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Information Sheet

Accommodation Swap Finder

⚠️ This tool is not affiliated with or endorsed by the University of Manchester or the Students’ Union.

If you’ve landed on this page, you’re probably not happy with the accommodation you’ve been offered. You’ve got a couple of options about how you can move forward:

Look for private accommodation

Ask Accommodation Services to be placed on a waiting list by emailing them

Find someone to swap flats with.

The accommodation swap finder tool can help you with the third option. To find out about your privacy when using the tool, scroll down to the Privacy section.

🤳 Please share this tool!

The more people that find out about this tool and use it— the more people that get matched up and get the accommodation they want. Please share the link to this information sheet (https://coda.io/@uomasf/information-sheet) or straight to the swap finder form (https://coda.io/form/Swap-finder_dA3Hvrn9VaY) on accommodation group chats and freshers groups.

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The process

Step 1 Put in a request

Complete the swap finder form by clicking below or going to

https://coda.io/form/Swap-finder_dA3Hvrn9VaY⁠

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Look for swaps

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Step 2 Wait for a response

Once you’ve put in a request, the tool will start looking for the best possible option to pair you up with someone, so everyone can get the accommodation they want. Once a suitable match has been found, you will receive an email with details and next steps.

The system may pair you up with just one other person (direct swap), for instance:

* Person A has Owens Park and wants Denmark Rd.

* Person B has Denmark Rd and wants Owens Park.

They swap.

But to ensure that more people can get the accommodation they want, the system may also match people into groups of more than two:

* Person A has Owens Park and wants Denmark Rd. They give their flat to Person C.

* Person B has Denmark Rd and wants Brook Hall. They give their flat to Person A.

* Person C has Brook Hall and wants Owens Park. They give their flat to Person B.

Step 3 Get in touch with your group

When a match has been found and you’ve received an email, you’ll need to get in touch with the other person in your pair or the other people in your group, in order to agree on the swap. You’ll be sent an email with their details— they’ll receive an email too.

The last bit is making the swap happen. Once you’ve agreed on the swap, everyone will need to email Accommodation Services individually. This is to let them know how you want to proceed with the swap.

When emailing them at

accommodation@manchester.ac.uk,⁠

you need to make sure you include:

ROOM SWAP in the subject line

Your University of Manchester Student ID Number

Your current allocated flat and room number

The details of the person or people you want to swap with

When contacting the university, unless you are doing a direct swap (with one other person), you will need to explain how you want to facilitate the swap. To help you with this, you will be given a breakdown of the swap arrangement in the email, once a match has been found for you.

👎 If something goes wrong

If for some reason, the swap can’t go ahead, for instance, if you can’t get in touch with the person/people in your swap group, if the system has matched you up incorrectly, etc., your details will be deleted from the matching system anyway.

If you want the system to look for another match, you’ll have to fill in the form again.

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Look for swaps

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Privacy

This section explains what information the tool will ask you for, who it will be shared with and for what purpose. None of your data will be shared for malicious or marketing purposes. None of your data will be passed onto the University. This tool serves no commercial purpose and is student-run.

The Accommodation Swap Tool asks for the following information:

Your name, so that the people you’re matched with know how to address you

Your email, so that

The system can inform you when a match has been found and

So that the person (or people) you have been matched with can get in touch with you and arrange the swap

The hall which you have been allocated and the hall which you would like to stay in, so that the system can find suitable matches for a room swap.

Once a match has been found, your details will be sent to the other person/people in the pair/group. This is so that they can get in touch with you (or you get in touch with them) and arrange the swap.

Your form submission and any personal data will be deleted automatically 30 days after you’ve submitted your form.

Statistics of the requests will be shown on this page, but no personal data will be revealed.

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Filling in the form— if you’re trans or intersex

If you’re trans or non-binary, you might be unsure as to how to complete the form. You should fill it in with the sex you were assigned at birth. Unfortunately, if you are trans, this is not recognised by the University when it comes to swapping accommodation.

If you’re intersex, please put down the gender you entered on your application for accommodation.

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Deciding on accommodation

When you’re filling out the form, you will need to select which halls you would be happy for the system to match you up to. Please carefully consider which halls you would be willing to swap to— take into account

Price and budgeting— think about the amount of finance you are eligible for, etc.

Location— some people may prefer to be closer to their faculty and city centre, some may prefer to be on the Fallowfield campus for the social life. Think about places you might need to go on a daily basis (library, gym, work, etc.) when choosing where you’d want the system to look for you.

Parking— some people may want to bring their cars with them. Certain accommodation will have less parking availability. Research options for parking to make sure this won’t get in the way.

People you know— some people may already have friends that also go to Manchester. If that’s the case for you, you may want to pick halls which are closer to your friendship group.

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