University residence rent rebate
Rent post-Easter vacation
Further to the Government announcements about the return to teaching for some courses not being possible until 17 May at the earliest, we understand that for some students, remaining in your University residence is no longer necessary for your learning attainment. The University is offering students an early relase from their tenancy in certain circumstances, check that you are eligible.
Summer term rent FAQS
My course isn't returning to teaching, do I have to pay rent?
If your course isn't returning to teaching you need to check that you qualify for the early release from your tenancy.
I've decided not to come back to Bristol, do I have to pay rent?
If you make the decision to not come back to Bristol you need to check that you are eligible for the early release from your tenancy.
Rebates already paid
The University reacted to Government announcements affecting students throughout the 2020/21 academic year and have offered a number of different rent rebates.
Rebate to all students
All our student tenants automatically received our first two rebates, detailed below. The first was introduced when the UK Government asked students to return home before the Winter break, and the University moved to online teaching in order to facilitate that. We then reduced rent again with our second rebate, for 30% of the amount due from the end of this period for seven weeks until early February to support our students with the phased return to University that was initially planned for the January period. If you did not apply/qualify for the third rebate, your rebate credit was made up of:
- Rebate 1: 10 day (9 nights) 100% rebate from 10 Dec to 19 Dec
- Rebate 2: 50 day (49 nights) 30% rebate from 19 Dec to 6 Feb.
The sum of these rebates appears as one total amount in your Financial Statement in the MyBristol portal and are labelled 'Accommodation Credit Note', dated 5 February.
Further rebate for students not in room
As a result of the national lockdown in January we then offered third rebate of a 100% rent reduction for the period 1 February to 26 March for students not currently living in their University-allocated accommodation and who applied for the rebate by the deadline. If you did apply for the third rebate, your rebate credit is made up of:
- Rebate 1: 10 day (9 nights) 100% rebate from 10 Dec to 19 Dec
- Rebate 2: 45 day (44 nights) 30% rebate from 19 Dec to 1 Feb
- Rebate 3: 55 day (54 nights) 100% rebate from 1 Feb to 26 March
The sum of these rebates will appear as one total amount in your Financial Statement in the MyBristol portal and are labelled 'Accommodation Credit Note', dated 5 February.
On 4 March we emailed all students in receipt of Rebate 3 to confirm that the end date of the rebate has been extended by 3 weeks to cover the Easter vacation. A top up credit was applied to your rent account for this amount in mid-March.
FAQs about the rebates already paid
How and when will I get the rebates?
The first two rebates were applied to all our student tenant accounts automatically, you do not need to do anything.
For students not in room, you needed to have applied for the third rebate by the deadline of 27 January. All students received daily email reminders to multiple email addresses advising them of the closing date and late requests to apply for the rebate will not be accepted.
Your rent account has now been credited with your total rebate amount. You can log in now to see the credit amount and the new balance owed in your MyBristol portal under your Financial Statement, the total rebated amount is labelled 'Accommodation Credit Note', dated 5 February.
All automated payments (Direct Debit or Recurring Card Payment) for accommodation fees between 24 January and 1 April were stopped to allow us to process the rebates, so you will now need to log in to make the payment that was originally due on 24 January manually.
To make your delayed January payment:
- Visit the Fees and funding channel of your MyBristol portal and go to your Financial Statement.
- Third Party payments: visit University of Bristol | Fees Pay Now.
- Pay the amount shown as the balance due against the 'Payment plan due on 24/Feb/2021' line of your statement.
You needed to complete these steps and pay the amount due by the new payment deadline of 24 February.
Why didn't you take my January payment?
We cancelled all automatic payments (Direct Debit or Recurring Card Payments) that were due to be taken on 24 Janaury to allow us time to apply the rebate credit to your account.
You will now need to log in to make the payment that was originally due on 24 January manually.
To make your delayed January payment:
- Visit the Fees and funding channel of your MyBristol portal and go to your Financial Statement.
- Third Party payments: visit University of Bristol | Fees Pay Now.
- Pay the amount shown as the balance due against the 'Payment plan due on 24/Feb/2021' line of your statement.
You needed to complete these steps and pay the amount due by the new payment deadline of 24 February.
When is my next rent payment due?
The new payment deadline was 24 February, but note that you will need to make a manual payment.
Now your rent balance has been amended to include the rebate amounts, you can make your next payment. You will need to log in to make the payment that was originally due on 24 January manually.
To make your delayed January payment:
- Visit the Fees and funding channel of your MyBristol portal and go to your Financial Statement.
- Third Party payments: visit University of Bristol | Fees Pay Now.
- Pay the amount shown as the balance due against the 'Payment plan due on 24/Feb/2021' line of your statement.
You needed to complete these steps and pay the amount due by the new payment deadline of 24 February.
After this date we will begin to send payment reminders out to you.
Why do I have to pay anything when I'm not in my room?
Payments for accommodation are made in three installments during the year:
- 24 October (40% of total invoice which you should have already paid),
- 24 January (30% of invoice),
- 24 April (30%) of invoice.
Your original payment due for 24 January was for 30% of your total accommodation bill for 20/21. We postponed this payment date to 24 February to allow us to apply your rebate to this installment. This change has adjusted the January installment of your payment plan as follows:
- 24 February: 30% of invoice - rebate credit = new amount due.
For most students this leaves something payable for this installment. The amount you need pay is shown as the balance due against the 'Payment plan due on 24/Feb/2021' line of your Financial Statement. You need to make this payment on or before 24 February.
Example calculation:
Your total accommodation invoice for the year was originally for £7000 (example amount). You paid 40% of this on 24 October and before your rebate you were due to pay another 30% of the total on 24 January, which was £2100 (example amount), but we stopped this collection to apply your rebate. Your rebate total came to £1800 (example amount) which we have deducted from the £2100 (example amount) you were due to pay in this installment. This leaves a difference of £300 (example amount) that remains payable for the January installment by the revised deadline of 24 February.
I live in a nomination property will I still qualify for the rent rebate?
Chantry Court, Deans Court and Woodland Court are nomination properties, this means that you apply to live in them via the University's application process, but that a third-party provider is your landlord and you pay your rent directly to them. If you have an active tenancy in one of these residences, you will have received an email on 12 January confirming that nomination properties are included in the new rebate and the previous rebates.
We emailed all students in these properties again on 26 February with details on what you need to do to receive your rebate payment.
Woodland Court and Deans Court students were paid their rebate on 31 March.
Chantry Court students payments are still being processed.
I missed the deadline to apply for the third rebate, can I still apply?
No, late applications are not possible. Any students who missed the deadline to apply are no longer eligible for the rebate.
The rebate was advertised clearly to all eligible students with a long application window in order to give all our students the time needed to submit their application. Any student who had not completed the application received daily email reminders to multiple email addresses advising them clearly of the closing date, and late requests to apply for the rebate will not be accepted.
I applied for the third rebate but need to move back to my room
If you have to return to your University residence any time between 1 February and 16 April email accom-office@bristol.ac.uk to confirm your return to residence and we will reinstate your rent charges from the date of your return.
Your should ensure that your return is permitted under the exceptional circumstances detailed in the Government guidelines and ensure you have read and understood the University's information on what you need to do to return.
If you are found to be in room at any point between 5 January and 16 April and have not informed us, we will not provide the third rent rebate. If the rebate has already been applied to your account your rent changes will be reinstated in full. If you are found to have applied for the rebate fraudulently this will be investigated as misconduct under the Student Disciplinary Regulations.
Financial help
If you're experiencing financial hardship we have some emergency funding options that may be able to help.
If you want to talk to someone, contact our Student Services team for advice at student-services@bristol.ac.uk.
Wellbeing and support
We have a range of free support and wellbeing services available.