COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions

Safer Living Environment

During this time of uncertainty and hesitation, we know how you might be feeling as the new academic year approaches and we want to assure you that The Student Housing Company is open. We want you to have confidence in the environment in which you are living and here at The Student Housing Company, we are committed to providing you with a safe, welcoming home. We will always deliver the ultimate student living experience, and we cannot wait to meet you.

Confidence In Where You Live

All our residences have a dedicated operations and maintenance team who keep our buildings clean, hygienic and well maintained. If things break or go wrong, we’ll fix them quickly and cheerfully. We are introducing new health and safety practices to ensure that

• All common spaces and high-touch points will be cleaned routinely and thoroughly. 
• All areas of heavy traffic, such as lifts and corridors, will be regularly cleaned and inspected.
• All our residences will have hand sanitiser stations installed which we encourage you to use.
• Our reception desks will be fitted with protective screens.
• Social distancing measures will be incorporated throughout our buildings.
• Our staff will wear the relevant Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when entering your room.
• All our rooms have been cleaned in line with relevant guidance and protocols.

Safety

Our 24/7 residence teams continue to provide the familiar high standard of service, whilst ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the community. In addition to the usual CCTV, secure access control and life safety systems you would expect to find in our buildings, we will also utilise

• Minimal contact check in processes to safely manage your arrival.
• Social distancing and protective measures to keep both students and staff safe.
• On site gyms will be managed to ensure there’s enough space for your workout.
• All staff will wear PPE when interacting with students outside of reception.

Wellbeing - help is at hand

We all need a helping hand sometimes which is why we’re here to support you every step of the way

• 24/7 assistance, so there is always someone on hand to help.
• Resident Assistants who are available to offer help, advice and a friendly chat, sharing common ground as a resident.
• Quarantine support. For international students, you may need to quarantine upon entering the country. To help you through this, our residence teams are on hand to offer you support and assistance during this time. 
• Being part of a connected community is a key part to university life so we will be holding on-site events to ensure you can interact safely with other residents

The New Normal

We all have an important part to play to prevent the spread of COVID-19. When you arrive at your residence you will notice that we have made some changes to our buildings to help keep you and others safe. We’ve outlined a few of these changes below and you’ll receive some more information about specific changes in your residence closer to when you arrive.

Reception

Our wonderful teams will still be available to support you throughout your stay, however you will notice we’ve made a few changes to reception areas in some of our residences. Protective screens have been installed to protect both students and staff, as well as social distancing signage and sanitising stations.

Moving around the building

To help make sure we’re adhering to social distancing in all of our residences, we will provide signage to inform you and in some residences you may be required to walk through a ‘one way system’ when moving around the building. 

Living in a new city

We know that many of you will be travelling to a different city (or perhaps a different country) when you come to live with us. There are a lot of new government guidelines in place that vary from country to country and in some places are different by city. Look for local government guidelines to find out how COVID-19 is affecting your new city. The guidelines will cover information about local grocery stores, how you can visit friends as well as travelling on public transport.

Playing your part

You can help to make sure you and your fellow students stay safe by following these guidelines.

• Wash your hands for 20 seconds with soap and water regularly throughout the day. Use hand sanitiser if soap is not available.
• Maintain social distancing (check local government guidelines for the latest advice) and avoid large gatherings.
• Use a mask to cover your face in public where appropriate, this is mandatory in some places so it’s a good idea to make sure you have a mask when you arrive.
• If you are at high risk of contracting COVID-19, make sure you shield yourself in line with local government guidelines.
• Follow local government advice if you begin showing any symptoms of COVID-19 e.g. Fever, continuous cough or loss of smell/taste.