FAQs

Yes. Rooms are limited and will be offered on a first come first served basis. To check availability, please contact your accommodation office.

 

NB: The room for your early check-in may be different to the room you're allocated for your academic booking.

If another room is available you can request a room transfer. However, we'll not be able to facilitate this during the first 4 week after check in week.

No, due to security reasons you'll be the only person permitted to collect your keys.

Your room number will be assigned at random and confirmed when you check in.

Each resident will need to bring their own bedding and kitchen items when they move in.  If you don't want to bring these with you, you can order these items from one of our partner Unikitout. Use promotional code: OPTIVO10 to receive 10% off.

You can collect the keys for your academic booking when you check in from September 23rd 2023.

We allocate a set amount of time to each resident so that we can answer any questions you may have on arrival.

No, there's no parking onsite. If you require parking please check online for local parking restrictions.

All our buildings are mixed sex with the exception of Goldsmiths House which is female only.

You can make a request to stay with someone and we'll try our best to accommodate this, but we can't guarantee it.

You can download a 40/50 week sample licence agreement here.

We don't take deposits, however we do ask that applicants pay one weeks rent to secure their room. You'll need to pay this through our application website after you have been assigned a room.

You will need a guarantor if you want to pay your rent in instalments. The guarantor should be UK based. You will be able to provide your guarantors details when you complete your online application.

To apply for a room you’ll need to complete an online application through our application website. It should take no longer than 10 minutes to complete the initial part of your application. After you have submitted this, a member of our team will review it and come back to you within 3 working days.

If your application is successful, a room will have been assigned to you. You'll receive an email with a link to complete your application.
 

If you're 17 at the time of applying, but will be 18 when your licence agreement commences, you can book a room. As you'll be 17 at the time of signing licence agreement, you'll need a parent or guardian to  sign as well. You'll be taken through this process when you complete your online application.

If you won't be 18 when the licence agreement commences, we will not be able to accommodate you.

Students are at the heart of everything we do at Optivo Students and we want to support you as much as possible. For this reason, we've made our cancellation policy flexible to give you peace of mind.

Download the full 22/23 cancellation policy.

Download the full 23/24 cancellation policy.

For academic bookings you can move in from 23 September 2023. If you need to arrive early please refer to 'can I arrive early?'

If you have opted to pay your rent in instalments, you will need to make payments at set times in the year. These are outlined below:

40 week contracts (starting in September 2023)

• One weeks rent on signing of your contract
• 19 weeks rent due by 23 September 2023
• 20 weeks rent due by 11 January 2024

50 week contracts (starting in September 2023)

• One weeks rent on signing of your contract
• 19 weeks rent due by 23 September 2023
• 20 weeks rent due by 11 January 2024
• 10 weeks rent due by 25 April 2024

 

You need to pay advanced rent to hold your room when making your booking. The amount you need to pay is equivalent to one weeks rent for the room type you choose.

No. Your one week's advanced rent payment will be put towards your total rent. E.g. if you have a 50-week agreement, you'll only have to pay for another 49 weeks.

All our buildings are mixed sex with the exception of Goldsmiths House which is female only.
 

All of our buildings are no smoking buildings. To smoke you’ll have to leave the building.

The Wi-Fi in all our buildings reach speeds up to 150 Mbps throughout.

* Speed guides (assuming a single spatial stream device) – i.e. the lowest speed that you will achieve for your devices 50% of the time, based on measurements during peak hours of 8pm until 10pm, in accordance with Ofcom guidance. Sometimes you will achieve more than this and sometimes less. Speeds will typically range from 40Mbps to 120Mbps. Upload speeds will be similar.
 
* Note that some devices such as premium laptops (dual spatial stream) will achieve considerably higher speeds – as much as double the speeds quoted.
 
*Please note that the actual speed for a user session will vary – there is a “bell-curve” or normal distribution around the mean speed.

Each resident will need to bring your their own bedding and kitchen items when they move in.  If you don't want to bring these with you, you can order these items from one of our partners Unikitout.

The room sizes vary per building. We suggest you look at each buildings page to get a better idea of the available rooms and typical room sizes.

• Goldsmiths House
  • Single rooms range from 4.7m² to 6.93m²
  • Large single rooms  typically14.5m²

 

• Helen Graham House
  • Single rooms typically 10.1m²
  • Large single rooms typically 13.4m²
  • Twin rooms typically 20m²
  • En-suite rooms 13.4m²

 

• Park House
  • Standard single rooms

 

• Wood Green Hall
  • Standard single rooms typically 8.6m²
  • Large single rooms typically 14.1m²
  • Rooms in a 4-bed flat approximately 8.6m²

Your rent covers water, electricity, gas (if applicable) and W-Fi. However, if you want to bring a TV you’ll need to pay for your own TV license.

All communal areas are cleaned daily at our sites except for at Park House, which is cleaned once a week. We don’t clean your rooms, but we do have a communal vacuum cleaner you can use.

Yes, if you wish to leave your accommodation you can find a replacement tenant to take over your licence agreement. They will need to agree to pay the same weekly rate for the remainder of your existing licence agreement. It will be your responsibility to find the replacement. Once they have completed all the required actions to take over your licence agreement, you will be released.

Download the full 22/23 cancellation policy.

Download the full 23/24 cancellation policy.

Yes, if your university place is withdrawn, you can request to terminate your licence agreement up until:

• 25 August 2023 for contracts starting in September 2023

You will need to send your Optivo Students accommodation team an email and provide evidence to support your cancellation e.g. a cancellation letter from UCAS. Once this has been checked and confirmed we can issue a refund.

Download the full 22/23 cancellation policy.

Download the full 23/24 cancellation policy.

Yes, if you've made reasonable attempts to obtain a visa and it is denied, you can request to terminate your licence agreement up until:

• 25 August 2023 for contracts starting in September 2023

You will need to send your Optivo Students accommodation team an email and provide evidence to support your cancellation e.g. an email or letter from the visa issuing office outlining the reasons the application was denied. Once this has been checked and confirmed we can issue a refund.

Download the full 22/23 cancellation policy.

Download the full 23/24 cancellation policy.

You can pay your rent through:

• the application portal from 4 September 2023 or;
• bank transfer using the details below:

Bank: Barclays
Account Name: Southern Housing (A) Keyworker and students
Sort Code: 20-65-63
Account Number: 33687643
IBAN: GB81BARC20656333687643
Swift Code: BARCGB22

You'll need to pay any rent due, before you move into your accommodation. If you're have difficulty doing this, please contact your accommodation office.