiet flat) at any one time and they must be over 18 years of age. We reserve the right to refuse permission and can request the guest leaves the site at any time.

Whilst other residents from your Halls are not required to sign in at reception, anyone residing outside your flat is considered to be a guest.

You can have visitors of the opposite sex in designated single-sex flats but they cannot stay overnight and must leave by 11pm.

You cannot leave visitors alone in your flat at any time, and you are not permitted to share your keys with anyone else.

You cannot have regular visitors. Guests must not exceed reasonable frequency of visits. As a guide, one overnight guest should not stay for more than three consecutive nights in any one week, and for a maximum of six visits per term. If you do, you could be considered to be subletting.

Remember, you are responsible for your guests' behaviour. That means you will be held liable for their actions under the agreement and action may be taken against you as a result.

We aim to provide designated quieter blocks where we will place students together who indicate on their application that they wish to live with others who prefer a "quieter lifestyle".

Please note: we can't guarantee a permanent quiet environment. As communal living is likely to involve some level of noise, including from outside the flat and the building. However, by placing those requesting a "quieter lifestyle" together we hope to better meet the different requirements of our residents.

In addition to the expectations detailed in the "personal conduct" section above for all residents, those living in or visiting designated Quieter flats or areas are also required to:

• to keep noise at a level that does not interfere with the study, sleep or comfort of other residents and, in particular, not to make or allow any loud noise (including but without limitation to televisions, playing music, talking loudly on the phone or playing video games) between 22.00 hours and 08.00 hours.
• typically only have single visitors and understand that there will be no social gatherings permitted without the prior permission of the University

In flats that have been designated by the accommodation team to be single-sex the following applies.

Guests and contractor/maintenance staff of the opposite sex are permitted to visit single-sex flats. In addition, only visitors of the same sex are permitted to stay overnight. All other visitors must leave the Accommodation by 11pm.

• Parking spaces are not guaranteed and are subject to availability. You need to obtain a non-transferable parking pass and swipe card to park at University halls sites. Parking permission ends whenever this Licence ends.
• All vehicles (including bicycles) must be left in designated areas only.
• E Scooters are not permitted on any Kingston University campus, or in any Halls of Residence.
• E scooters and E bikes are not permitted anywhere within the Halls of Residence. You must not charge their batteries anywhere on site, as this can present a significant fire risk. You cannot store them in any rooms, corridors or hallways as they may block the escape routes required for emergency evacuation.
• The planning permission for 75 Penrhyn Road stipulates that students in that hall are not entitled to apply for a Residents' Parking Permit from the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames. By agreeing to this Licence you agree not to apply for such a permit.
• We are not liable for any loss / damage whatsoever to such property, except to the extent that any such loss or damage is caused by our negligence.

• Before you move out, you must clean and tidy your room and remove all your belongings from both your room and the communal areas, and ensure that any rubbish is disposed of in the correct bins. We will dispose of any remaining items or possessions without any liability to you or the University. You have joint responsibility for communal areas and individual responsibility for your own room.
• If you are moving-out due to interruption of your studies, or withdrawal from the University, please notify the Accommodation Team.
• You must hand-in your keys to Hall Reception by midday on the date the Licence ends. Failure to return keys will incur an Additional Charge.
• You should arrange for re-direction of post or notify change of address. Post and deliveries for residents who have left will be refused or returned to sender.