How to keep your postgraduate student home clean and safe

Safe student accommodation If you are moving into postgraduate student accommodation this year, then you will understandably want to keep even cleaner than usual.

The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the importance of cleanliness and hygiene, and here are a few steps you can take to keep yourself and your housemates safe this year.

Choose the right accommodation

The first step in having a great, safe and clean postgraduate student home to live in, is choosing the right accommodation in the first place. Taking the time to understand your own accommodation needs and researching what is available, will help you feel secure. Picking university halls of residence or private halls of residence, such as Fresh, will give you the peace of mind that all the possible Covid-19-related safety measures have been taken already. Alternatively, you need to have a good conversation with your landlord and take advice from your students’ union or association about what the safety measures are.

Get a cleaner

The easiest way to get a cleaner is to choose accommodation from a private student accommodation provider, such as Fresh, who has an enhanced cleaning schedule already in place to take care of the communal areas. Knowing that these communal spaces are being regularly cleaned is a huge relief allowing you to concentrate on your postgraduate course. If this is not an option, and you can’t afford to pay for your own cleaner, you will need to appoint yourself and your fellow housemates as the cleaners and prepare a rota to ensure you keep your accommodation clean. There is plenty of advice about what you should clean and how, and don’t forget you’ll need to budget for the cost of cleaning materials in your weekly shopping list.

Set out some house rules

Setting out rules about who can come and visit and when will help you all get along. Fresh already has all of the rules and regulations set out in each tenant’s contract, which is ideal as it ensures that everyone know where they stand. Having rules in place also makes it easier for everyone else to take action if someone is breaking the rules. Otherwise, you will have to set out the house rules at the start of the year and having a house meeting regularly, say once a week, to allow you to keep on top of changing local regulations. If you are not getting on with your housemates, or they seem reluctant to follow a few basic ground rules, contact your students’ union or association for their advice. If you’re renting from a private company like Fresh, speak to them to see what they can do to help.

Follow all of the other regulations too

Just because there are additional safety features in many postgraduate student accommodation buildings (for example screens) to protect staff and students, doesn’t mean that all of the other safety concerns have gone away. Fresh has other features like safety locks and ways for students to get to know each other in-person and online. If you are renting privately from a landlord, then check gas and electrical safety and speak with your students’ union or association for guidance on local renting regulations. Spending time when you move in checking that the windows and doors close and lock when you move in will save you worry in the long term.