Being bullied is one of the most difficult things you can experience, and if this is taking place in your own home this can prove significantly more challenging.

At Unipol, we believe that student accommodation should be a safe environment for tenants, conducive to learning. We do not tolerate unacceptable behaviour and any accusation of bullying or harassment will be dealt with the utmost seriousness.

If you feel that you are being bullied or harassed in your accommodation, Unipol has developed the Anti-Bullying and Harassment Procedure to help you decide what action should be taken.

Contact tenancysupport@unipol.org.uk for a copy of the procedure.

It is important to understand that no matter how bad the behaviour of the other person, it is pretty much impossible for Unipol to evict them. Section 8 of the 1988 Housing Act discusses grounds for eviction and intentionally makes it very difficult for Landlords to evict someone because of their behaviour – and quite right too! We wouldn’t want students being evicted by crooked Landlords because they play music a bit too loud or not washing their dishes. But it does mean that that there are some limitations to the way Unipol can act.

However, the Anti-Bullying and Harassment Procedure is designed with this in mind.

We understand that there are a variety of different levels of both bullying and harassment, with the consequences of each having a varying effect on the victim. As such, each accusation is taken on a case-by-case basis.

Bullying and harassment are behaviours that makes someone feel intimidated or offended. The differences between them are subtle and often contested, with no clear distinction between the two. Generally speaking, bullying is considered less severe in its effect on the victim, while harassment is more damaging. Harassment can be considered a criminal offence. It is fundamentally the perception of the victim and how they perceived this behaviour to have impacted them as to whether action against them would be considered bullying or harassment.

If you come to us because you are being bullied and harassed, we will do our utmost to keep any accusations confidential and we will never share details of the complaint made without your permission – unless we perceive that there is a serious danger of harm or a crime has been committed.

In reality, however, it is usually difficult to sort out a problem without some communication with the person who is named as being responsible for the bullying or harassment, with named witnesses and, in some cases, other tenants. Therefore, anyone considering making a complaint should bear in mind that, in order to ensure that the behaviour about which the complaint is made stops, it will generally be necessary for the person causing offence to be told about the problem so that they can discuss the situation and take any appropriate action to prevent or discontinue any offending behaviour. Unipol’s Tenancy Support and Wellbeing Coordinator will discuss this fully when a complaint is raised.

Procedures for dealing with instances of Bullying or Harassment

If a tenant believes that they are being subjected to bullying or harassment by another tenant, the following options are available for taking action. Please note, this is not an exclusive list further details of each point can be found in the full Procedure document

• Taking personal action – speaking calmly with your bully directly.
• Mediation through Unipol – direct or shuttle mediation through the help of Tenancy Support
• Reporting to the perpetrator’s university – each University has their own policy regarding Bullying and Harassment and they may be able to take much more direct action
• Finding alternative accommodation – there may be situations where you no longer feel comfortable or safe living with the perpetrator. In these circumstances, Unipol would look to find you alternative accommodation or help you leave your tenancy.

Dealing with bullying and harassment is never easy and being a private landlord, Unipol can be even more restricted. We cannot punish the bully, nor do we have the facilities to investigate accusations. However, we will always look to do what we can to support the victim and keep them safe.

If you have any concerns relating to bullying and harassment, please do get in touch with Tenancy Support on tenancysupport@unipol.org.uk