random room inspection without warning

1

My accommodation is having an issue enforcing rules around no cannabis and smoking indoors this has been an ongoing issue for some time now.
Recently they sent an email saying
"We take the wellbeing and comfort of all residents very seriously. In order to address this ongoing issue, we will be implementing weekly random checks of rooms where smoking activity is suspected."
and I've been informed apparently smoking is suspected in my room yet I haven't smoked anything inside all year! I don't know what to do because it feels like a serious invasion of privacy they can come into my room whenever just cus they have an incorrect suspicion
I get there's probably not much i can do but if anyone has had a similar situation has any advice I'd appreciate it
TIA

Reply 1

that_guy1012

3

You should try reaching out to your university student union, they should be able to do something against an unconsentual invasion of privacy

Reply 2

martin7

20

Original post

by Tallulahh

My accommodation is having an issue enforcing rules around no cannabis and smoking indoors this has been an ongoing issue for some time now.
Recently they sent an email saying
"We take the wellbeing and comfort of all residents very seriously. In order to address this ongoing issue, we will be implementing weekly random checks of rooms where smoking activity is suspected."
and I've been informed apparently smoking is suspected in my room yet I haven't smoked anything inside all year! I don't know what to do because it feels like a serious invasion of privacy they can come into my room whenever just cus they have an incorrect suspicion
I get there's probably not much i can do but if anyone has had a similar situation has any advice I'd appreciate it
TIA

Your accommodation contract should specify when they can and can't enter your room and how much notice they need to give.

I didn't seen any wording in what you've written that says that they will enter "whenever" -- they're saying "random checks", not "random checks with no notice".

But as @that_guy1012 says, your student union would be a good place to get advice.

Reply 3

University of Salford Student Rep

Official Rep

13

Original post

by Tallulahh

My accommodation is having an issue enforcing rules around no cannabis and smoking indoors this has been an ongoing issue for some time now.
Recently they sent an email saying
"We take the wellbeing and comfort of all residents very seriously. In order to address this ongoing issue, we will be implementing weekly random checks of rooms where smoking activity is suspected."
and I've been informed apparently smoking is suspected in my room yet I haven't smoked anything inside all year! I don't know what to do because it feels like a serious invasion of privacy they can come into my room whenever just cus they have an incorrect suspicion
I get there's probably not much i can do but if anyone has had a similar situation has any advice I'd appreciate it
TIA

Hi @Tallulahh 😊

I haven't dealt with this myself but have plenty of friends who've dealt with similar things over the years. Your accommodation has a duty to ensure rules are being abided by and there are certain agreements made when you stay in student accommodation but some clarity on the situation could help you to feel your privacy is being respected too.

As others have said, this sounds like something to go to your student union about for some support and advice. There should be some kind of student support team available to help you with issues related to accommodation.

I understand how you are feeling this way, your room is your safe space and it is reasonable for you to want a clear understanding of what is happening. It could be good to ask for some support from whoever you speak to at your student union in writing an email to ask for some clarity on the situation? Just for your peace of mind and so it doesn't feel like such an unwarranted invasion of privacy. You could also ask for some more info on what these checks entail so you know what will be happening in your personal space.

Hopefully this is just a brief occurrence as a warning to those breaking the rules!

Becky
University of Salford Rep

Reply 4

Malak - UOS

Official Rep

7

Original post

by Tallulahh

My accommodation is having an issue enforcing rules around no cannabis and smoking indoors this has been an ongoing issue for some time now.
Recently they sent an email saying
"We take the wellbeing and comfort of all residents very seriously. In order to address this ongoing issue, we will be implementing weekly random checks of rooms where smoking activity is suspected."
and I've been informed apparently smoking is suspected in my room yet I haven't smoked anything inside all year! I don't know what to do because it feels like a serious invasion of privacy they can come into my room whenever just cus they have an incorrect suspicion
I get there's probably not much i can do but if anyone has had a similar situation has any advice I'd appreciate it
TIA

Hello,

That sounds really stressful and an invasion of privacy, especially when you've done nothing wrong.

Definitely reach out to your Students' Union advice service if you have one. They're great at helping students navigate exactly this kind of issue and can advise you on your rights, plus support you in challenging it if needed.

In the meantime, maybe email accommodation politely asking what led to your room being suspected. Hope it gets sorted!

Good luck,
Malak

Reply 5

hallamstudents

Official Rep

18

Original post

by Tallulahh

My accommodation is having an issue enforcing rules around no cannabis and smoking indoors this has been an ongoing issue for some time now.
Recently they sent an email saying
"We take the wellbeing and comfort of all residents very seriously. In order to address this ongoing issue, we will be implementing weekly random checks of rooms where smoking activity is suspected."
and I've been informed apparently smoking is suspected in my room yet I haven't smoked anything inside all year! I don't know what to do because it feels like a serious invasion of privacy they can come into my room whenever just cus they have an incorrect suspicion
I get there's probably not much i can do but if anyone has had a similar situation has any advice I'd appreciate it
TIA

Hi there,

I would suggest similar to what others on here have said - have a read of your contract and see if it specifies at all how much notice your accommodation would have to give you if they wanted to inspect your room. It will often say - e.g. 24 hours notice, but it may be the case that saying they will inspect your room at some point during the week is enough notice to give you.

I would also talk to your SU about this as they shouldn't really just be sending emails out like this without any other warnings or information about the room inspections. Your SU should have a team who can advise you on things like this and you can explain how they have suggested that you may be smoking in your room when you have not done that at all so that they can give you some advice on this, and also so that it can all be logged just in case anything does happen with the accommodation team.

You could also talk to the accommodation team at your uni if you are staying in a halls which is owned and managed by the uni. We have some at Hallam where they are owned by Hallam so if you have an issue they are helpful and can sort some issues such as this out for you so this could be worth a try.

Also, just talking to reception at your accommodation and asking for any more information could help too, even if it is just to explain that your room has been flagged but you have not been smoking in it so again they have a record of you saying this.

I hope some of this helps,

Lucy -SHU student ambassador.

random room inspection without warning

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