Frequently asked Questions

 

FAQs for prospective tenants (before and during the rental application process)

 

Can I view one of your houses?

Of course!

On our website we have walk through videos of each property; please view these first (Home).

We have an arrangement with our tenants that if anyone is interested in the property that they can knock on the door and ask to view the property, but please be aware this may not always be a convenient time.

If that’s the case, then please contact us. We will arrange a viewing of the property or properties of your choice, but please allow us time to liaise with our current tenants to find a convenient time.

 

What is your rental period?  

The term of our Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreements is 12 months. For all of our properties the tenancy start date is the 01 July, and the tenancy end date is the 30th June the following year.

 

I would like to rent one of your houses, what do I do next?

See our Rental Application Process page for a run through of the application process. Make sure to view the copy of our tenancy agreement (see Lease Agreement page) and read it thoroughly.

If you decide you would like to rent one of our properties its easy! Visit our Home page and click on the photo of the property you are interested in, and fill out the requested information. Please use your Durham university email addresses only. When each tenant has registered their details, contracts will then be generated and sent out electronically to each individual tenant.

Please note we also require a refundable deposit of one month’s rent from each tenant  (payable by bank transfer).

Our Tenant and Guarantee Contracts can only be signed electronically with an uploaded signature which must be in jpeg,jpg,png or gif format and submitted via our online system. Please do not print out/sign them.

 

Why do you ask for a Parent/Guardian Guarantor?

All tenants are required to provide a UK-based guarantor. A guarantor (usually a parent or guardian) agrees to pay your rent if you are unable to. Due to a student’s age and employment status, we require a guarantor for all tenants. This is standard practice with student rental properties.

 

What to do if I do not have a UK guarantor?

Any tenant unable to provide a UK based guarantor will be required to pay the full annual rent in advance of moving in, or provide a guarantor through a bank. However, we are flexible and below are options we offer for payment should you wish to proceed with the rental.

1. Payment for the annual rent in full, payable in advance of tenancy start date on 1^st April
2. Two equal payments, payable in advance of tenancy start date. First payment date 1^st April, second payment date 1^st October.
3. Three equal payments payable in advance of tenancy start date. First payment date 1^st April, second payment date 1^st August, third payment date 1^st December

We would also still require the tenancy deposit of one months rent as our normal terms and conditions once you apply for the tenancy. Please contact us and let us know which option you would prefer regarding payment.

 

Why do you ask for a deposit?

We take a deposit to cover against any damage to the property during your tenancy. We will thoroughly inspect properties at the beginning of a tenancy and an inventory will be completed. When it comes to moving out, the house will be inspected again. You can make it easy for us by ensuring the house is in the same condition as when the tenancy began (allowing for reasonable wear and tear), and all utility bills are settled and all rent is paid.

 

What happens to my deposit?

Your deposits are registered with an authorised  Government agency, and once your deposit has been registered you will receive confirmation in the form of a Deposit Protection Certificate.

 

Other than the deposit, do you charge any additional fees?

No, there are no additional fees when applying for one of our properties.

 

Why do I have to show my landlord my passport, student visa, or other immigration documentation?

From 1 February 2016, landlords, homeowners, and Letting Agents are required by law to ensure that someone has the right to rent in England before letting them a property. Please see here for more information about the Immigration Right to Rent Checks.

 

How do you carry out Right to Rent checks?

In person

In person face-to-face meeting (the tenant needs to bring proof of ID, see here for valid forms of ID: Right to rent document checks: a user guide – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)_)

Online

If using the online ID option you will be sent a link to the TrustID portal where you will be asked to upload:

• An image of your in-date British or Irish passport
• A “selfie”
• International students will need their share code (how to get a share code: Prove your right to rent in England: Get a share code online – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).).

IMPORTANT: you must have your passport with you when you carry out this check, i.e. you need to take a picture of your passport when you are in the portal.  If you use an image of your passport (old or new) and upload it to the system the check will come back failed.

For instructions on how to take an image of your passport and your “selfie” please see the TrustID tips here https://www.trustid.co.uk/good-image-guide/.

 

Are you a member of the Durham Student Housing Accreditation Scheme?

Yes we are a member of the Durham Student Housing Accreditation Scheme.

 

Do you have an EPC and up to date Gas Safety and Electrical Safety certificates?

Yes, all of our properties have up to date Gas Safety Certificates, Electrical Safety Certificates and Energy Performance Certificates maintained by approved tradesmen. You can find the EPC certificates available for download in each property webpage, if you would like to see a copy of the electrical and gas certificates please contact us.

 

Can I reserve the property?

We do not reserve or hold a property. We work on the basis that the first complete group of applicants to complete, sign and return their signed Joint and Several Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement, the Guarantor Guarantee form and their deposit, will usually secure the rental. Until that time the property will still be available for rental by other interested parties.

If you do delay in returning the Agreements and have transferred the deposit(s), and in the meantime another party secures the property, we will notify you and arrange for your deposit(s) to be returned to you immediately.

 

How do I create an electronic signature?
To create an electronic signature for uploading, write your signature on a piece of paper. Using your mobile phone, open your camera app and take a photo of your handwritten signature. Send the photo from your phone to your email address. Once received, save the image to your computer then insert it into the document.

 

 

FAQs: During your tenancy

 

What date can I move in? 

The term of our Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreements is 12 months. For all of our properties the tenancy start date is the 01 July, and the tenancy end date is the 30th June at 12:00pm the following year.

If the property is left empty for the summer months (for more than 30 days) we strongly encourage tenants to:

1. Turn of their water supply using the stop tap (to mitigate against any water damage problems)
2. Unplug the fridge/freezer – this will save you money on your energy bill but please make sure the freezer is deforested properly to avoid water damage to the kitchen floor.

 

Are your houses cleaned before we move in?

Yes. We are dedicated to maintaining a high standard in our properties. As such, immediately after the previous tenants have moved out (June 30^th), at the very start of your tenancy we conduct a 3 week maintenance period (from 1^st July).

The maintenance required on each property will vary from year to year, an example timeline is given below:

Figure: Example of the July maintenance schedule. subject to change.

Some examples of tradespeople that will visit the house to carry out work are: Gas engineers, plumbers, fire safety engineers, joiners, electricians, decorators (painters), cleaners.

We will email tenants a month before the tenancy start date to give more details of the planned works for that year.

IMPORTANT: If you are not staying in the property but have moved your belongings in, we recommend that you do not unpack, and leave everything in your wardrobe. This means that both the decorators and cleaners will have better access to your room to make it look great for the new term.

 

Can I stay in the property during the July maintenance period?  

Yes of course.

We carry out the maintenance in the first weeks of your tenancy as:

1. We want the property to be in excellent condition as soon as possible in your tenancy
2. Some tenants choose not to stay in Durham over the summer and so this is the best time to carry out maintenance and any needed repairs with minimal disruption to your studies.

We will be in Durham for the entire 3 weeks. Our maintenance schedule is extensive but it allows us to maintain high standards for you and future tenants, and for us to care for our investment.

Please let us know if you are staying in the property in July so that we can work to keep you updated with the planned activities. Please note that July is a busy period for contractors in Durham and times and dates my change last minute.

 

Do you provide an inventory?

Yes, as the contents of the property may change slightly from year to year we send you an inventory after the summer maintenance period is complete along with condition photographs of the property. This inventory will be used as control document for your exit inspection.

If you would like a draft inventory (to help you know what to pack) please let us know.

 

When/ how do I get my keys?

We will contact you the month before the tenancy start date to arrange key delivery. We offer postal delivery at no charge.

 

When is the rent due?

Rent is charged monthly and are payable one month in advance.  The First rent payment date for tenants with a UK guarantor is 1st June.  The First rent payment date for tenants without a UK guarantor is 28th March.

To calculate the monthly rent you multiply the weekly rent by 52 and then divide by 12. You pay this on the first of each month via standing order.

 

What bills do I have to pay?

These are shown on each property page and are outlined within your tenancy agreement.

 

Can you give me an idea of how much the utility bills will cost?

At the end of each groups tenancy we ask them the approximate cost of their utility bills (water, electric, gas) so that we can pass this information onto the next group of students. However this information is not always provided and is dependent upon supplier used. If we have this information we will pass it along to you.

 

Do I need to pay Council Tax?

Properties where all the occupants are full-time students will be exempt. You may be asked to produce a certificate giving evidence of your student status.

 

What do I do if something breaks?

As part of your tenancy agreement, you must inform us if anything breaks or is not working correctly. Please contact us immediately – the sooner we know about an issue the sooner we can get it fixed. This may involve an in person visit by us or a tradesperson to carry out the repair.

 

How do I contact my Landlord?

If you have any questions or a problem while in the property you can call, email, or text us. We also set up dedicated WhatsApp groups for each property to allow quick and easy communication.

 

Do you carry out property inspections?

Yes, we carry out 3 property inspections during your tenancy  – the first just before or after the Christmas break, the second just before or after the easter break, and the third and final one on the last day of your tenancy (the exit inspection).

 

Is there car parking?

Our properties come with a mixture of Off and On Street (Resident Permit Required) Parking, please see each property page for details.

 

Can I bring my own furniture e.g. a small sofa?

All houses come equipped with furniture (beds, sofa, tables, chairs, etc). If you would like to bring your own furniture please contact us first as all furniture in the property must have a fire label attached.

 

How do I change the temperature in the house?

We provide a binder (the white binder on the TV stand) of instruction manuals for all appliances in the house. These will contain instructions on how to adjust your heating.

 

When should I put out the bins?

Collection, care, and requests for new / replacement bins are the tenants responsibility. Your bin must be placed at the designated collection point (the location is shared in our induction slides). For details on bin collection days, and how to request more bins, please see http://www.durham.gov.uk

 

I / one of my housemates has decided to leave university, what do we do regarding the room and the rent?

Your AST is a joint and several liability contract. This means that tenants will be joint and severally liable for the total rent of each property and not just a portion of the rent. If one of the tenants does not pay their rent, we are entitled to seek payment of that rent from any of the other tenants or all of them or the individuals guarantor as we see fit.

Tenants have had to move out mid-tenancy in the past. The best approach is for all tenants to discuss amongst themselves how they wish to move forward and let us know. It could be you decide that:

• the departing tenant continues to pay rent (despite not living at the property)
• the remaining tenants cover the cost of the rent, or
• (what happens most times) for the tenants to find a replacement housemate. If you wish to bring in a new housemate to take over the tenancy agreement for the exiting tenant, we will send out paperwork for all tenants (current, departing and new) to sign.

 

 Do you have any tips while we stay in the property?

Thanks for asking, please check out our current tenants hub for practical information on living in the house, e.g. using the oven, testing the fire alarm, tips for keeping the property clean, tips for reducing condensation, etc.

 

 

FAQs: at the end of your tenancy

 

How do I get my deposit back?

We will return your deposit to you within 10 days of the tenancy end date.

If there is any damage to the property or its contents we may decide to deduct monies from your deposit. If so we will email you after the exit inspection with an itemised list of reasons for the deduction. You must let us know if you agree or disagree with the deductions.

We do not deduct from your deposits for reasonable wear and tear.

For tips on how to reduce the risk of damage to the property, and how to keep the property in good shape, please see our current tenants hub.

 

I graduate in July, is it possible for me to stay in the property for a few extra days?

Unfortunately no. As you know, Durham Student rentals work around the academic cycle. The property will be required for the next group of tenants.

 

Can I get a reference for my next property rental?

Yes, of course. We have had many requests in the past to give references for our tenants new landlords. Just let us know.

 

We loved staying in the house so much, is there anywhere we can leave a review?

Why yes! Please visit our Facebook or Instagram page to leave a review, thank you.