Viewings

We need to given current tenants 24hrs Notice for access to a property. As you can appreciate you wouldn't like to be suddenly disturbed by a group of people entering your house/room.

NO Deposit!

Signing of contract subject to the property being returned clean and a satisfactory inventory/damage check-out.  

Guarantor and References

ALL students will be required to complete an application form and provide a Guarantor; who will be asked to sign a Letter of Guarantee, promising to underwrite any liabilities for which you do not pay. This would normally be a parent or relative living in the UK. If unable to provide this your rent for the whole term of the contract will be due.

Information on the Tenant Particulars form will be used to take references from past landlords and/or credit reference agencies. When all checks and guarantees are complete the tenancy will be set-up.  


Booking Fee

A Non-Refundable Booking Fee of £99 per person will be made to Reserve your house/room and cover the administrative costs of processing your application, taking up references and other checks, creating the Agreement, informing utility companies and council tax depts of the tenancy, preparing the Inventory and checking you In and eventually Out of the property. (After reserving a house and paying the Booking Fee, if you change your mind this charge will not be refunded. Similarly, if we decide not to let to you because of false or incomplete information on application forms, bad references or uncompleted guarantees or unreturned/completed paperwork in the required timescale it will not be refunded. This charge will be made only once for the duration of your tenancy and is not payable if you are extending a tenancy for a further year).


Tenancy

Our property is normally only let to groups of students on a joint tenancy agreement for at least a full 10-month year Sept-June inclusive. (Can start earlier than Sept or to remain after June through some or all of the summer by agreement). If anyone needs to move out before the end of the tenancy it would be his or her responsibility to find a replacement or continue to pay rent. Also all tenants are jointly responsible for each others rent or other liabilities if not paid. This is the standard form of tenancy for shared houses.


Retainer/Summer Rent

If you want to secure a house for next year as a new tenancy, then you will need to pay a retainer of half rent during the summer (usually June, July and August) while the house is unoccupied. This will be from the time the house becomes free (or 1st June at earliest) The maximum retainer period will be for 10 Weeks (at half rent) but this can be less when the previous tenants remain during the summer. See individual houses for details.
If you are to hold the property until the beginning of the academic year, then a summer retainer is assured that the property will not be leased out to anyone prior to your arrival and we may wish to use the time to redecorate or undertake maintenance work.
As most of our houses are contracted into tenancies for the following academic year during January - March, this means in practice that most tenancy agreements are for a full 12 month period 1st June to 31st May with June, July and August being at half rent.

If you want to continue a tenancy from one year to the next, a retainer of half rent can be paid during a period of up to two months when the property will be semi-occupied and available for maintenance work. You may be required to return your keys during the retainer period and we will do an inventory and condition check. Any damage will be assessed, charged for and corrected during the retainer period. 

During the retainer period, you can store property in the house and stay by arrangement as long as any necessary maintenance work can still be carried out.


Rent

Rent is payable termly in advance on the first day of tenancy. 
The agreed weekly rental is for your room and the share the house with other tenants
Payment options are: -
Termly or by Semester by a single Cheque at beginning of semester, by 1 or 2 post dated Cheques collected at start of tenancy. 
International students need to pay 42 weeks rent in advance unless you can provide a UK based Guarantor.

Insurance

The houses are all insured for the buildings themselves and the furnishings and equipment supplied by us. You are strongly advised to obtain insurance for your own personal property against fire, theft and other losses. In some cases your parents contents insurance may cover you whilst you are away from home as a student, please check carefully. Most bedrooms are fitted with secure locks and you will be asked to agree to us holding duplicates of all house and room keys. You should also inform us of any period when the house will be left unoccupied for more than 2 weeks, as our insurance policy requires us to check empty houses on a regular basis. We recommend Endsleigh who offer good Student policies.


Gas & Electric

The accounts for these services will be transferred to the tenants. Normally the utility companies take each persons name for the account and the tenancy agreement holds you all liable to pay for fuel used. We can change the meters to ‘pay as you go’ meters if you wish but you must maintain the credit balance to avoid causing issues with boilers etc.

Council Tax

Students are Exempt from payment of Council Tax and the Council will write and ask for copies of your student registration details. Be aware that if there are any non-students on the tenancy, the council will charge 75% of the full tax on the house when there is one non-student and the full tax if there are 2 or more. Also the council can hold all tenants jointly liable for payment (not just the non-students). 

Repairs/Lock-outs

We make every effort to complete your repair as swiftly as possible on occasion there may be a delay in completing the repair if the parts are not in stock.

If any repairs are required in your house due to malicious damage or as a direct result of negligence, we will not be held responsible for any delays in completing such repairs.

In the event that you lock yourself out of your room, we do hold spare keys for bedrooms and we will endeavour to open your room within 24hrs. Please be aware if this becomes a regular occurence we reserve the right to charge a call-out fee.