New staff

Whether you're relocating from elsewhere within the UK or from another country, making sure you have accommodation that’s right for you will be a high priority. As a campus university, Keele has a selection of properties available to new staff who have a contract with the University for at least 6 months and whose existing residence is not within reasonable daily travelling distance (more than 45 miles) from their normal place of work as defined in their contract of employment.

We offer affordable, clean and secure accommodation, which is available for up to 20 months, whilst you familiarise yourself with the local area and look for more permanent accommodation.

Although there is accommodation on campus, the University cannot guarantee that you will be offered campus accommodation, as it is subject to availability.

If you are taking up a short term post (less than 6 months), we have a range of short stay accommodation that you can reserve in advance through your academic school. Contact your School Manager for more information.

  • Your landlord, the University is a Member of the RLA (Residential Landlords Association)‌
  • Staff housing is close to campus amenities such as the shops and library
  • There is a good bus service to Newcastle, Hanley, Stoke and Crewe – every 10 minutes in term time
  • Acres of lawns, woodland and lakes in walking distance
  • Campus Security

We will make every effort to meet the requirements of tenants who have special accommodation needs. As these needs can vary, please contact Staff Housing to discuss your specific requirements and whether our properties can be adapted to suit your needs.

We have a range of properties available on campus, some with adjacent garages and a garden.  Prices range from £515 to £1060 per calendar month, dependant on the property size and level of furnishings.

Our properties are let as unfurnished, partly furnished or fully furnished.  This will be reflected in the final rent you are quoted.  You can see what is included in each of the furnished categories at Rental Standard

All rents exclude household bills i.e. utilities (gas/electric/water rates), council tax and phone/internet.  The University overseas all utilities on campus and will invoice you for your utilities based on regular meter readings.  The only exception to this is the gas supply for Plantation Park where this is provided by FloGas Ltd.

If you are employed by the University, all rents and utilities are deducted from your salary.  

If you are not employed directly by the University or receive a grant for your work, please contact the Staff Housing team for information on how to pay your rent and utilities.

Please remember that all properties are subject to availability.

As a new tenant at Keele, you can expect the following:

Staff housing letting standard (Feb 2020)

Allocation priorities

With only a small number of properties becoming available each year, the University will allocate properties in the following order:

  1. New staff moving from overseas,
  2. New staff who live outside normal commuting distances (over 45 miles) and who are eligible for relocation expenses,
  3. Staff who live outside the normal commuting distance (over 45 miles) & who have worked at Keele for up to 6 months,
  4. Staff who live outside the normal commuting distance (over 45 miles) & who have worked at Keele for more than 6 months.

If there are no available properties suitable for your needs, then we can provide information on finding a suitable property to rent in the local area.  You will also have the option to go on the Staff Housing waiting list for up to 6 months from the start of your contract with Keele.  If a suitable property becomes available during this time, and there are no other staff with a higher priority, we will get in touch with you.

When you apply for on campus accommodation, if you are eligible, you will be placed on the waiting list in order of priority rating 1-4 as shown above.

Whilst we do try to take personal circumstances into consideration, occasionally due to timescales and demand this isn't always possible.

The waiting list is driven by availability and demand, and is therefore not the usual style of waiting list where one person is removed and you automatically move up a position. Priority will always have to be given to new staff, who are coming to Keele from either abroad or outside of the normal commuting distance (over 45 miles), regardless of how long other people have been on the waiting list.

Tenancy agreement

All tenancies given are on an Assured Shorthold basis, usually for 6 to 20 months.

Application form

If you would like to apply to live in a campus staff property, please complete the Staff housing application form.

When we receive it, we will confirm the category you will be considered under for the allocation of a property and place you on the waiting list for a maximum of 6 months.  If, by that time, we have not been able to allocate a property to you, we will let you know that you are no longer on the waiting list.

If a property becomes available, we will contact the person who is highest on the list of allocation priorities. At this point, we will confirm the date when we expect the property to be available for rent. Please note this is subject to change, depending on any work identified when the current occupier has moved out. We will let you know if this date changes.

If you are still interested in renting a campus staff property, we will arrange a viewing for you (if you are in the UK) or we will send you photos of the property (if you live outside of the UK). After this, you will then have up to 14 days to decide if you would like to rent the property.

If you accept the offer you will need to read and sign the Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) Agreement for the property. Your signed copy of the AST should be returned to:

Staff Housing
William Emes Building
Keele University
Keele
Newcastle under Lyme
ST5 5BG

On the day you move in, we will meet you at the property at an agreed time so that we can read the utility meters and check the inventory with you. The inventory will include photos to show the condition of the property. This will make sure that, when you move out, you are not charged for any damage caused by a previous occupant.

Now that you are a staff housing tenant, you can find more information in our section for current tenants.

Don’t forget that, although the University has insurance to cover the building, you will need to arrange for contents insurance to cover your own belongings.

Staff housing map (December 2016)

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