COVID-19 Accommodation Information & Advice

This page is here to provide accommodation related information in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

If you require any advice in relation to your accommodation and the impact of COVID-19 please get in touch by emailing ausaadvice@abdn.ac.uk

For more information about your rights as a tenant please visit our 'Your Rights' page

If you are struggling for whatever reason during your isolation/quarantine please get in touch with us at ausaadvice@abdn.ac.uk or contact the Student Advice & Support Office at student.support@abdn.ac.uk  

For more general housing advice and up to date information you can check out Shelter Scotland. In particular please refer to The Shelter Scotland COVID-19 Advice Pages, here you will be able to find all up to date housing information and advice relating to the recent pandemic.

PBSA COVID-19 Information:

Below you will find information relating to the responses of some PBSA providers (Purpose Built Student Accommodation offered by 3rd party providers) regarding students who may have had current contracts with them when the pandemic hit and also links to support information from each provider as the pandemic continues to affect current and new tenants.
- Shelter Aberdeen Advice Pages re New Scottish Legislation and student tenancies 
- Letter from Karl Leydecker regarding the University accommodation contracts here.

Provider	Useful Links	Other Info	Important points
Aberdeen University Halls	Cancellations Refund/Rebates/Discounts	FAQ's	If you move in and then all your classes are online,they will be able to cancel your contract and you will pay for the period that you have resided in the accommodation.  Once you have moved in and want to cancel your contract, we would need to know your reasons, if it is for health reasons, we may ask you to provide us with medical evidence of this. students who are asked to delay their return to University managed halls of residence beyond the start of term on 25 January will be entitled to a rent rebate for the period between 25 January and their return to the halls of residence.
Unite Students	Cancellations Refund/Rebates/Discounts	FAQ's Also find current information on Covid measures for current tenents here. LibertyLiving agreed  - Liberty Living has now been taken over by: Unite Students	a 50% rental discount for eligible students for a four week period from 18 January to 14 February 2021. In addition, eligible students can also participate in a four-week extension to the end of their tenancy at no extra charge However strict eligibility criteria applies -  please see thier website for further information
Student Roost	Booking Guarantee Cancellations Rent Discount Scheme		Offering a rent discount scheme but with restrictions on eligibility and cancellation terms and a deadline of the 25th Jan to apply
Hello students	Booking Guarantee Cancellations	Hello students agreed to let students out of their contracts. - Also find current information on Covid measures for current tenents here.	If your course start date is delayed - they will push back the start date of your tenancy to match the starting month of your course.  If you decide to defer your course until September 2021, they can transfer your booking to the next academic year.
Ardmuir - now managed by Mezzino	Booking Guarantee	FAQ's
Hunter Accommodation - Hunters Court & Coopers Court			allow students out of their contracts regardless of COVID-19 but it will be stipulated on individual’s contracts. Contact them directly to discuss your own situation.
Prestige Student Living/Homes For Students (Fraser Studios)	Terms & Conditions		private landlords collective so case by case basis unfortunately at this time please see the terms and conditions link regarding Covid 19 cancellations
Aparto	Cancellations COVID FAQ's

 

Useful Letter Templates

• Financial issues: Requesting help from private landlord re rent payments - We understand that many students are struggling to pay rent and we recommend they get in touch with their private landlord/letting agencies to see if they can agree to an alternative payment plan. We've created a template to help you -  template letter 
• The NUS (National Union of Student) Scotland believes it's unfair that students were ever charged rent for homes they'd left. If this affects you, they have prepared a template letter you can send to your accommodation provider to request a rent refund.
  Please delete/fill in your details as appropriate, and then send it on to the accommodation provider. NUS Scotland is campaigning for all unfairly charged rents to be refunded, so please get in touch to let us know what response you get.

• This is a template letter created to be used as notification to a student accommodation provider of a tenant's intention to terminate their lease in line with the Coronavirus (Scotland) (No.2) Act 2020 legislation. If you're sending the notice via email, keep a copy of the email.- Termination of Lease Notice Letter

*with all template letters please remember to delete instructions etc. before sending to your provider. 

 For further advice, please contact ausaadvice@abdn.ac.uk or Shelter Aberdeen.

Are you self-isolating/quarantining?

If you are in the position where you are either self-isolating or you are having to undertake a 2-week quarantine on your arrival in Aberdeen, please see the information below which may help:

Please do alert the University if you are self-isolating due to Covid-19. This could be because you have tested positive, have been told to do so by Test and Protect, are symptomatic and awaiting a test outcome, have recently travelled to the UK from a country that requires self-isolating, or you live with someone who is symptomatic. You can do this via the University online reporting form here

Useful Information:

- Shelter Aberdeen Advice Pages re New Scottish Legislation and student tenancies 
- Aberdeen University FAQ’s - https://www.abdn.ac.uk/about/coronavirus/
- Coronavirus (COVID-19): international travel and quarantine - Quarantine rules and information on the process for people entering the UK.https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-public-health-checks-at-borders/pages/self-isolation/
- University accommodation information - https://www.abdn.ac.uk/accommodation/faq/index.php
- Aberdeen Uni Students- COVID-19 Community Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/646638289452570
- https://www.facebook.com/sharedplanetsociety/ - worth keeping an eye on for local student help and information

Shopping:

- ASDA https://www.asda.com/ (Groceries and household items delivered to your door)
TESCO https://www.tesco.com/ (Groceries and household items delivered to your door)
https://deliveroo.co.uk/ - local grocery shops/ morrisons etc
https://www.shoply.co.uk/ - app that locates local shops in your area and arranges contact free delivery.

Cooking:

- Hello Fresh: www.hellofresh.co.uk – delivers ingredients and recipes to follow
- BBC Good Food website – easy cook recipe ideas -www.bbcgoodfood.com