High Wycombe Accommodation

There are two types of University-managed accommodation in High Wycombe; Halls of Residence and Head Tenancy Scheme housing. You can also choose to live in a privately-managed house or lodging in the area.

Halls of Residence

Brook Street Halls were built in 1994 and consist of 396 rooms. They are situated 5 minutes walk away from the University. These halls consist of flats of between five and ten study bedrooms; each flat shares a kitchen-diner with the usual accessories, two shower rooms and two toilets. Each room has its own washbasin.

All our halls offer internet access.

There is no parking available in the halls and students living in the halls are not allowed to bring cars with them, even to park off campus. If a student is found to have a car then this is breach of the Licence Agreement and could result in eviction. Exceptions are made for disabled badge holders.

The rents for the halls of residence are:

Brook Street Standard                                                        £80.01 per week

Hughenden Park Student Village Ensuite                               £105.00 per week

Hughenden Park Student Village Studio                                £126.98 per week

Bucks New Uni residential halls are registered with and meet the standards of the UUK Code of Practice for the Management of Student Housing. More information on the code can be found at uukcode.info/index.html. 

Head tenancy properties consist of ordinary family-type houses, and purpose built flat complexes. Properties within the HTS are rented by the University from private individuals or companies, this means that the University is acting as your landlord. There are around 450 bed spaces on this scheme for the academic year 2009/2010, in various locations around High Wycombe.

Houses are let under joint tenancies and the larger ones under single tenancies. Agreements are made on a year-to-year basis, and you should note that the granting of a Student Tenancy does not give you any security of tenure or right to buy the property. By accepting a place in a head tenancy property, you are accepting, and are subject to, the University Disciplinary Procedures. 

Parking availability depends on the individual property. Often road side parking is available, but you may need to apply to the district council for a parking permit.

The contract for this accommodation covers a 44-week period and will run from Sunday 6^th September 2009 to 11^th July 2010.

The cost of renting HTS properties varies greatly, depending on the location and the standard of the individual property. Please find copies of a 2008/09 sample HTS tenancy agreements below;

Joint Tenancy Agreement - for all HTS houses of two to six bedrooms
Single Tenancy Agreement - for all HTS properties in which the rooms are let individually.

These are called Houses of Multiple Occupancy (HMO's) and are large properties with many more rooms than a house.

The scheme is self-financing, as rent has to be paid to owners for properties. For this reason the terms of the contract are strictly adhered to and no exceptions are allowed.

The below guide will also give you useful information if you are considering head tenancy accommodation.

HTS Residential Guide 09/10 (PDF Format)
          
Private Sector Accommodation

There are two types of private accommodation; the first is a self-contained property, where a house is let to the group rather than to the individual, meaning the group is responsible for the property and the rent as a whole; the second is known as an HMO and each tenant has their own contract with the landlord. All of the properties advertised on our list are furnished but none are checked by the Accommodation Service. Take a look at an example of a Landlord's website.

You should be aware that The Accommodation Service provides an introductory service only. We can provide a list of houses, but it is down to the student to arrange a visit to the property. It must be stressed that the responsibility for entering a contract rests entirely on the students and the landlords. What students must remember is that if a problem does arise between the landlord and themselves, they should contact us as soon as possible so that we can give early advice.

Students can also find housing through the local agents or local paper. During recent discussions Grants Lettings Agents in High Wycombe have been helpful and friendly and are keen to work with Bucks’ students. In recognition of this they are offering a 10% discount off administration fees and a 50% discount off guarantor fees to our students. Click below for more details.

Whether you go through an agent or take a property advertised on our list, we are happy to look over the contract for you and warn you of any potential pitfalls.

We have also recently secured a number of rooms from Wycombe Hospital for our students.  Read the information poster to find out more (PDF Format)  

The following information will also be useful if you are considering this type of accommodation.

Student Private Sector Guide (Word document)
Self-Contained Property Survival Guide (Word document)
Alternative Sources for Accommodation Around High Wycombe (Word document)