Advice for Off-Campus Students

Make sure you put the correct bins out on the correct days! Making sure that any food waste is contained within your food waste bin and NOT in your black bins, as this leads to the bags being ripped open by the pesky seagulls! Making sure that any food containers are washed before placing in the relevant bins is also a great way to avoid this. If you require new bags, you can collect new bags from these locations for free!

If you’re interested in keeping the local area clear of rubbish, we suggest following organisations such as 2minutebeachclean and Don’t Be A Tosser, who organise large-scale beach litter picks when they are most necessary. You can also volunteer with Discovery on regular litter picking sessions with fellow students and community members. 

Students and community members will often lead different lifestyles, with differing hours of activity, which can sometimes mean that amplified noise can be disruptive.  Issues, such as slamming doors, using the stairs or talking, do not qualify for noise complaints. Fire doors can often slam shut, so please be aware of this and be considerate of the noise they make!

Amplified noise, such as from speakers and televisions can cause disruption for neighbours. As a rule, if you can hear your music or TV when you are outside the home, then they are likely too loud.

Communication is key. We encourage establishing a clear channel of communication about the issues or disagreement - and whilst it may be tempting to do this over text messages, this can aggravate the situation due to confusions over meaning and tone. We suggest you sit down and talk it out, making sure to look at that issue from the other person’s perspective. 

If you are worried that the conflict within your house is extreme, or you just want the extra support, then please contact the Students’ Union Advice Centre for information on mediation. We find that the presence of an impartial third-party can be very helpful in resolving issues, so they don’t arise again.

The most effective way to solve most community issues is to know your neighbours and communicate in an understanding and neighbourly manner.

By swapping phone numbers, for example, you can open a line of communication for any problems, issues or complaints. This means your neighbours are more likely to contact you directly when the disruption is happening, instead of making a complaint to the local police. It is also common courtesy to let your neighbours know ahead of time if you’re planning a gathering in your home that they may find disruptive. A text or a note through the letterbox is always much appreciated!

We advise that neighbours speak to each other with empathy and try to envision how they would feel if roles were switched, with the hope, where possible, to resolve issues themselves.

Landlords are required to register themselves and any property they own, so you can look up the details of your property’s landlord by searching on the RentSmart Wales website. It is wise to do this before entering into a tenancy agreement.

Our team is always happy to support and advise you through any issues you may have with your landlord, although for the legal aspects we will direct you to the Student's Union Advice Centre, who are well versed in the surrounding legislation.

Like many Universities, Swansea University campuses do not provide parking for students, which is one of the many reasons we advise leaving your car at home when you come to University. Not only will you be a taxi service and designated driver for your friends and housemates, running a car may not be cost effective and even residential parking can be tricky in student areas. We understand this is not possible for everyone as in some instance’s car ownership is necessary.

Much of the local area is designated as residents-only parking, and as such you will require a parking permit to use these spaces. If you are living in the community and wish to park in the residents-only parking spaces, you will need to apply for a permit with the council. If you live within a rented multiple occupancy house, you’ll need to register with this online form before applying for a permit. Please make sure you can fulfil the evidence requirements and note that only 2 residents permits can be issued to each household.