RNID: For deaf and hard of hearing people.

When you have an offer of a place at university, you should:

  1. Contact your university accommodation office for information on where to live in that area.
  2. If you are going to meet someone at the accommodation office, tell them straight away if you want an interpreter or other communication support.
  3. Make sure you visit the accommodation before you make a decision.
  4. Read any contract carefully and ask for help from the university if you are not sure.
  5. If you need equipment, let the accommodation office know as soon as possible, or the local social services department if you are renting a private house.
  6. Contact the benefits enquiry line to see what help with money you are entitled to.

Where could I live?

Halls of residence

  • These are university owned accommodation where you share the building with other students.
  • You may have your own room but will probably share a kitchen and bathroom.
  • You can pay for meals to be provided (catered halls) or you can cook your own (self catering).
  • You have to pay for this accommodation and cost is different in each hall.
  • To apply for a room in halls, you need to contact your university accommodation department as soon as you know you have a place there. You can usually find this information on their website.

Shared House (Private Accommodation)

  • This means you share a house with other students.
  • You pay rent to a private landlord.
  • You will probably have your own room and share the bathroom, kitchen and living room.
  • You may have to sort out your own bills and do your own cooking.
  • You can get a list of recommended landlords from your university’s accommodation office.

Contracts and Deposits

You will normally have to sign a contract with your landlord to say that you will stay in the house and pay your rent. Contracts are usually for a minimum of six months. This means that if you move out of the house before this time you will have to keep paying rent until your contract has ended.

When moving into accommodation, you will normally have to pay a deposit to cover any damage that may be caused to the place whilst you are there. If you have caused no damage to the house or broken your contract then you should receive this money back at the end of your time there.

You should always check the contract very carefully before you sign.

Equipment

Universities are covered by the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), which means that they have to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ to ensure their services are accessible to everyone. This includes accommodation. Examples of equipment that could be available are flashing fire alarms, deaf alerters, textphone/ Minicom, flashing doorbells. This is not a full list – you may be entitled to different types of equipment depending on your circumstances.

If you are applying to live in halls of residence:

You need to contact the accommodation office as soon as you have a place and let them know if you need any equipment. Some university halls of residence have specially adapted rooms with equipment, and your university may have a list of landlords who have specially adapted shared houses.

If you are sharing a house or renting privately:

You will then need to contact the local Social Services department so it can assess what equipment you will need. Speak to your landlord to see if he or she has any equipment already in place.

Help with money

You may be able to claim some social security benefits if you are a disabled student. What you can claim depends on a number of factors, including the type of course, whether the course is full time or part time, and whether you have other income.

Benefits that might help you with your accommodation costs are:

  • Council tax benefit
  • Housing benefit. You cannot claim this if you are living in halls of residence – the only exception is if your university doesn’t own the accommodation but rents it for your use. You will need to check with your own university to see if this is the case.

For more information on benefits, and how to claim, you need to contact the benefit enquiry line on telephone 0800 882 200, textphone 0800 243 355 between Monday to Friday 8.30am to 6.30pm or Saturday 9am to 1pm.