The University of Bristol expects students to respect the local community and take responsibility for the behaviour of visitors to their homes. Members of the community can report unacceptable or anti-social student behaviour which can lead to disciplinary action.

Make a positive first impression and be a good neighbour by following the community behaviour guidelines.

First impressions count

If you are on friendly terms with your community, they are more likely to approach you with any concerns rather than the University, council or police.

Introduce yourself to your neighbours. Provide your contact details and ask them to let you know if they have any problems. You might like to print out and use this introductory greeting template to give to all your immediate neighbours to say hello (PDF, 223 KB).

Find out if they have young children who need to go to bed early, if they are elderly or whether they work from home and be considerate of their needs.

If your neighbours’ first experience of you is noise or mess, they are more likely to complain repeatedly.

Community behaviour guidance

Everyone living in the community must comply with national and local legislation. Areas of focus for student behaviour include:

Noise

Councils can investigate excessive noise occurring at any time of the day or night. Many houses in Bristol are old with poor insulation so noise travels easily through floors and walls.

You can reduce the risk of receiving noise complaints by:

• not holding large gatherings or house parties
• avoiding using the garden, street or rooms that adjoin neighbours’ bedrooms if you have visitors at night
• positioning stereos, TVs and speakers away from adjoining walls, keeping the volume low and using headphones
• keeping doors and windows closed to help prevent noise from travelling
• avoiding shouting, slamming doors or running up and down stairs
• making sure you and your guests arrive and leave quietly, particularly at night.

Waste and recycling

Overflowing waste can be hazardous, attract vermin and upset neighbours. However, as much as 70% of your household waste can be recycled weekly using the council’s recycling services.

Visit the Bristol Waste new residents and students page to find out when to put your waste out for collection. Or visit the Bristol City Council website to order new bins, report missed collections or dispose of different types of waste like bulky household items.

Remember that your bins and boxes should only be on the pavement on collection day. Our top tip is to set an alert on your phone to remind you to put your bins out and bring them back in again.

Please remember, the University considers repeated disregard of council guidelines for waste and recycling in the community as a form of anti-social behaviour. Such behaviour may result in both the University and the local council taking formal action.

Parking

You should not bring a car to Bristol unless it is essential; use alternative methods of student travel instead.

Cars parked on the road and rarely moved all term are a source of frustration to residents who struggle to find a parking space near their homes and need to use their cars daily.

If you choose to bring your car, you are responsible for complying with all local parking legislation, including Resident Parking Schemes.

Reports of unacceptable behaviour and disciplinary action

If members of the local community experience problematic behaviour from students, they may report this to the University Community Liaison Officer. The Community Liaison Officer will make you aware of any reported behaviour and take appropriate action to resolve and monitor problems.

The Community Liaison Officer will try to resolve issues informally. However, some reported behaviour may result in the University taking formal action in accordance with the Local Rules and Regulations of the University Student Disciplinary Regulations (Annex 2). 

The Community Liaison Officer may investigate allegations of:

• excessive noise or gatherings that cause a disturbance to members of the local community;
• violent, indecent, disorderly, threatening, intimidating or offensive behaviour or language addressed to members of the community whether expressed orally or in writing, including online behaviour in electronic form;
• bullying, harassment or unacceptable behaviour affecting any member of the local community.

You will have the opportunity to respond to allegations made against you. The Community Liaison Officer will investigate, gather evidence and write a report. This report is viewed by an impartial decision-maker to reach a verdict.

You will then receive an outcome letter to inform you if you have been found guilty of breaching the Local Rules and Regulations and of any penalties imposed.

The University of Bristol expects students to respect the local community and take responsibility for the behaviour of visitors to their homes. Members of the community can report unacceptable or anti-social student behaviour which can lead to disciplinary action. You can download the University of Bristol's paper on the Enforcement regarding student behaviour in the community (PDF, 195kB). 

Appeals

You may appeal against a finding of guilt or a penalty. Complete a Local Stage Disciplinary Appeal Form (Office document, 58kB) within 21 days of the decision and email it to appeals-behaviour@bristol.ac.uk.

We will not re-open the case or conduct any further investigation. However, we will review the decision in relation to your grounds of appeal.

We encourage you to seek advice from the Academic Advice Team in the Bristol Student's Union (SU) when preparing your appeal.

Advice and support

For independent advice on dealing with housing issues or complaints, contact the Bristol SU.

You can contact the Community Liaison Officer at community-living@bristol.ac.uk.