Maintenance & Housekeeping

Reporting a maintenance fault or repair

Any emergencies should be reported by calling the Porters’ Lodge immediately.

Please report any other faults or maintenance issues in your accommodation by:

• filling out a maintenance request slip in the Porters’ Lodge and placing it in the Maintenance pigeonhole;
• calling the Porters’ Lodge on: 01223 (3) 35660 or Maintenance on: 01223 (3) 35688 (Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 4.30pm); or
• Emailing the Maintenance Department on maintenance@darwin.cam.ac.uk.

Housekeeping issues should be reported using the book in the Porters’ Lodge. Alternatively the College Housekeeping team may be contacted by telephone on: 01223 (3) 35686 or by email.

– Emergency issues are responded to immediately, and usually handled within the hour.

– Urgent repairs are normally dealt with within 12 hours, except at the weekend when they may take up to 48 hours.

– Non-urgent repairs will be assessed within 48 hours and will be resolved within 14 days.

If for any reason a room becomes uninhabitable due to the issue, or due to the disturbance caused by the repair, alternative accommodation will be offered either temporarily or permanently at the same rate as the original accommodation.

If the Maintenance team need to carry out repairs in your room, they will aim to let you know at least 24 hours in advance, except when an emergency issue requires immediate entry. Records are kept as to when any room has been entered, the work that has been carried out, and whether further access will be needed.

Any complaints about outstanding or ineffective repairs may be made in the first place to the Accommodation Office, who may then escalate the issue to the Head of Domestic Operations.

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Room Checks

The operational staff will normally carry out room checks several times a year, including in the first term. Whenever possible you will be told in advance when access to your room is required to ensure privacy. As detailed in the accommodation licence, any possessions not permitted in rooms will be removed.

College staff and College authorised contractors will occasionally need to enter your room to carry out essential duties such as emergency repairs, replacement or cleaning of fixtures/fittings and for inspections. Prior notice will be given by email whenever possible.

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Prohibited Items

Candles and incense burners, shisha or hookah pipes, explosives, fireworks or firearms (including air-guns) may not be kept in any College property under any circumstances. The use or storage of paraffin heaters or any other forms of flammable liquids, including barbecue lighter fluid and coals, etc is forbidden, as is the use of barbecues on College property (including in the gardens).

No cooking equipment (eg microwaves, rice cookers, toasters, kettles etc) is allowed in College rooms. These items should only be kept and used in kitchens.

Failure to obey these prohibitions will be regarded by the College as a serious disciplinary offence.

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Electrical Equipment

All appliances used in College properties (inc. kitchens) should conform to a British Standard and should be PAT tested before use. If you are unsure of whether any electrical equipment you have conforms to this standard please speak to the maintenance team. The College arranges PAT testing to be carried out in October on all electrical appliances, including student owned equipment. The Maintenance Department will issue details of PAT testing arrangements. The College reserves the right to remove unsafe electrical items from student accommodation

Students who purchase electrical equipment after the October PAT testing week are to contact the Clerk of Works to arrange PAT testing of that equipment. A charge may be levied for this testing.

Items such as fridges & freezers (in addition to those supplied by the College), microwaves, hobs or rice cookers are not permitted in individual rooms. Washing and drying (condensing) machines are allowed in certain areas subject to prior permission from the Head of Maintenance.

Square electrical adaptors are no longer legal for use in College properties – 4-way extensions are allowed but Fire Regulations ban multiple usage (i.e. extensions plugged into extensions). If you are travelling from overseas, you are advised to bring the minimum of personal electrical equipment because it may not conform to British Standards. This applies to leads, adaptors and plugs as much as to appliances

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Furniture

Do not replace or remove any furniture from your room unless you have the prior written permission of the Head of Maintenance or the Head of Domestic Operations. Any furniture or soft furnishings that are introduced into rooms must comply with current Fire Safety Regulations in respect of fire-retardant materials.

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Heating and Hot Water

Central heating will be provided in residences for a period of time that spans the winter season (hot water is provided all year). The start and end dates for heating provision are set annually depending on weather conditions and apply to all properties.

Heating and hot water times may vary from property to property but are usually 6.30am to 11.00am and 3.30pm to 11.50pm. Heating is generally maintained 24 hours a day in the Study Centre during the winter.

The use of electric radiators and/or fan heaters is not permitted in College accommodation, except with prior written permission from the Head of Maintenance  or Domestic Bursar.

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Lighting

Remember to turn off all lights and electrical equipment when not in use or when leaving your room.  Replacement low energy bulbs are available free of charge from the Porters’ Lodge or from the Maintenance office. Bulbs which are difficult to reach or in public areas will be replaced by the Maintenance Department; please report any which are not working.

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Pictures and Posters

Never use sticky-tape or sellotape, blue or white tack, drawing pins or stick-on hooks on College walls or paintwork. Please use the notice boards provided. If you do not have a notice board in your room please contact the Maintenance team.

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Bedding & Bed Linen

You must provide your own bedding & bed linen but please use the mattress protectors provided by the College. A ‘Get You In’ pack of basic bedding can be purchased from the Housekeeping department (or Porters’ Lodge outside of office hours) at a cost of £30. Hard boards are available on request from the Maintenance team to support mattresses if you find them too soft. Additional beds, mattresses (inc inflatable) and futons are not allowed in College rooms.

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Laundry Facilities

There are washing machines and dryers available to use free of charge in the College Laundry Room, which is situated on the ground floor of Newnham Grange. An iron and ironing board are also provided.

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Housekeeping

Housekeeping staff are employed by the College to carry out cleaning of public areas, kitchens/gyp rooms & bath/shower rooms on Monday to Friday mornings. Residents are expected to take responsibility for the day-to-day cleanliness of both their own rooms and the shared facilities.

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Cleaning of rooms and accommodation

Please check your room or flat inventory on arrival. Any discrepancies must be put in writing to the Accommodation Manager within the first four weeks of occupancy.

All residents are responsible for the cleaning of their own accommodation and for ensuring that they leave all public areas clean after use.

Hoovers are available to use and must be returned to the appropriate landing/corridor after use, with the wire rewound and ensuring that all corridors and fire exits are kept clear.

All residents are responsible for leaving their room, and any public accommodation they share, clean.

Please note – if you do not clean your room before going on vacation, or if you do not clean and clear your room before handing back your keys, housekeeping charges will be placed on your College account – a list of these charges is available from the Housekeeping Office.

There is a strict ‘no smoking’ policy throughout the College buildings – this includes bedrooms.

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Bath and Shower Rooms

These rooms should be left clean and the floors must be left dry at all times so please always pull the shower curtain closed when showering. Empty shampoo bottles will be removed by housekeeping staff. The Dossil (small blue rubber mat) must remain over the shower drain at all times – this is to prevent blockages.

Ensuite rooms are descaled and the shower curtains changed by your cleaner in the first week of each month.

Used toilet paper must be flushed down the toilet not put into bins.  Conversely, paper hand towels should be put in the bin, not down the toilet. Toilet seats are for sitting on; lift them up if you do not wish to use them. Sanitary disposal bins are provided in each property – please do not dispose of sanitary products in waste bins. Toilet tissue is only provided in accommodation on the College site, in the Old Granary and in the Malting House.

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Kitchens

Kitchen facilities are provided primarily for the preparation of hot drinks and snacks.  The kitchens must be cleaned promptly afterwards. All electrical items in the kitchens must have your room number on or they will be removed. Cooking is not allowed in bedrooms; this includes the use of kettles, toasters, rice cookers and microwaves.

NEVER leave cooking unattended and check that you have SWITCHED OFF the cooker after use.

Do not leave dirty crockery or cutlery around the sink, nor food on cookers and work surfaces. Your cleaner is not responsible for your washing up.  Do not leave rice, pasta, tea leaves and remains of other foods in the sinks or basins – please use the kitchen waste bin provided.

Contract cleaning charges will be made if public areas are left in an unreasonable condition after entertaining. Kitchen rubbish must be removed if the bag is full and replaced with a clean one.

Your accommodation provides a refrigerator and kitchen cupboard storage. Out of date and mouldy foods will be removed regularly from fridges. Any cases of pilferage of others foodstuffs will be treated as theft.

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Recycling

All kitchens are provided with a blue or black box for recyclable waste and one bin for landfill waste. Clear signs are provided to say what can and cannot be recycled. You can also take most items for recycling to Recycling Points around the City.

Food recycling compost bins and liners are available on request from the Housekeeping department. Students are encouraged to keep these in a clean area of the kitchen and regularly change the liners to avoid smells and insects.

If the wrong waste is put in the recycling boxes the Council will not collect the waste so please read the recycling posters carefully. Everything in the recycling boxes must be washed and clean and not put into bags. No foods or liquids should be put in the recycling box (remnants of foods or liquid will attract vermin and insects, as well as smelling, especially in warm weather).

You can recycle the following items in the boxes situated in the kitchens:

Paper – not shredded
Shopping catalogues
Envelopes (including window envelopes)
Cardboard (broken into small flat pieces – no big boxes)
Tins and cans
Aerosol cans
Glass bottles and jars (with lids removed)
Plastic bottles – including drinks, shampoo and detergent bottles (with lids removed)
Drink soup cartons (e.g. tetra packs)

Lids and caps must be removed and put in the landfill waste bin to enable the bottles and cartons in the recycling box to be sorted correctly.

All broken glass must be wrapped carefully in several layers of newspaper before it is put in the recycling box (or alternatively it should be wrapped carefully and put in a plastic bag in the landfill bin).  This will avoid injury to students and staff when dealing with the recycling. Be careful not to leave tins with sharp lids sticking out – once the tin is rinsed please fold the lid back into the tin so it does not risk harming anyone.

If you have any questions about, or problems with, recycling in your kitchen please contact either: The Darwin College Green Committee by email on dcsa_green@darwin.cam.ac.uk or the Housekeeping department housekeeping@darwin.cam.ac.uk

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