Frequently Asked Questions
Is my room furnished? Do I have to bring my own cooking and eating utensils?
Rooms in our dormitories are equipped with all basic furniture items – each resident has their own single bed, desk, chair, closet and shelves. Kitchens are equipped with a stovetop (no oven), refrigerator, table with chairs and other basic kitchen furniture. The rest – curtains, carpets, blankets, pillows, cleaning equipment, dishes, water kettles, toasters, etc. are up to the resident. Before you buy anything major, however, it may be sensible first to meet with your roommates/flatmates and see what is already there, decide how you’re going to use it, and only then, if and as you agree, start purchasing new items. It is also possible to rent a set of blanket, pillow and bedlinen (5 EUR a month) from the reception.
When can I fill in the application form?
The application for the beginning academic year usually starts from the first full week in August. You can fill in the online application form at: http://dorm.emu.ee/en/room-application/
I would like to share a room with a friend who is also applying. How should we fill in the application and what are the chances of us being assigned the same room?
You should each fill in the application, indicating that you would like to have one place in a twin room. In the field ‘fellow tenant’, you should give the full name of the person whom you wish to share the room with and his or her application number. When making an offer, we do our best to grant roommate requests if it is possible.
Why is it so difficult to get a single room?
There is a high demand for single rooms but as there are only a few of them, they are seldom vacated. Therefore it may take a year or even a year and a half to get a single room. So you could at first apply for a place in a room (or a twin room for one person, if available) and then, once you have a place, wait for a single room.
I have sent my application for a place. Does this mean that a place has been reserved for me and that I can come to Tartu and to the residence hall in the autumn without having to worry about it?
We will send the applicants an offer for a room via e-mail. Before you receive a room offer and accept it, your place is not confirmed. So make sure you enter your e-mail address correctly and log in to your campus account to accept the offer before it expires. When you have received an offer you have to confirm it within a week. All those who have got a place or a room in a dormitory will have to sign the lease agreement and pay the deposit. The amount of the deposit is 100 EUR per place. If you accept the room offer, pay the deposit and then decide to not come, the deposit will not be returned.
Can I take my dog with me?
Pets are not allowed in our dormitories.
What does an invoice consist of?
The invoices consist of the rent charge for the current month and utility services i.e. water and waste management, electricity, heating, warm water etc. for the previous month.
The rent is calculated on the basis of the number of tenants in the room. The charge for water and waste management is calculated on the basis of the number of tenants in the dormitory. The charge for electricity, heating and hot water on the basis of the size of the room.
All invoices can be paid by bank transfer only. You can pay by transfer or with cash at the bank. We do not accept payments here at the dormitory.
In case the property in the dormitory common areas is damaged and it is not possible to find out the person(s) responsible, the expenses are split up between the tenants on that specific floor and added to the invoice.
Upon leaving the dormitory, such invoices will be added to the final settlement. All additional invoices will be deducted from the deposit, and the remaining amount of the deposit will be repaid to the current account of the tenant.
What is the deadline for the payment?
The due date of invoice payments has been indicated separately on each invoice. The due date of payment of monthly invoices (rent + utilities) is the 20th of each month. If an invoice is paid after the due date, an interest rate (0,15% per day) for the delay will be added.
What should I do if the sink is clogged or the radiator leaks?
Preventing sink clogging is up to you! Clean your dishes from big food pieces before washing them in the sink. Use a sink strainer to stop food pieces from clogging the drain. The strainer costs less than 1€ and can be found in most supermarkets and homeware/grocery stores. Use a plunger and special drain liquids to keep the drains empty.
Problems related to accommodation should be notified at the reception. When you register your problem or emergency in our notebook, a corresponding work assignment will be issued to the person responsible for the area who will come fix it as soon as he can.
If your problem requires on-site attendance by a workman, please make sure the problem area is accessible and clear (for instance, in the case of a blocked sink drain, please remove any dishes from the sink and clean the sink). If access to the area is not ensured, repairs will not be performed.
What should I do if I want to use the washing machine?
You will be given a keycard along with your room key. This card opens the front door. It also activates the washing machines in the laundry room. One machineful of laundry costs 2 EUR. This sum will be added to your rent invoice.
Where can I leave my bicycle?
The tenants can leave their bicycle in the indoor bicycle park in the dormitory basement. They need their keycard to open the door. There are outdoor bicycle racks in front of all buildings of the EMU.
What should I do to change the room?
If a tenant would like to change their room, they need to submit an online room application again. If possible, the accommodation manager will help you find a room, sign off your old lease agreement and make a new lease agreement. You must return the keys of your old room the next day after moving into a new room at the latest. It is prohibited to change the room without the manager's consent. Changing your room costs 10€ unless you are asked to change rooms by the accommodation manager.
What should I do if I want to move out from the dormitory?
If you wish to move out you have to log into your campus account and initiate ending of the contract. The soonest the program will allow you to do that is 30 days. For those 30 days you still have to pay rent and utilities. The room must be cleaned and a time agreed upon for the manager to come and check it. Both the manager and the tenant sign off the contract. The tenant must return the card, key and rented bedlinen on the day they leave the dormitory. If everything is in order, the deposit is transferred to the tenant’s bank account the next month. The full deposit is not returned if the tenant has unpaid invoices or does not return the card and the key.
When do I get my deposit back?
The final settlement and the repayment of the money will take place by the 23rd of the month following the end of your contract. For example, if your contract ends on June 13th, then the deposit is transferred to the tenant’s bank account by July 23rd at the latest.