Temporary ban on overnight guests frustrates Beit residents
Students were not told reason for ban, leading to rising resentment.
A temporary pause on overnight guests at Beit Hall has caused frustration among freshers. The pause, put into effect from Monday 4th November after an announcement to residents through the hall’s WhatsApp chat, is due to repair works on some of the doors within the residence.
The measure is temporary, preventing guests from staying to ensure security standards are met across the hall. However, students were caught unawares, with students speaking to Felix pointing out that the change was not publicly discussed beforehand and was not announced via email or through the warden team. One resident commented that “there has been zero official communication… this is all through the grapevine”.
Students were only told that the ban was enforced due to “safety and security”, with another student describing the reasoning as “very vague and quite unreasonable”. Discontent with the change, with residents launching a petition on their WhatsApp group chat titled “Petition against this decision,” which amassed 101 “yes” votes and no dissenters, revealing widespread dissatisfaction. “That was our petition, basically,” one resident said, noting that each vote represented a signature against the policy.
According to Imperial College’s license agreement for student halls, overnight guests are not permitted in accommodation unless expressly allowed by the Residential Support/Services team for individual halls or residences. The minimal notice has left freshers upset – some confirming that friends and family abroad have had to cancel pre-booked flights because they cannot seek alternative accommodation.
Students have not been told when the pause will end. Frustration among residents is palpable. One student described the ban as a “gross overreach of power,” while another likened it to “putting us in a cage.
“We are all adults,” they told Felix, noting the rule is applied to residents but not to wardens. Another student said that the decision felt like they “were [going] back to boarding school”.
