House Rules

ACCENT RESIDENCE RULES

The following House Rules have been adapted from the Regulations under the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 .

Please note that although, legally, Accent Residence does not fall under the jurisdiction of the Residential Tenancies Act Management has committed itself to the Act for your protection. We ask that you commit yourself to the Act, also.

1. Residents are required to observe these House Rules.

2. All rents must be paid on time and when they become due. Payments are to be made to the Manager.

3. YOUR ROOM or any other part of this property must not be used for any illegal purposes.
Students are required to bring and wash their own linen and towels etc. It is important for you to feel at home, so please decorate the room accordingly; however nails, screws, pins, adhesive tape and other items such as stickers and transfers which can damage walls are not to be used. Blu Tack needs to be used sparingly and will need to be removed by you at the end of your residency. Also souvenirs collected illegally are not to be used as decorations or be brought on to Hostel grounds. Weapons are also not permitted on hostel grounds.

4. Your room is rented to you and does not provide for the provision of accommodation for anyone else. If you intend to have visitors staying with you, then you must firstly obtain the permission of management. (Please note that a charge for visitor’s accommodation is applicable.)

5. You must not keep any animals in your room or on the property unless you receive permission from management. (Please note that in most cases permission will NOT be granted.

6. CLEANING: Your room must be kept tidy so that there is not fire or health risk. Housekeepers will vacuum and dust rooms once a week. Please ensure the floor is free of clothes etc. All rooms must be cleaned once a week. Room inspections may happen from time to time.

7. When you permanently vacate your room you must leave it clean and tidy. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO REMOVE ALL RUBBISH FROM YOUR ROOM.

We organize regular cleaning of the common areas as agreed. However we do not do the dishes. Please leave the kitchen, bathrooms and living areas as you would like to find them. A vacuum cleaner is supplied.

8. You must tell management if anything in your room is damaged or not working.

9. You must also tell management if anything you use in the building or on the property is not working, broken or in dangerous condition. Management will then attend to the repair as soon as possible.

10. You must allow management reasonable access to your room for inspections. Management reserves the right to enter your room in case of an emergency. (For example: When a fire alarm has gone off or when smokes is detected coming from your room; if your rent is overdue and you have not been seen on the property for a few days.)

11. You must use rubbish bins provided throughout the building. Please do not throw rubbish, including cigarette butts, in or around the property.

12. You will observe the ‘NO SMOKING’ rule in the building. There are NO areas around the building for smokers.

ALCOHOL: Alcohol is not permitted on the hostel grounds. Bottles or cans used for alcohol are not to be displayed or stored in private rooms.

13. You will observe the ‘NO COOKING’ rule unless you are cooking in the kitchen and BBQ areas. When cooking, do not leave it unattended. All cooking appliances must be turned off when you have finished cooking. All cooking appliances and utensils are to be washed, dried and put away after use. Bench tops and stovetops must also be cleaned after use.

14.No drugs on the property at any time.

15. If you fail to observe Rules 12, 13 and 14, and you set off the fire alarms; you will pay for the cost of the Fire Brigade attending to the alarms.

16. You must check your food in the fridge regularly. Al expired and spoilt food must be disposed of.

17. You must not interfere with any part of the fire system or any controls or equipment n the building.

18. You must not seriously interrupt the privacy, peace, comfort or quiet enjoyment of other residents. If you do, then management reserves the right to ask you to leave.

If you are unsure of anyone in the hostel please notify the manager or duty staff member immediately. Please take notice that the hostel insurance DOES NOT cover the personal belongings of residents. Please do not enter other residents’ rooms without their permission.

19. You will be expected to show good and courteous behavior to all other residents at all times.

20. You must not do anything that may create a danger to others on the premises

21. You must not interfere with the free enjoyment of rooms by other residents. Please be sensitive of noise levels, particularly after 10:30pm and be considerate also of the neighbors.

22. You are responsible for the security of the house. Please make sure the whole house (all external doors) is secure when you go out.

23.You have one key which fits all external house doors as well as your room. Losing your key compromises everyone's security. Do not attempt to break-in to your room. Call us. A replacement key will be arranged at your cost.

You must not make copies of your keys that have been given to you by the management. When you permanently vacate your room, all keys must be returned to management. You will pay for the cost of keys, when are not returned, or for any lost keys. Note that the front door security key will cost $60.00 and the bedroom key will cost $60.00.

24. When using external doors to the building, you must make sure that the doors are closed and locked. This requirement is for everyone’s safety and security.

25. You must not interfere with any mail that does not belong to you and has been placed in the letter rack in the reception area. It is against the law to interfere with another person’s mail. Management is required to report to the police if there is mail interference.

26. CAR and BIKES.

If you own or intend to buy a car, the minimum level of insurance that you must have is Third Party Property Damage (TTPD) insurance and the car must be registered, before you can park on the property. This insurance is to cover any damage to other cars parked on the property and other property belonging to the management in case of an accident. Management reserves the right to ask you to produce evidence of you TPPD insurance policy and registration papers.

CARPARK and BIKES:

Car parking places for students are limited. Three spaces are set aside for teachers and staff use and 4 spaces for use visitor between 9am and 7.30pm each day.

27. TELEPHONES

Phones is provided for incoming calls. A 15 minute time limit applies to calls on the incoming line if someone is waiting to make a call. Messages taken for other students should note the name of the caller, the time, the date, any message and who received the call and then be placed on the notice board near the phone booth.

28. LAUNDRY

The laundry is available to students from 7.00 am - 8.00 pm week days and without restriction on weekends until 9.00 pm. Student are responsible for laundering their own bed linen. Laundry is not to be done in bathrooms or hung to dry in bedrooms or bathrooms.

Students are expected to provide their own powder, liquid detergent and pegs. Washing time is approximately 40 minutes and 25 minutes drying time on medium heat is usually sufficient. Please remove your washing promptly from the machines and dryers. Do not place clothes on top of dryers as they are likely to be scorched. It is not advisable to leave clothes on the line overnight as items may go missing.

As irons are a fire hazard they must be unplugged when not in use. Please leave them clean for the next person.

30. COMMON LOUNGE ROOM AND KITCHEN

Use of TV lounges is allowed. All areas should be kept clean and tidy.

In the kitchen, this means washing your own utensils etc., and taking them back to your room

SHOWER/TOILET BLOCKS

Please keep your showers brief, as Melbourne is on Stage 2 water restrictions.

31. SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Sexual harassment in any activity, form or description will not be tolerated. No pornographic material is allowed on the premises. Students are not to wear sleep wear in the common areas. Students are expected not to engage in sexual activity on the premises. Each person’s private space is to be respected. Male and female areas are to be kept separate after 11pm.

32. DICIPLINE
All of the above conditions relate to you and your visitors. You are fully responsible for your visitors. The Accent Centre House Rules are for you comfort and safety and to help all residents to enjoy their stay in their hostel.

Mutual respect and common courtesy are the values we are hoping for as part of community life and when these are occurring, the need for, discipline should be minimal. Ideally residents themselves undertake the necessary responsibility to address any behavior that infringes on the rights of others. However, if this is difficult or the behavior persists, the duty staff member should be notified to take action. Where the behavior or attitude of a resident is in clear breach of the hostel rules and ethos, staff will be required to take disciplinary action. This action will usually proceed in three stages:

· a warning given to the person and confirmed in writing.

· The resident is placed on probation and parents and committee of management notified.

· The resident is either suspended or asked to leave.

Any or all of these stages can be bypassed if the circumstances so demand.

33. BUILDING SECURITY

For the safety of the Accent Residence’s residents and property, the maintenance of established security procedures is most important. In particular, you are asked to note the following:

· The front door must be kept closed at all times

· The fire escape doors at the end of each corridor are for emergency use only, although those on the first and second levels on the northern side of the building may be used for access to the laundry.

In the event of a fire, a continuous alarm will be rung. Should a fire occur, students should evacuate the building by the safest route

Evacuation Plans are on each floor