Your students’ union will be able to give you support and advice about specific issues or problems.

There is some very good advice about looking for private accommodation on the NUA website.

The UEA advice is here.

Guidance from the government on renting is here.

We normally ask all applicants to visit Heathfield before signing a tenancy to secure their room.

If you live abroad, however, you may not be able to visit in advance.

We reserve a very small number of rooms every year for our Try before you buy option, which is intended to allow students from overseas to sample living at Heathfield before committing to a tenancy.

A little planning will save you from spending time and money bringing things you won’t need. Your basic list should include:

• proof of ID (eg passport)
• your Heathfield booking documentation
• towels and toiletries (including hairdryer, shaver etc.)
• personal computer or laptop
• chargers and leads
  The trunking above your desk includes 2 USB sockets as well as standard three-point sockets. We will supply a data cable for the data point giving you access to the full range of services provided by Glide.
• bedding
  If you prefer, you will be able to buy a bedding pack when you arrive, consisting of duvet, pillow, sheet, duvet cover and pillow case. A brand-new pack costs £21. For £12, we also have a few freshly laundered bedding sets. Please email to let us know you would like to reserve a one of these.

You’ll find each student kitchen equipped with basic crockery, cutlery, pans and utensils. In normal times, the Students’ Union at UEA holds a pots and pans sale at the start of term, though we can’t guarantee that will happen under coronavirus restrictions.

Each kitchen has a microwave, a kettle and a toaster, and at a minimum the following equipment:

• 1 sauté pan, 1 medium and 1 small pan, all with lids
• enough plates, sideplates, mugs, glasses, bowls, knives, forks and spoons for at least one per flat occupant
• 1 sharp knife (there is a knife sharpener in Reception if it needs sharpening) and a chopping board
• vegetable peeler
• grater
• tin opener
• wooden spoons, serving spoon, fish slice
• roasting dish
• oven tray
• mixing bowl and whisk
• tea-towels

We advise you to bring only a minimum. You will probably be able to pool equipment with your flatmates and you may not need to buy anything extra.

Follow us on Facebook. As your move-in date draws near, you will receive a link to join the Facebook group we set up for each year so that residents can make connections before they arrive at Heathfield.

Students also run their own active chat group for residents across the building.

Your address will be:

[Your name]
Heathfield Student Community Home
62 Cannell Green
Norwich
NR3 1TT

Each flat (A, B, C, D, E, and F) has its own postbox in the Reception area. So if you live in Flat A, your post will be put in the Flat A postbox.

Please don’t bring any of the following items when you move into Heathfield:

• kitchen appliances (fridge/mini-fridge/microwave/mini-oven)
• heater (the radiators in the rooms are adjustable)
• curtains or net curtains (curtains are provided)
• soft furnishings (rugs/beanbags/floor cushions – these could be a trip hazard in an emergency)
• extra furniture (could be a trip hazard in an emergency)
• candles/oil burners (our smoke detectors are very sensitive)
• any kind of weapon or firearm
• any pets (including insects, reptiles or fish).

The internet service here is very reliable. We use Glide, specialists in providing broadband services for student accommodation, over Heathfield’s dedicated 1Gb connection via BT.

Glide provide 24/7/365 service. The wifi service covers the whole building, and each room has its own individual data point and data cable so that residents can use a wired connection. The broadband width available is sufficient to cater, for example, for the requirements of games design students at the Norwich University of the Arts, and for those using their computers for online gaming.

Wifi is available in all the common areas. In the Heathfield Centre, for example, this means that students can set up their own film showings on the big screen by linking their own devices to the built-in projector.

We normally are not able to offer shorter contracts. The section below explains why this is.

If you need to be here beyond the end of the standard 46 week contract (e.g. if you are a postgraduate or you have a job or placement which means you need to stay in Norwich), please come and ask and we can probably extend your contract.

Why?

The standard length of contract in NUA campus accommodation is 46 weeks. At UEA, on-campus rooms are offered to first-year students in a 38-week contract. As on-campus spaces are limited, from the second year onwards nearly all students have to live off campus, and most find accommodation in the private rented sector.

In the private sector,  standard contracts are usually for at least 46 weeks and quite often run for the full year, i.e. 52 weeks. The monthly rent is often lower than at Heathfield, but very often this is because the amount is exclusive of bills, i.e. for rent only, and bills (electricity, gas, internet etc.) will be extra.

Here at Heathfield we have opted to use a 46-week contract as standard. This allows us to set the rent, inclusive of all bills, at a level where we can pay those bills while keeping housing costs affordable.

The only exception to this is for students visiting Norwich for one semester only under the ERASMUS scheme. If this is you, please get in touch to discuss your particular situation.

The common parts (main corridors) are regularly cleaned, and student showers, toilets and kitchens (but not lounges) are cleaned weekly.

We expect our residents to be considerate towards their flatmates and the housekeepers and always leave the shared facilities clean and tidy, as they would wish to find them. The housekeepers are not expected to do students’ washing up, and can’t clean properly if there is too much in their way!

Heathfield has three washing machines and two tumble dryers. There are also drying racks, and there is a washing line outside.

Use of the washing machines and the tumble dryers are the only costs you will have in addition to your rent. They are operated by token. The tokens cost £0.50 each, and each buys 30 minutes of electricity, either for a washing machine or a tumble dryer.

There is also one iron and ironing board, free to use.

Yes, if you intend to watch TV, by law you need a licence. When you arrive at Heathfield you will be find a hard copy of this information in your Welcome pack. It explains what you need and why.

Heathfield holds a TV licence for the Heathfield Centre, so students can use connect their laptops to the built-in projector to watch live TV in the Centre on the big screen.

Most buses in Norwich are run by First, though some are run by KonectBus.

The Travel page on the UEA website has a link for UEA staff and students to benefit from special rates on First buses in Norwich.

For those not at UEA, the most flexible option is First mTickets, managed via an app. These are cheaper than paying on the bus, and options include weekly passes and a 10-trip ticket. If you don’t have an mTicket, you can pay using contactless on the bus, but the ticket is a bit more expensive.

KonectBus also offers weekly, monthly and 10-trip tickets, and you can buy these using cash or contactless on the bus, or at Norwich Bus Station.

Have it as a friend, but not a master.

We don’t have specific rules as we are keen to leave it to you to manage your behaviour as an adult.

It is worth remembering that gatherings with lots of people and lots of alcohol can make that more of a challenge…