Sometimes things will go wrong.  Our aim is to get problems resolved effectively, within a reasonable timescale.

Members of the ANUK / Unipol National Code have agreed to meet a set of Standards known as the Code.  You can download a copy of the Code here.

The National Code Complaints Process can help rectify a breach of the Code. 

Please take a look at the Frequently Asked Questions. 

A flowchart of the Complaints Process can be found here. 

Step One:  Raise a complaint with your provider

If you think there's been a breach of the Code, first of all you must raise a complaint directly with your Accommodation Provider.  This should resolve most issues. 

See Code Clause 9.2:

A Member must have a clear and accessible procedure for accepting and considering complaints from student occupants and this must be accessible on their website. That procedure must give contact details together with a target time for responding to complainants. 

Your Accommodation provider must acknowledge any complaint within 3 days of receiving it, and either provide a substantive written response within 10 days, or explain why a longer period of consideration is necessary and provide an anticipated date for a full response.

If you haven't had a substantive answer within 28 days of making a complaint then you can submit a complaint to the National Code.

If you have problems accessing your Accommodation Provider’s Complaints Procedure, please get in touch.

Step Two:  Complain to the National Code if your provider has not resolved your issues

If a breach of the Code has not been resolved and you've exhausted your Accommodation Provider's internal Complaints Process, then you may submit a complaint to the National Code.

Before you do, have a look at the FAQs to find answers to some common queries and check your complaint meets our criteria.  

The Code Complaints Investigator (CCI) will assess your complaint to check it meets our criteria, and that you’ve raised the matter with the Accommodation Provider.  The CCI will respond with appropriate guidance.   

Usually you’ll be directed to the Code Complaints Contact (CCC).  This is the person responsible for handling complaints about breaches of the Code on behalf of the Accommodation Provider.  You'll be provided with an email address and asked to forward your complaint to the CCC. 

You can expect to receive a response from the CCC promptly (no later than two weeks).  Communicating directly with the CCC achieves a swift resolution in most cases. 

Step Three:  Formal Action by the National Code to resolve the complaint

If a breach of the Code isn’t resolved within a reasonable timescale (as decided by the CCI), then the matter may progress to a Formal Complaint. 

The CCI will write to the CCC to present your case, and request a response within 5 days.  

The CCI will seek to ascertain if there's an unresolved breach of the Code, and whether this can be resolved within a timescale decided upon by the CCI. 

The aim is to agree an acceptable outcome through mediation. 

Step Four:  Referring the matter to the Audit Panel

If responses from the CCC are regarded as insubstantial, or timescales are not met, then the CCI can ask the Audit Panel to either suspend the building from the Code, or suspend the Accommodation Provider (affecting the entire portfolio).

The Audit Panel may set timescales for breaches of the Code to be rectified.  

Step Five:  Further action where a complaint cannot be resolved

Where a complaint cannot be resolved by the CCI, the CCI can refer the case to the Tribunal. 

The Tribunal will determine whether or not a breach of the Code has occurred, and may make recommendations accordingly.  If the Accommodation Provider does not follow all such recommendations, the Tribunal will deem the Accommodation Provider to be in breach of the Code, and this breach will be made public.

Further possible outcomes could include suspending a building or expelling the Accommodation Provider from the Code.

The Tribunal’s decision is regarded as final.