Frequently Asked Questions

To find out when we have viewings please contact the relevant management office. You can do this for The Dolphin by telephoning 02382519100, emailing info@dolphinstudentliving.co.uk or you can call in if you are passing.

Open the Dolphin website and select book now and follow the booking journey.

Yes, all our residents have to be a full time student in possession of a valid student ID card.

When making your booking you can request to share with friends. We will not hold rooms for your friends, so it is up to you to make sure your friends apply at the same time as you so that we can try to place you in a flat together. Please be aware that we cannot guarantee allocations or preferences.

All of our rooms are for single occupancy only.

We look at the room type you have requested, your year of study, gender and any other preferences. The Dolphin will try to allocate you to a flat that is suitable to your situation and preferences, however it is not always possible for us to meet your requests.

There is a section on your application form where you can state any preferences. Whilst we will do what we can to try to meet your requests, we cannot guarantee room type, flat type or location within thebuilding.

Yes, it is possible for you to stay at The Dolphin throughout your studies. Bookings are taken on a first come first served basis so be sure to re-book as soon as possible.

All residents will receive a copy of their tenancy upon booking.

If you cancel your contract before the contract begins you will be subject to our cancellation terms and charges. Cancellations will only be accepted upon receipt of a completed cancellation form. Contact The Dolphin main office to request a form.

Make sure you bring your accommodation booking confirmation with you as well as some form of ID. If you have been asked to bring any additional items when making your booking, make sure you have them with you as you will need to produce them before your keys will be issued.

The Dolphin has no parking available on site. There are many council-run car parks in the area along with a large NCP Car Park and West Quay Multi storey located behind the West Quay shopping centre.

The Dolphin has staff on site 24 hours a day. At the start of contract, we have extended opening hours and you are advised to arrive when the office is open. However, if you arrive when the office is closed, instructions outside our office will advise you how to contact the member of staff on duty.

You will be welcomed on arrival in our management office by a member of The Dolphin staff. You will be asked to provide any documents that are outstanding from you. Once the paperwork is complete you will be issued with your key and fob.

Part of the university experience is meeting people from different backgrounds, interests and cultures. We hope that you will enjoy the diversity of university life, however should you be unhappy it is worth spending some time talking to your flatmates to try to come to some mutually agreeable solution. It is usually not possible for a room move, please speak to management if you have any problems and should someone else be in the same situation we may be able to swap rooms between residents. It is important to remember that moving to university is a stressful time and that initial teething problems are usually resolved within the first few weeks.

It is not usually possible to change rooms after you have arrived. All rooms are allocated on a 51-week contract and unless another resident also requests a room swap we would be unable to change your room.

Unfortunately, we are unable to offer an early move in date for contracts starting 12th September 2025.

All flats come with an under counter fridge, microwave, kettle, and an air fryer.

The Dolphin provides a mattress andprotector; however additional bedding is not supplied. If you wish to contact the team prior to your arrival, they will be able to advise if bedding can be bought on-site. https://www.unikitout.com/?srsltid=AfmBOopvP8i2u2m0XcwiUt9n8fTH3i2cxIbSWkZMUQZPYHxi7ZEyD2nL

We do not have telephones in the flats.

A 100Mb Wi-Fi connection is provided to every room at The Dolphin free of charge. All residents wishing to use the internet services must sign up to the terms and conditions of use.

You can connect via Wi-Fi throughout the building with some Ethernet ports available in the public areas and study pods.

TVs are provided in the rooms. There are TVs within the Common Room, Please be aware the TV license is not provided and residents will have to purchase this if they were to watch the TV.

The Dolphin has a selection of Freeview TV channels available.

There is no parking available at The Dolphin. The management team will be able to provide a list of local car parks for move in and move out days.

No bikes may be stored within the flats. Bike storage is available on site, contact the Management Office for further information.

The management office is open Mon-Fri 9am to 5pm. Closed on a weekend and on Bank holidays.

Maintenance should be reported to the management staff during office hours and our caretakers will be informed. For emergencies, contact the caretakers outside of office hours.

Your problems will be reported at reception and logged in our maintenance book and the caretaker will attend to make the necessary repairs as soon as possible. Occasionally, it will not always be possible to complete the repair on the first visit and a subsequent visit may be necessary. Repairs are responded to on a priority basis, please be aware that it may not be possible to attend to your problem the same day you report it, especially at busy times of the year.

If you have a maintenance problem that needs urgent assistance when the management office is closed you should contact the member of staff on site. The phone number is provided within your welcome information and notice boards within your flat. The caretaker will respond to your problem and do whatever is possible to resolve the issue, but it may not always be possible to complete the repair out of office hours.

A laundry is provided with washers and dryers on site by Circuit Laundry. More information on the equipment is available within your welcome pack. How to use the laundry facilities can be found here.

Post boxes containing your post are located within reception. You can collect your post during office opening hours. Parcels and recorded mail will be signed for by The Dolphin staff without liability.

It is the resident’s own responsibility to clean their rooms and they share responsibility for the communal area of the flat. Management staff will conduct monthly inspections and you are expected to ensure that your room and flat is clean on these days. Failure to meet the required cleanliness standards will result in external cleaning contractors being brought in, the cost of which will be passed onto the resident(s). At the end of the tenancy the bedroom and flat must be returned in a good, clean condition to avoid cleaning charges, again it is the responsibility of all residents to ensure the kitchen and lounge are clean. The block stairways are regularly cleaned by The Dolphin staff.

Smoking is not permitted in any area within The Dolphin; this includes bedrooms, stairways, communal areas and external courtyard areas. A designated smoking point will be made clear outside of the building.

You are responsible for ensuring that you leave your room and flat in the same condition that is was given to you. You will be asked to complete and return an inventory to record the condition of your room upon arrival. Marks on the walls or furniture, including those caused by blu-tac, white-tac or pins will require painting once you have left and you may be charged in line with our advertised schedule of charges

All overnight guests must be signed in at reception for safety, security and so that staff know who is on site in the event of an emergency. You must accompany your guests at all times whilst they are on site and you are responsible for their behaviour.

No, The Dolphin does not have guest rooms.

Parking is not available on-site.

Our accommodation has secure fob only access at the main entrances to ensure that only residents have access to the site. Visitors will need to contact reception or yourself to gain access. All visitors should be signed in at reception, this is for reasons of safety, security and to ensure that in the event of an emergency, management know who is on site. Visitors must be accompanied by residents at all times whilst on site.

No pets of any type are permitted at The Dolphin.

We hope that you never have any reason to be dissatisfied with the service we provide you. However, if you have any issues that you would like to bring up with us please contact a member of staff in your management office who will endeavour to resolve the problem for you

The Dolphin does take deposits. A £300 deposit is taken on booking. This will be held by a deposit scheme organisation and returned to you at the end of your tenancy upon a satisfactory inspection for damage and cleanliness.

You can choose to pay your rent in one payment on the due date we have in place before the contract starts, or you can choose to pay in 3 instalments on the due dates we have in place. If you choose to pay in instalments, all tenants will require a UK based Guarantor. The guarantor needs to be either in full-time employment, self-employed or in receipt of a state/private pension.

You can choose to pay your rent in one payment on the due date we have in place before the contract starts, or you can choose to pay in 3 instalments on the due dates we have in place. If you choose to pay in instalments, all tenants will require a UK based Guarantor. The guarantor needs to be either in full-time employment, self-employed or in receipt of a state/private pension. 

If you do not live in the UK and do not have a UK guarantor, you will need to pay for your rent in full. You can arrange to do this either by credit/debit card or bank transfer. Please be aware that if paying by bank transfer the bank will usually deduct charges from the amount you send us and you will need to pay the amount due before you can move in.

All UK students will be required to provide a UK guarantor (if paying in instalments)

No problem! If you don’t have a UK-based guarantor, you can use Housing Hand, a trusted rent guarantor service that helps students secure accommodation hassle-free. 

Please note that we don’t wait on student loans here at The Dolphin and payments will need to be made on the due dates.

If you are having financial difficulties, you should contact a member of the management immediately. Failure to do so could result in interest charges being added to your account if you fail to pay on the due dates as well as legal proceedings being started against you and, where applicable, your guarantor. Management staff can usually advise you of where to go to get additional financial help which will assist you in meeting your financial obligations.

The Dolphin cannot accept foreign currency or traveller’s cheques as payment. The safest and simplest way for international students to make a payment is by Credit/Debit card or bank transfer. You can pay using the booking portal.

Contact a member of the management team who will be able to advise you of payment amounts and dates due.

If you don’t pay your rent daily interest may be added to the amount you owe to us. Your guarantor will be contacted and will be asked to pay the amount that you owe. The Dolphin will commence legal proceedings against any resident who fails to pay the rent due. These proceeding will also include action against the resident’s guarantor.

As you are a student in full-time education you will be exempt from council tax.

Our rents are inclusive of electricity usage.

A 100Mb connection is provided to your room free of charge.

The Dolphin does not supply a TV licence for the television supplied in the rooms. you should purchase one prior to connecting the TV as detailed in your tenancy agreement.