What are the rules on noise within the halls of residences?

If you live on campus in one of our halls of residence, you (and your flatmates) must not make excessive noise at any time of the day. During the night, there should be minimal noise audible outside the room you live in during quiet hours which are between 11pm and 8am.

The Campus Safety team may visit your flat if the noise coming from your room is considered to be excessive. If you are bothered by noise in your accommodation, you can contact the Campus Safety Team directly. They will be able to help determine if the noise is excessive.

You can also contact the Communities team by raising an enquiry with the MySurrey Hive team on Surrey Support. They can support you in resolving the issue. Noise issues can also be reported to us through Report + Support.

At Surrey, we want to create a balance between enjoying social activities and maintaining a calm and comfortable living space for everyone.

To support this, please remember:

• Keep noise at a considerate level at all times.

• During Quiet Hours (11pm – 8am), noise should be kept to a minimum so others can sleep.

• Avoid shouting or raising your voice inside the flat.

• Be mindful when closing doors, as slamming can disturb others.

• Let your flatmates know if you plan to have guests, especially overnight visitors.

• Respect others’ boundaries, (e.g. keeping noise down during assessment/exam periods).

• Parties are not permitted in accommodation. If you’d like to host one, please use bookable university social spaces instead, here.

• Do not play active games indoors (e.g. football, cricket, running). If you want to get active, the Students’ Union offers plenty of sports clubs and activities, here.

We highly encourage you to have an open and friendly conversation about noise and agree on what works best for everyone. 

It can also be useful to hold a flat meeting - they are a great way to get everyone on the same page and agree on how you would like to live together. Not holding meetings can lead to miscommunication and tension amongst flatmates.

However, if noise is not excessive but it is disturbing you during the day, you can try using noise-cancelling earphones or use the silent study spaces in the university library. At night, you can also try using earplugs helps to limit exposure to everyday noise that arise from living in communal accommodation.