Okeford House

ResLifeBU is an exclusive programme, only available in BU accommodation, designed to help you enjoy your time in student accommodation to the fullest. 

Our ResLifeBU Team supports you across three core areas:

• Social – providing inclusive activities and events to help you meet your fellow students and build a great community
• Wellbeing – supporting your welfare, health, safety and overall comfort and security
• Skills – everything you need for your new independent life, from how to keep your flat clean, to cooking an affordable and healthy meal and tips on managing your budget

Each accommodation has a friendly Resident Assistant (RAs) who lives on site and is a current BU student. Having experienced it themselves, your RA had an understanding of what it’s like to move to a new home when you start at uni. There is also a Welfare Coordinator who is a current member of BU staff and is available for any wellbeing issues you might have whilst in residence. Supporting these roles we have the three ResLifeBU Coordinators, and the three ResLifeBU Officers all dedicated to helping you have the best time in our accommodation. 

£1.25 of your weekly rent goes towards the funding of the programme – but if you make the most of it, you’ll find it’s worth so much more than that.

Find out more about ResLifeBU

There are two types of the bedroom in Okeford House:

Ensuite (postgraduates & undergraduate) – all ensuites are single occupancy and come with a single bed, study desk, desk chair, storage and your very own ensuite bathroom and shower. All ensuite rooms are within a shared cluster flat of between 4–8 other rooms. All flats have fully fitted shared kitchens and dining spaces to eat, relax and socialise. 

Ensuite rooms vary in size, shape and layout but are approx 12 sqm.

Studios (postgraduates) – all studio flats come with a single bed, study desk, desk chair, storage, your very own ensuite bathroom and shower as well as a fitted kitchen area with everything you require for self-catering.

Studio flats vary in size, shape and layout but are approx 20 sqm.

Advertised prices are based on weekly rent inclusive of an annual bus pass and your ResLifeBU programme. 

Winton is a popular choice as a place to live for BU students, with a high street boasting a range of restaurants, bars and shops – including two supermarkets.

The university bus (U3) picks up and drops off in Winton, providing you with an easy and quick way to reach our Talbot Campus.

Your bus pass is included in your rent so you can use these services as much as you need throughout the year, although you can opt out of this if you choose.

Your bus pass also includes unlimited travel on morebus zone A services, spanning the wider Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch area. 

However, you can also easily cycle or walk to Talbot Campus from Okeford House (see map for details).

The cluster flats all have a shared kitchen and living area, with sofas, a table, chairs, plenty of kitchen storage and all the appliances (cooker, fridge, freezer and microwave) you’ll need to cook and relax. The studio flats have a self-contained kitchen area, as well as a living area.

There's also a card operated laundry room that's open 24 hours a day (with an online top up card), as well as a small outdoor courtyard area that's a real suntrap in the summer and is used for social gatherings.

Your weekly rent includes contents insurance. Find out more about the level of cover. 

Your bedroom has high-speed wifi for work and play.

All of your bills are included in your weekly rent so you have nothing further to pay.

As well as having CCTV in the building and secure access, there is also 24/7 contact number for emergencies should they arise (also see Management and Code of Standards below)

The team includes an off-site maintenance operative who will be able to respond and resolve any faults for you in a timely manner.

There is also a ResLifeBU Team who are on hand if you have any wellbeing concerns and they also organise regular social events (also see ResLifeBU above)

You can find details of booking dates and our accommodation guarantee on our How to book accommodation page.

When you’re ready to book a room, you can do so via our Accommodation Portal. Your contract will be with the accommodation provider so be sure to check the terms & conditions before you make a booking.

September 2020

We understand that under the current circumstances you will want to know what your accommodation booking means for you. As the BU accommodation portfolio is made up of a number of providers, we’ve gathered details of their contract flexibility and cancellation policies for you to review before you book.

You can find further information in our Coronavirus FAQs.

Okeford House is owned and operated by BU's private accommodation partner, Campus Living Villages (CLV). CLV will be your landlord and you will pay your rent to them and not BU. Any queries or issues you might have during your time will be dealt with by CLV's dedicated team.

The Campus Living Villages (CLV) team visit Okeford House Monday - Friday with the site's reception desk staffed on a part-time basis to assist students with any questions they may have (reception opening times supplied upon arrival). There is also a 24/7 emergency contact number you can call and an email address that is constantly monitored, so you can always contact someone if you have any issues.

CLV has signed Okeford House up to the ANUK Code of Standard, which has been developed to encourage the highest possible standards of student accommodation provided by universities and major private suppliers. Find out more about the Code and how it benefits you.

We understand that you will want to know what safety measures have been put in place to reduce the risks posed by Covid-19.

Full details of the measures across the BU accommodation portfolio can be found on our Covid-19 safety measures page.