University no-contact order request

Short answer

Yes. Almost all universities in England and Wales have formal mechanisms that allow a student to request a no-contact order (sometimes called a no-contact agreement or precautionary/interim measure) and to ask for an emergency or precautionary change of accommodation. These are usually handled under the university’s student conduct, complaints, or safeguarding framework, and they operate separately from, and much faster than, any court process. You do not need to have started a criminal case, a police report, or even a formal disciplinary complaint to ask for them, although what you provide will affect what the university feels able to do.

What a university no-contact order actually is

A university no-contact order is an internal, administrative measure. It is not a court order and it has no effect outside the institution. It typically requires the other student not to contact you directly or indirectly, not to approach you, and sometimes not to enter or use particular shared spaces or buildings. Universities generally use two forms:

A one-way (unilateral) order placed on a “responding” or reported student, restricting their contact with you.

A mutual no-contact order, which restricts all parties, including you as the reporting student, from contacting each other. Universities often prefer mutual orders because they are seen as more neutral while an allegation is unresolved, so you may be offered a mutual order even where you feel you are the only person at fault-free risk.

Breach of a no-contact order is itself usually a disciplinary offence, so it gives the university a route to act quickly if the other person ignores it.

Emergency and precautionary accommodation transfer

Where you live in university-managed accommodation, institutions can usually arrange an urgent move as a precautionary measure. This can take the form of moving you to alternative accommodation, moving the other student, restricting the other student from your building or halls, or in serious cases banning a student from accommodation entirely. A precautionary move is meant to protect you while matters are investigated and is supposed to be applied so as to have the minimum necessary impact, so the university will weigh who should be moved and whether less disruptive options exist.

If you rent privately or through a third-party provider rather than the university, the university’s power to move people is more limited, but it can still often help with a no-contact order, campus-space restrictions, safety planning, and liaison, and it may be able to expedite a transfer if it holds a nominations agreement with the provider.

Key point about precautionary versus punitive measures

An important distinction runs through university policy in this area. A no-contact order or accommodation move imposed while an allegation is being investigated is a precautionary or supportive measure, not a punishment. Universities stress this because imposing a penalty before any finding would breach their own fairness rules and the reported student’s rights. In practice this means the university can act on a precautionary basis relatively quickly and on a lower threshold, but it will usually frame the measures as neutral and temporary, and it must keep them under review. It also means being granted a no-contact order does not amount to a finding that the other person did anything wrong.

How to make the request

1. Identify the right route. Look for your university’s policies on student conduct or non-academic discipline, precautionary or interim measures, harassment and sexual misconduct, safeguarding, or accommodation. The relevant team is often Student Services, a wellbeing or safeguarding team, a dignity and respect or report-and-support team, or accommodation services. Many universities have an online “report and support” tool.

2. Make the request in writing where you can. State clearly what has happened, when, who is involved, and specifically that you are asking for a no-contact order and, if relevant, an emergency accommodation move. Explain the risk to your safety, wellbeing, or ability to study and live normally.

3. Ask for interim protection while it is considered. If you feel at immediate risk, say so explicitly and ask for urgent or same-day precautionary measures rather than waiting for a full investigation.

4. Keep and provide evidence. Messages, emails, screenshots, dates, times, names of witnesses, and any prior reports all strengthen the request and make it easier for the university to justify acting quickly.

5. Ask what support is available alongside the order, such as wellbeing support, adjustments to teaching arrangements, timetable separation, or security escorts.

Grounds and evidence

You do not usually need to prove your case to a criminal or civil standard to get precautionary measures. You need to raise a genuine concern about safety, harassment, or wellbeing that the university can reasonably act on. The more specific and evidenced your account, the stronger the request. Be accurate about what actually happened rather than labelling it. For example, if you describe conduct as “harassment” or “stalking,” the university will still look at the underlying facts, so setting out the specific incidents, their frequency, and their effect on you is more persuasive than the label alone.

Fairness to the other student and why requests can be declined or made mutual

Because these measures affect another person, the university has to act fairly to them too. That is why you may be offered a mutual order, why an accommodation move might fall on you rather than the other student in the first instance, and why the university may not tell you every detail of what it does. If the university proposes a mutual order and you think a one-way order is justified, you can say so and explain why, but expect the institution to balance both students’ interests.

If the university refuses or delays

If your request is refused, delayed, or the measures are not working, you can:

Escalate internally, for example to a manager, head of service, or through the formal complaints procedure, asking for written reasons.

Involve your students’ union advice service, which is independent, free, and experienced in these processes.

Use the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education once you have exhausted the internal process and received a Completion of Procedures letter. The OIA can review whether the university acted reasonably and in line with its own policies.

Legal options that sit alongside university measures

University measures do not replace legal protection, and for serious situations you may want both. Depending on the facts, external options can include reporting to the police where behaviour may be criminal, for example harassment, stalking, threats, or assault, and applying to a court for a civil order. Under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 you can seek an injunction against a course of conduct amounting to harassment. Where there is a domestic or intimate relationship involved, family court orders such as a non-molestation order may be available. A court order carries real legal force, including potential arrest for breach, which a university order does not. If there is any immediate danger, contact the police.

Practical points and what to gather now

Read your specific university’s precautionary measures, student conduct, and accommodation policies, because the exact names, thresholds, and decision-makers differ between institutions even though the framework is broadly similar across England and Wales.

Put your request in writing and keep copies of everything, including dates you reported concerns and how the university responded, in case you later need to complain or go to the OIA.

Consider approaching your students’ union adviser early, as they can help you frame the request, attend meetings, and challenge decisions.

If your concern involves possible criminal conduct or immediate risk, treat the university route and the police or court route as complementary rather than alternatives.

Information that would sharpen this answer

The most useful details would be which university you attend, whether your accommodation is university-managed or private, whether the other person is a student at the same institution, whether any conduct might be criminal, and whether you have already reported anything and what response you received. These affect which policy applies, how quickly the university can move people, and whether you should also be considering the police or a court order.