How to check whether a girls hostel is actually safe

What this hostel can state

Only two measures are evidenced well enough to publish. Anything presented as a safety feature without evidence is marketing, and it is the kind of claim that costs a family their trust when it turns out to be untrue.

• Residency limited to female students

  The hostel accommodates women only. This is stated on its signboard and consistently across every source we could check.

• CCTV in the common movement areas

  Cameras cover shared areas such as the entrance and stairway, and this is advertised on the building's signboard. How long footage is kept, and who can view it, are worth asking about.

The checklist for your visit

Use this at every hostel you look at, not just this one. Ask the management, then ask a resident the same question.

1. 1. Who is on site overnight, and how do residents reach them?

   This is the answer that matters most, and it is not published. Ask for a name and a role, not a reassurance.

2. 2. How does the main door work late at night?

   Ask what happens if you arrive later than usual, and whether that differs at weekends.

3. 3. What is the rule for visitors, including family?

   Ask where visitors are allowed, whether that includes rooms, and how it is enforced when the office is closed.

4. 4. How is a maintenance or safety problem reported, and how fast is it fixed?

   Ask a current resident for a real example rather than asking the management for the policy.

5. 5. What happens in a medical emergency at 2am?

   Ask who is called, which hospital is used, and whether parents are informed.

6. 6. Is the lane lit, and what transport is running when you would get back?

   Walk it at that hour. Nothing on a website substitutes for seeing it.

Related: a longer checklist for parents, and the hostel rules in summary.