APPLYING FOR ACCOMMODATION

Information about applying for accommodation at NOOC

You can apply for accommodation if you are (or will be):

1. a post-graduate student or academic visitor at either the University of Oxford or Oxford Brookes University.

2. a post-graduate student or academic visitor from another university using the research facilities in Oxford.

3. an undergraduate student over the age of 21 studying at either the University of Oxford or Oxford Brookes University.

All applicants should be permanently resident outside the UK.

Most rooms are available only to applicants entering the UK on a Student or an Academic Visitor Visa (where a visa is required).

If you do not fall into the categories listed above (for example, you are an Academic Visitor coming on a Work Permit visa) and would like to know if you may be eligible for accommodation, please contact the Administrator.

How long can someone stay at the Centre?

Accommodation at the Centre is provided for stays of between 12 weeks and 1 year, although an Agreement may be extended up to a maximum of two years. Applications for bookings of less than 12 weeks will not be given priority. The minimum period of stay is one week (or two weeks between June and October).  Academic Visitors can only book for a maximum of 6 months.

Please note that we do not normally accept bookings that begin or end during the University academic terms.  Click here to find out these dates.

How to apply for accommodation

1. Please read all the information on this page.

2. If you consider that you meet our accommodation criteria (see above) and you think that there might be a suitable vacancy - please fill in an application form. 

Please answer every question on the form as we cannot consider your application without all the information.

Please note that you should apply the same number of months before your length of stay.

For example, if you want to stay for 2 months you should apply no earlier than 2 months before the arrival date.

Please note that an enquiry or application does not guarantee a booking.

Please contact the Administrator if you would like a copy of our Accommodation policy

3. We will then assess your application.

The following criteria are used to assess the eligibility of each applicant:

• Student or Academic Visitor status
• length of time resident within the UK and in Oxford (normally not more than 10% of rooms are allocated to people already in Oxford)
• financial situation
• the need of the applicant for the support of NOOC
• the need to maintain a multicultural, multidiscipline community within NOOC
  • This means that we will not allocate more than 10% of our accommodation to any one nationality or discipline in order to maintain a balance.
• the ability of the applicant to contribute to the life of the NOOC community

Priority will be given to:

• new arrivals from developing countries
• postgraduate students

The allocation of accommodation is the responsibility of the Housing Management Group (HMG) of the Board of Management. The decision of the Housing Management Group is final.

4. We will then contact you about your application

We aim to respond to applications within three working days of receipt. 

• Acceptance

If you are accepted, we will offer you a room, and state the dates that the room is available and the charges that will be made. You will also be asked to pay a returnable deposit of £200 - details of the terms and conditions and how to pay it will be sent with the letter of acceptance.

The letter of acceptance will ask you to reply and pay the deposit by a certain date - NOOC will cancel your reservation if you have not replied and paid the deposit by this date.

• Refusal

If we are not able to offer you accommodation we will write to you as early as possible to give you opportunity to look elsewhere.

• Pending

In some situations we may not be able to offer you accommodation immediately: 

• if you do not need a visa to enter the UK we may need to contact your Departmental Administrator to confirm that you will not be on the University payroll

• if we do not have a room definitely vacant for the dates you have requested but expect that one will become available we will tell you this and keep you informed about the situation

• if you applied early for accommodation we will put your application on hold until the appropriate time in advance to consider your application

Cancelling

Please see the next page for information about our cancellation policy

Some regulations for residents

Residents staying longer than 28 days must complete a Licence Agreement within a few days of arrival.

All damage to, or losses of, the Association's property by a resident, their family or guests must be paid for and the Housekeeper will carry out an inventory check at the end of a tenancy.

The date at which a resident is required to vacate the room will be specified at the time of registration or renewal of agreement. We ask that residents vacate their room by 10am on the specified date of departure.

To shorten a stay, because of early completion of a study course or the need to leave Oxford earlier than anticipated, notification must be made at least 28 days in advance

Finding alternative accommodation is not a reason to leave the Centre before the due departure date as agreed to on the Licence Agreement.

This means that if you want to move to alternative accommodation in Oxford before the expiry of your licence agreement we will not accept 28 days notice. We reserve the right to charge up to the end of the agreed licence period.

Residents may apply in writing to the Administrator for permission to transfer or exchange rooms

The Association has the right to terminate the Agreement if:

• the resident fails to pay the accommodation charges

• the resident breaches the terms of the Agreement

• the resident ceases to be engaged in full time academic study

• the resident has made false claims on the application form in order to be eligible for accommodation

To proceed to the application form please read the statement below and, if you agree, click on the link below:

"I agree that I have read the information about applying for accommodation at NOOC and the regulations for residents."

Go to the Application Form