a place to live - Cardiff Metropolitan University

{a place to live}
Helping you find
Contents
2
1
Welcome to Europe’s Youngest Capital...Cardiff!
2-3
Halls Accommodation
4-5
Cyncoed Halls Of Residence
6-7
Plas Gwyn Halls Of Residence
8-10
Privately Owned Halls Accommodation
11
Post Graduate Students & Students with Disabilities
12-15
Allocations Policy & Local Students
16
Paying Accommodation Fees
17
Information For EU & International Students
18
Private Student Accommodation
19
Cardiff Met Rider Bus Service & Cardiff Buses
20
Smoking Policy & Car Parking Policy
21
Accommodation Contact Details
cardiffmet.ac.uk
Welcome to Europe’s
Youngest Capital...
Cardiff has a large student population, and as a result the city caters
for most student needs. It is an exciting place to live and study.
Whilst remaining compact, the city has everything that one would
expect of a capital, renowned arts facilities and exceptional
shopping and night life.
Within a few miles of the city centre, however, you will find
breathtaking rugged coastline and unspoilt countryside.
The Accommodation
Service
For many students, especially for
those who may be leaving home
for the first time, the prospect of
finding suitable accommodation
can seem quite daunting.
Our experienced Accommodation Services
Team are here to help you. Our aim is to assist
and advise you in finding the right place to live
whilst studying. Our service includes allocating
places to students at Cardiff Metropolitan
University’s Halls of Residence and some
privately owned Halls of Residence, as well as
helping students to find private rented
accommodation near to their place of study.
All enquiries regarding accommodation should
always be directed through the
Accommodation Service.
cardiffmet.ac.uk 1
Halls Accommodation
Cardiff Metropolitan University owned halls consist of just under
1000 study bedrooms located at the Cyncoed and Plas Gwyn
campuses. In addition, we have reserved halls for Cardiff Met
students with Liberty Living plc and Victoria Halls plc which are
privately owned halls accommodation providers.
All halls and private
accommodation enquiries are
dealt with by the Accommodation
Services Team. The team will deal
with all your enquiries, including
the processing of your online
halls application and all halls
allocations.
Once you have been allocated a place in halls
and arrive at the start of term the Halls
Manager for your site will be in charge of the
day to day running of the halls. All of Cardiff
Met’s halls of residence are managed by the
Residences Team and the privately owned
halls are managed by their own team of Halls
Managers.
You are welcome to visit to view the various
residences but a prior appointment is strongly
advised.This can be arranged through the
relevant Halls Office.
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Halls Managers &
Student Wardens
Halls Managers are present at each of the
Cardiff Met halls and are supported by a team
of trained student wardens who are usually
mature or final year students who have
previously lived in halls. Evening and weekend
duty rotas ensure that a member of staff, and a
student warden are always available to deal
with queries or emergencies. The privately
owned halls have their own security
arrangements in place on all of their
developments.
Internet
IPTV (Internet
Protocol Television)
All rooms in Cardiff Met halls
have a high speed data and
internet service. A wireless
service is also available in all of
the halls.
This service allows you to view all
Freeview channels on your PC or
Laptop so you will not need to
bring a TV with you. It is
available in all student rooms in
Cardiff Met Halls. Please note that
you will still need to purchase a
TV licence. In addition each
kitchen area has a communal TV
with Freeview.
If you have your own PC or Laptop with an
Ethernet adapter, you can access the internet,
email and messenger applications from your
own room over a fast, always on network
connection at any time of the day or night.
Private halls also have broadband internet in
each room.
For more information please visit:
www.hallsnet.cardiffmet.ac.uk
cardiffmet.ac.uk 3
Cyncoed Halls of Residence
The Cyncoed Campus provides accommodation for students
studying at the Cyncoed Campus. There are currently over 500
single study bedrooms on the Cyncoed Campus and they are
offered on a 40 week contract.
Catered Standard
& Catered En-suite
Rooms
The majority of the rooms at Cyncoed are
Catered, which means students have their
meals included in the price. Details of costs are
available on the ‘Halls fees’ section of the
Accommodation web pages. Students have
two meals per day - breakfast and evening
meal seven days a week. As breakfast is a very
important meal of the day, students find this
exceptionally convenient to have
it prepared for them every morning before
attending lectures. All meals are served in the
main refectory on campus and are freshly
prepared by Cardiff Met’s in house catering
staff.
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The meals vary each day and are of a high
quality. Catered standerd rooms have the
added advantage of being much larger than
the self catered rooms and include a
washbasin. Students share the kitchen and
main bathroom facilities. With the Catered ensuite rooms, students have their own
bathrooms and share the kitchen. Catered flats
tend to have a friendlier atmosphere where
students find it easier to bond in the first few
weeks as they get together at meal times.
Facilities provided in the catered kitchens
include hobs, microwave, fridges and freezer,
kettle, and cupboard space.
Self Catered Rooms
Other facilities on this
campus include:
There are a limited number of Self Catered
en-suite rooms at Cyncoed. The en-suite
rooms have their own shower and WC facility
and the kitchen is shared with up to 10
students. These rooms are slightly smaller than
the catered rooms. Students will need to bring
their own cutlery and crockery etc to prepare
their own meals.
 Laundry
 Lockable Bicycle Sheds
 Bus stop on site with buses direct to
Facilities provided in the self-catered kitchens
include an oven, hob, microwave, fridge,
freezer, kettle, ironing board and cupboard
space.
Non catered students can also purchase meals
on a pay as you go basis, or purchase a Lunch
Club Package. The catered option allows you
to pre-pay for the whole year without the
worry of budgeting for food each term.
Broadband and IPTV are included in all Cardiff
Met halls of residence rooms.This service and
all fuel bills are included in the halls fees.
the city cenre
 Vending machines
 Student shop
 Student Union bar
 Main Refectory - K1
 Café bar - The Bench
 Sports facilities Gym and Swimming pool
 National Indoor Athletics
Centre (NIAC)
 Tennis Centre
Please note there is no parking on the
Cyncoed campus for resident students.
Please note that all offers for any
Cyncoed rooms will be made via email.
Please check your email account
regularly.
cardiffmet.ac.uk 5
Plas Gwyn Halls of Residence
The Plas Gwyn Halls are located approximately two miles from the
city centre in the small cathedral city of Llandaff and provide
accommodation for students studying at the Llandaff Campus.
The Plas Gwyn Campus consists of 391 single
study bedrooms and are offered on a 40 week
contract. The flats generally house up to eight
students who share the kitchen facilities. All
rooms have their own en-suite shower and
WC facility. Students would need to bring
their own cutlery and crockery etc to prepare
their own meals. Facilities provided in the
kitchens include an oven, hob, microwave,
fridge freezer, kettle and cupboard storage.
Broadband and IPTV are included in the all
Cardiff Met halls of residence rooms. This
service and all fuel bills are included in Halls
Fees.
Please note that all offers for any Plas
Gwyn rooms will be made via email.
Please check your email account
regularly.
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cardiffmet.ac.uk
Other facilities on this
campus include:
 Laundry
 Lockable Bicycle Sheds
 Bus stop close to site with regular
buses to the city centre
 TV Lounge
 Vending machines
 Computer room (20 hours per day)
 Multi-use Games area, includes:
•
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Five-a-side Football
Basketball
Netball
Hockey
Dodgeball
Please note there is no parking on the
Plas Gwyn campus for resident
students.
Other facilities available
at the Llandaff study
campus include:
 The Gallery & Atrium cafes
 Student Union
 Fitness centre
 Learning centre with 21 hour per
day open access
 Lockable bike sheds
Other facilities within
the nearby Llandaff
village include:
Halls Managers
There are Halls Managers based at both the
Cyncoed and Plas Gwyn Halls of Residence
who manage the halls on a day to day basis
from their on site administration office.
The Halls Managers are available Monday
to Friday 8.30am to 5.00pm (4.30pm on
Friday).
There are also security staff and
a trained team of resident student wardens
available to provide assistance and to
co-ordinate any emergency support if
required. Their combined presence on
campus means that they provide a 24hr
service to resident students.
 Local shops
 Banks & Post Office
 Restaurants
 Bars & pubs
 The Llandaff Cathedral is set within
quiet scenic grounds
cardiffmet.ac.uk 7
Privately Owned Halls
Accommodation
Due to a high demand for halls accommodation, we have also
secured halls rooms for Cardiff Metropolitan University students in
Halls of Residences owned and managed by the private sector.
Cardiff Met has nomination
arrangements with two private
providers in Cardiff. These are
Liberty Living plc and Victoria
Halls plc.
Liberty Court
Halls of Residence
North Road, near the Gabalfa
Roundabout, Cardiff CF14 3BP
These halls are owned and managed by
Liberty Living plc and are offered on a 42
week contract. These halls are situated just
under a mile from the Llandaff Campus and
just 2 miles from the city centre. There are
over 200 rooms, all are self catered with ensuite bathroom facilities and internet access.
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Other facilities on this
campus include:
 Shared kitchen/dining/living areas
 Flats for 4 to 7 students
 Laundry
 Bicycle racks
 CCTV security
 Caretaker service / manned security
throughout the night
 Bus stop only few minutes walk
away
 Local shops and pubs
The Student Union, Student Centre, IT suites
and fitness facilities can all be accessed at the
Llandaff or Cyncoed study campuses. The
Liberty Court Halls offer mainly single study
bedrooms. There are a few premier (double
en-suite) rooms. The premier rooms will be
charged at a higher rate than that of the single
en-suite rooms.
All flats have fitted carpets throughout,
wardrobe, chest of drawers, desk and chair,
curtains, mirror, Internet and TV aerial outlet.
En-suite bathroom facilities include shower,
wash basin, toilet and mirror. The kitchen is
fully fitted with an ironing board.
www.libertyliving.co.uk/city cardiff
The contract for these halls will be between
the student and Liberty Living plc.
Please note there is no parking at Liberty
Court for resident students.
Liberty House Halls of Residence
Clodien Avenue, Cardiff
CF14 3NS
These halls are owned and managed by
Liberty Living plc and offered on a 42 week
contract. Cardiff Met has secured rooms in a
block within this private hall of residence.
Liberty House is ideally placed for students
studying at the Cyncoed Campus. It is a ten
minute ride on the Met Rider Bus Service to
the Cyncoed Campus.
Other facilities on this
campus include:
 Shared kitchen/dining/living areas
 Flats for 4 to 7 students
 Laundry
 Bicycle racks
 CCTV security
 Caretaker service / manned security
throughout the night
 Bus stop only few minutes walk
away
 Local shops and pubs
The Students Union, the Bench Cafe, Shops,
Student Centre, Main Refectory, IT suites and
Fitness Facilities can all be accessed at the
Cyncoed campus.
Liberty House offers single study bedrooms.
All flats have fitted carpets throughout,
wardrobe, chest of drawers, desk and chair,
curtains, mirror, Internet, communal TV and
common room. En-suite bathroom facilities
include shower, wash basin, toilet and mirror.
The kitchen is fully fitted and includes an
ironing board.
The contract for these halls will be between
the student and Liberty Living plc.
Please note there is no parking at Liberty
House for resident students.
cardiffmet.ac.uk 9
Victoria Hall Halls of Residence
The Student Union, catering, shop, IT suites
and fitness facilities can all be accessed at the
Llandaff study campus.
Blackweir Terrace,
Cardiff CF10 3EY
Victoria Halls offer single study bedrooms with
some ‘semi-deluxe’ rooms (larger single
rooms) and a few deluxe (double) ensuite
rooms. All flats have fitted carpets throughout,
wardrobe, chest of drawers, desk and chair,
curtains, mirror, Internet, communal TV and
common room. En-suite bathroom facilities
include shower, wash basin, toilet and mirror.
The kitchen is fully fitted and includes ironing
board + Sky TV.
These halls are owned and managed by
Victoria Halls plc and are offered on a 42
week contract.
Cardiff Met has a nomination-agreement with
this private hall of residence for several blocks
of rooms. Victoria Hall is ideally placed near
the city centre for students studying at the
Llandaff study campus. It’s a 20 minute walk to
the campus or a 10 minute ride on the Met
Rider Bus Service.
Other facilities on this
campus include:
 Shared kitchen/dining/living areas
 Flats for 4 to 6 students
 Laundry
 Bicycle racks
 Caretaker service
 Bus and train stations only few
minutes walk away
 City shops and pubs
The contract for these halls will be between
the student and Victoria Hall plc.
Please note there is no parking at Victoria
Hall for resident students.
www.victoriahall.com/cardiff.html
Note
To apply for any of the above halls
please complete the online Cardiff
Met accommodation application
form as soon as possible.
Any offers for halls rooms will be
made via email. Please check your
email account regularly.
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cardiffmet.ac.uk
Post Graduate Students
Cardiff Met can offer a very limited number of
rooms/flats suitable for post graduate students
at the Cyncoed Campus. These consist of
shared flats, self contained flats and some self
catered en-suite rooms. If you are a post
graduate student, please apply in the same
way as other students by completing the
online application form and tick the
appropriate boxes in the ‘Halls preference’
section.
For more detailed information please
contact the Accommodation Office
on 029 20416188 / 6189
Provision for students
with disabilities
A number of bedrooms on all Halls sites are
available for use by those students with
physical disabilities.
Any prospective student who has a disability is
encouraged to make early contact with the
Accommodation Service to discuss individual
needs. Please complete the online Application
form and provide any information that will help
us prior to your arrival. It is also advisable to
contact the Cardiff Met Disability Team based
at the Llandaff campus who provide a
confidential support service for individual
students.
cardiffmet.ac.uk 11
Allocation Policy
& Procedure
The allocation of places in Halls
accommodation is co-ordinated by the
Accommodation Service only. Although
priority is given to first year students, it is
unfortunate that we cannot meet the demand
and place every first year student in halls who
applies. Therefore, we rely on the private
sector to house many first year students and
have secured a number of rooms in private
halls. The allocation of halls is made to first
year undergraduate students based on the
distance they live from Cardiff and the date
their online application is received.
Halls Allocation
Procedure
Complete the online application form
straight away even if you are waiting for
exam results or if Cardiff Met is your
insurance choice.
The date of your online application is used
when we allocate you a hall (first come first
served).
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Local Students
Local Students are classed as
those living in the following
Local Authority areas:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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Cardiff
Newport
Torfaen
Rhondda Cynon Taff
Caerphilly
Merthyr Tydfil
Vale of Glamorgan
Bridgend
Although we give priority to first year
students, unfortunately, as demand is always
high, we can not guarantee all first year
students a place in halls. From experience we
know that every year a certain percentage of
students who are offered halls early, cancel
their halls accommodation in the first few
days/weeks of term starting. Therefore, all
local students are placed on a ‘waiting list’ and
may be given places within the first few weeks
of University starting.
We advise local students not to panic and they
should hold back on securing alternative
accommodation as we will most likely secure
local students into halls within the first few
days/weeks of University starting.
How you will receive
your Halls offer
All offers are made via email. Those students
offered rooms at Cyncoed campus, Plas
Gwyn campus or Victoria Halls will recieve
an email from Cardiff Metropolitan University
detailing the offer and full instructions on how
to accept the room offered.
Students who are offered a halls place at
Liberty Living Halls, including Liberty House
and Liberty Court, will receive their
Agreements and Information via email directly
from Liberty Living plc. Please ensure that you
provide a valid email address on your online
Halls Application Form. This can also be your
parents or guardian’s email address, and
remember to check your emails regularly.
Halls offers commence in July and offers are
made in three phases during July, August and
September:
Phase one:
July - Those non-local students who
completed their online halls application form
early and are Unconditional on the UCAS
System before the end of May.
Phase two:
Mid August - Those non-local students who
completed their online halls application before
the end of May, were Conditional and now
have their results confirmed and appear as
Unconditional on the UCAS system.
Phase three:
End of August onwards - All late and other
Unconditional Halls Applicants will be
allocated, i.e. if you completed your online
halls application form after June or applied
through clearing. Local students - depending
on demand, will be placed on a waiting list and
allocated halls nearer or after term starts (see
Local Students Section).
cardiffmet.ac.uk 13
April
Once you have been offered a Course at Cardiff Metropolitan University, you will need
to complete an online application form from April onwards on the Accommodation
website, even if you are waiting for exam results ie. conditional applicant
Student
Notifies UCAS / Cardiff Met making
Cardiff Met Firm or Insurance Choice.
Phase one July
Non Local Unconditional applicants
who completed their online Halls Form
before the end of May
Phase two Mid August
Non Local Conditional Applicants who
change to Unconditional after exam
results and who completed their online
Halls Form before the end of May.
All offers will be made via email.
Full instructions on how to accept an offer will
be included in the email offer
Student
Accepts Halls offer within 7 days
of receiving the offer.
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The received date is very important, as
halls offers are made in ‘date order’ and
on ‘distance from Cardiff’
Student
Decides not to accept offer
of a course at Cardiff Met.
No further contact with
Cardiff Met.
Phase three September onwards
Late, Clearing & Local Students Allocations commence from the beginning of September, however depending on
demand, local students may be held on a waiting list until term starts.
Please do not be anxious, as you will be
allocated a room as soon as we have a cancellation.
Student
Accepts Halls offer
immediately.
cardiffmet.ac.uk 15
Paying
Accommodation Fees
For Cardiff Met halls
accommodation the licence fee
covers a 40 week period,
including fuel costs and
all internet services. For
students in catered halls, meals
are included for 32 weeks
(excluding Easter & Christmas)
including fuel costs and all
internet services.
At Liberty Living plc and Victoria Halls plc
(privately owned) the tenancy fees cover a 42
week period, for an en-suite room including
fuel and internet.
Students can stay in all halls during the
Christmas and Easter vacations.
Licence/Tenancy fees are payable for the
whole Licence/tenancy period. If you live in
Cardiff Met owned halls and you leave your
course at the University, then you will be held
to your contract until the end of the term.
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At Liberty Living and Victoria Halls, you
will be held to your contract even if you
leave your course at the University.
The annual charge for Cardiff Met owned
accommodation is payable in three instalments
either by direct debit or debit/credit card.
Details must be provided prior to the
commencement of the academic year.
Students must also pay a deposit to cover any
loss or damage that may occur during their
stay. This is refundable less any charges made
or debts outstanding at the end of the
licence period. A breakdown of the halls fees
will be sent to you with your email offer of
halls.
For overseas non EU students, rooms will
not be guaranteed if you have not booked and
paid the deposit/booking fee by the
deadline stated by the International Office.
Deposits paid to Victoria Halls plc and Liberty
Living plc are held in one of the Governments’
National Tenancy Deposit Schemes.
Fees at Victoria Halls plc are paid in one,
two or three instalments whilst Liberty
Living plc fees are paid in three
instalments. A deposit to cover loss or
damage is also payable.
Information for EU
& International Students
Cardiff is a popular place to study with the number
of students from Europe and other International countries
increasing each year.
International Students
All accommodation bookings are made
directly with the International Office. They
provide a service for all International students
wishing to study at Cardiff Met. For further
details please visit web pages at:
www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/international
Contact: The International Office, Cardiff
Metropolitan University, Western Avenue,
Cardiff CF5 2SG,Wales,UK
Tel: +44 (0) 29 2041 6045
Fax: +44 (0) 2041 6928
email: international@cardiffmet.ac.uk
European Students
Should you wish to live off campus we can
assist you in finding suitable privately rented
accommodation. Should you choose to rent
private accommodation, it is advisable to
initially book a room in a local guest house and
spend time familiarising yourself with the city
before you arrange more permanent
accommodation. We suggest that you arrive in
Cardiff some days prior to the start of your
course to allow enough time to do this. The
Accommodation Services Team can provide
you with a list of guest houses for temporary
accommodation.
We are available to provide advice and
guidance throughout your search for
accommodation. Cardiff Met regrets that
it cannot enter into any form of tenancy
agreement with a landlord on your
behalf.
EU students will be considered for halls
accomodation in the same way as UK
students. To apply for halls accommodation
complete the online Halls Application form as
soon as possible.
cardiffmet.ac.uk 17
Private Student Accommodation
For those students who wish to live off campus, the Accommodation
Service can help with finding private accommodation.
The Accommodation Services Team maintain a
register of landlords with student houses. This
list is constantly updated and is available to
students online, on the Student Portal once
students have enrolled. Whilst we endeavour
to list only properties of a reasonable standard,
not all properties will have been inspected; the
list therefore does not imply recommendation
or approval of a landlord or an individual
property. Landlords on our register will comply
with all legislative regulations and must be
accreditted with Landlord Accreditation
Wales.
We also provide a comprehensive advisory
service with useful information on tenancy
agreements, insurance and the pitfalls to avoid.
Various booklets on the process of renting and
students’ rights as tenants are available. We
also compile a list of students seeking to share
with other students - students contact us and
place themselves on a ‘looking to share list’.
This list is distributed to other students who
want another student to join them in a house.
All agreements and responsibilities when
renting are between the landlord and the
student (not Cardiff Met).
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It is therefore important that before signing
any agreement you are certain of its
implications, so please contact us should you
need any advice. It is important to note that
rents in Cardiff do vary by area and by type of
accommodation. The average weekly rental
charge for self catering accommodation is
between £60 and £70 per person per week
excluding services such as electricity, gas &
water. This is usually for a furnished house or
flat sharing with other students. Board and
lodging accommodation is more expensive
and charges range from £70 to £80 per week.
This would usually involve living in a family
home where breakfast and evening meals may
be provided. Should you require any advice,
or wish to receive our helpful information pack
on renting privately, please feel free to contact
us.
Please note: Once you have signed a
contract for private accommodation
you will be committed to that contract for
the whole term of the contract.
Met Rider Bus Service & Cardiff Bus working together for students
The Met Rider Bus provides a
convenient, cheap and friendly
service which has been
specifically tailored to the needs
of our students.
Students can either pay for individual journeys
or purchase a discounted Academic yearly bus
pass. The pass gives excellent value for money
and provides a cheap alternative to other
public transport options. Over 2000 passes are
sold during the academic year, making the Met
Rider the largest student bus service in Wales.
Bus pass application forms will be sent to
students from July with their halls offer email.
The pass will enable you to have unlimited
travel on the Met Rider and all Cardiff bus
routes.
Please note: Bus Passes are
non-refundable. If you purchase a
Bus pass before starting University, or
leave University before the end of the
academic year no refund will be given.
For further details on the University
bus service, please contact
Neil Woollacott on 029 20416712 or
email: nwoollacott@cardiffmet.ac.uk
cardiffmet.ac.uk 19
Smoking Policy
Car Parking policy
There is a complete ban on smoking
in any Cardiff Met Halls of Residence.
Government Legislation implemented a ban on
smoking in public places which came into
force in Wales on the 1st of April 2007.
There is no car parking on any residential
campuses for resident students.
Should students be caught smoking in their
rooms or flats or on the premises, they will be
subject to disciplinary action for breach of their
conditions of Licence.
Holders of Blue Badges issued by the Local
Authority (People with disabilities) are exempt
from the above rule.
You can find out more details from the
Cardiff Met web page:
www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/studentparking
Course offer
Once you have been offered a course at
Cardiff Met, you will need to apply online on
the Accommodation web site.
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The Accommodation Team
Contact us at:
Sarah Spencer: Accommodation Services
Manager - Managing the team Residences & Accommodation Services.
Cardiff Met Accommodation Service
Warwick House
Cyncoed Campus
Cyncoed Road
Cardiff
CF23 6XD
Neil Woollacott: Deputy Accommodation
Services Manager - co-ordinates the Met Rider
Bus Service (see page 19 for details of the Met
Rider) and is acting Manager in the absence of
Sarah Spencer.
Harpal McCarthy: Accommodation Officer
- co-ordinates the halls & private allocations for
new & existing students, advising on all
aspects of housing.
Tel: +44 (029) 2041 6188/9
Fax: +44 (029) 2041 6968
email: accomm@cardiffmet.ac.uk
Marian Thomas, Nick Drew
& Summer staff:
Accommodation Services Assistants deal with all administrative functions in the
accomodation office
cardiffmet.ac.uk 21
Cardiff Met Accommodation Service
Warwick House
Cyncoed Campus
Cyncoed Road
Cardiff | CF23 6XD
Tel: +44 (029) 2041 6188/9
Fax: +44 (029) 2041 6968
email: accomm@cardiffmet.ac.uk
www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/accomm