Tomorrow!

If you’re moving out of your privately rented accommodation at the end of June, you might like to attend tomorrow’s ‘Focus on….’ talk. The talk (1.30-1.50pm, 2nd June in the MSH office) will give you some tips on how you ensure that all your obligations are fulfilled when you move out.  Much of the advice students ask us for over the summer relates to non-return of deposits, however these problems could often been avoided if tenants take the time to ensure everything is done properly at the end of their tenancy. 

If you or one of your housemates cannot make the talk, please contact us as soon as possible for advice on what you need to do at the end of your tenancy. We also advise your landlord to write to you at this time of year with details of what you need to do.

Don’t bin it – bag it! Help a charity and win a prize!

Landlords – please could you make your tenants aware of the following.

Students – Moving out this summer? Environment on call (part of Manchester City Council) will be delivering green and clear bags which you can fill with unwanted items for collection (bags are also available from students’ unions and will shortly be available from the MSH office). Your unwanted items, such as sheets, clothes, tinned food, pots and pans, will be collected from the kerbside  between now and 3rd July and donated to charity.

Text to win! If you’ve used the green or clear bag scheme, text  zero waste with your name and full postal address to 86099 or email recycling@manchester.gov .uk to be entered into a competition to win a variety of prizes, including tickets to Pangea and a student Stagecoach bus pass for 2010/11. The competition closes on 4th July 2010.

To find out more, visit www.manchester.gov.uk/recycling or contact Environment on call on 0161 954 9000

In addition, there will be extra recycling collections between now and 3rd July.

Students – rooms near Oxford Road and city centre added online

Students – about 200 rooms in private halls close to the Oxford Road campuses and in the city centre have been added to our website today. In addition there are several short term rooms available in private halls over the summer. You can search for private halls here.

There are still a very large number of houses, flats and houseshares available for next academic year – search on our website.

Students – avoid deductions from your deposit!

If you’re moving out of your privately rented accommodation at the end of June, you might like to attend our next ‘Focus on….’ talk. The talk (1.30-1.50pm, 2nd June in the MSH office) will give you some tips on how you ensure that all your obligations are fulfilled when you move out.  Much of the advice students ask us for over the summer relates to non-return of deposits, however these problems could often been avoided if tenants take the time to ensure everything is done properly at the end of their tenancy. 

If you or one of your housemates cannot make the talk, please contact us as soon as possible for advice on what you need to do at the end of your tenancy. We also advise your landlord to write to you at this time of year with details of what you need to do.

Summer accommodation

Students – Manchester Student Homes are in the process of compiling a list of short term summer accommodation. You’ll be able to collect this from our office or by email. Please contact us for more details.

Landlords – please contact us for details of how your property can be featured on the summer list. Registered landlords should have received an email with details of this service.

Students – win a cash prize, enjoy a BBQ (and don’t forget to vote)

Friday 14th May – Platt Fields Park

Manchester Community Reps have asked us to let you know about the following event – enjoy yourself and be a friend to your community!:

‘On the 14th of May MyMCR will be hosting a cleaning up competition for students, and afterwards a scrumptious finger-licking barbecue open to everyone – students and the wider community.

 What: Competition with a generous cash prize and free BBQ after

 When: Friday 14th May

 3 – 5pm Clean Up, 5pm onwards: BBQ

 Where: Platt Fields Park

 Meet outside Owens Park reception at 3pm, (enthusiastic groups of no bigger than 5). Collect as much rubbish as you can in the Fallowfield area, cleaning equipment and maps provided. Winners announced during the BBQ at Platt Fields at 5pm and prize money will be dished out!’

AND…today is election day! If you’re registered to vote, don’t forget you have until 10pm to do so.

Plenty of homes available for next year!

Students!

There are still plenty of properties advertised on our website, including many in Fallowfield, Rusholme, Victoria Park, Withington and Salford, some 7, 8 and 9 bedroom properties and properties available to families. There are also apartments and rooms available in private halls. If you have specific requirements, such as single semester accommodation, please contact us for advice.

Manchester Community Reps

The University of Manchester Students’ Union has started a new community scheme. The following is quoted from their blog:

‘In February, the University of Manchester Students’ Union established Manchester’s first ever student Community Representative Scheme.

MyMCR (Manchester Community Reps) is an exciting project involving eight students who were chosen from nearly 50 applicants for their passion, creativity and ambition. There are two Community Representatives for four different areas:

* Fallowfield

* Moss Side/Hulme

* Rusholme

* Withington

The Community Reps attend local community meetings, organise events (last week, for instance, they staged a cleanup operation in the streets of Rusholme!) and generally act as ambassadors for the positive role students can play in their local communities.

If you have any questions, please contact Vicky Thompson on 0161 275 2945 or welfare@umsu.manchester.ac.uk.’

University of Manchester students – volunteer!

University of Manchester students may be interested in this project:

‘STUDENT COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER PROJECT

AN OPPORTUNITY TO HELP CREATE A POSITIVE IMAGE OF STUDENTS IN MANCHESTER SAT 24TH AND SUN 25^TH OF APRIL

In just a few months you will be leaving Halls and moving into private accommodation. This means leaving one community and becoming part of a new one.

The University is offering the opportunity for you to help create links with your new communities and project a positive image of Manchester’s student population by volunteering for various jobs that will benefit and enrich the lives of yourselves and those living around you.

This opportunity would be a great addition to your CV as well as a taster for the Manchester Leadership Project (http://www.mlp.manchester.ac.uk/about/  for more details) which can lead to additional credits towards your degree. It can also help push your hall forward in the carbon control competition league by getting a group of volunteers from your halls to help out at one of the designated carbon control events.

There are a number of jobs that you can volunteer for and all are located in areas around south Manchester (Withington, Didsbury, Ladybarn etc). Activities include:

• Tidying parks
• Planting flowers/trees etc
• Painting rooms in a hostel for the homeless
• Weeding and general gardening in local parks

If you are interested in taking part in this project please contact:

Dominic Kane (Pastoral Support O.P.) dominic.kane@manchester.ac.uk

Alexander Clark (Environmental Officer) alexander.clark@manchester.ac.uk’

Easter opening

Most universities and colleges are currently on vacation, and most return to teaching on 19th April. 

Manchester Student Homes remain open 9-5 Monday-Friday throughout the vacation, with the exception of the bank holidays. As expected, we’re finding this a fairly quiet time in terms of enquiries from students, but some groups and individuals are still coming in. If you’re a landlord and are going to be away over Easter, you might want to set voicemail and out of office email messages to let enquirers know when you’ll be able to respond to them.

We hope you enjoy the long weekend!