Archive for the ‘Accommodation and Housing’ Category

Assured shorthold tenancy

The tenancy agreement that you are most likely to be given is called an Assured Shorthold Tenancy. This contract is a fixed term contract, you can ask for a clause to be put in the contract (break clause) which will allow you to give notice to end the tenancy early.Take time to read through the Tenancy Agreement before you commit yourself.

Licence

A Licence is a permission to occupy a room in a resident landlords flat/house provided the landlord shares common facilities i.e. bathroom, kitchen and lounge. The length of the Licence Agreement is to be mutually agreed between both the landlord and the tenant. To terminate the licence, reasonable notice must be given by both parties.

The allocation procedure begins in early September and an accommodation offer will be sent to you by email. You will be asked to pay a £250 pre-payment fee in order to secure your room. Please see our How to Apply web page for further information http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/accommodation/prospectivestudents/prospectiveundergraduatestudents/applicationprocess

The landlord is responsible for:

The landlord or his agents have the right to access the property at reasonable times during the day to carry out repairs for which he or she is responsible for and inspect the condition and state of the property. 24 hours written notice to inspect the property must be given unless in case of a emergency when the landlord or agent can enter immediately. Arrangement for access to the property must be written into the contract.

Tenants have the right to possess and enjoy the property during the tenancy without any interruption from the landlord. This clause does not limit any of the rights made under this agreement that the tenant has allowed the landlord/landlady to exercise. Neither does it prevent the landlord from taking lawful steps to enforce these rights if the tenant should break any of the terms of the agreement

You can expect to pay:

Gas, Electricity, Water Rates, TV Licence (If there is a television in the property, even if it belongs to the landlord), Internet, Telephone, Council Tax (if any of the people who you are sharing with are not Students)

This will cost you :

Depending on your own personal consumption you can expect to pay between £10-£20.00 a week for utility bills. Council Tax is based on the value of the dwelling and is payable by all the residents who are not exempt from it.

If solely full time students occupy a property, they are exempt from Council Tax. In order to be given exemption as a full-time student, you will need to obtain a Council Tax Exemption Letter from the Student Hub (Level 3, Sherfield Building). Along with this, you will need a copy of your tenancy agreement, which together will need to be forwarded to the appropriate local Council.

The deposit is generally the equivalent of anywhere in between one month’s rent to six weeks rent. The deposit is held in respect of dilapidations to the property or for non-payment of utility accounts. You could also lose your deposit if you terminate the agreement prior to the end of the tenancy unless agreed with the Landlord/Agent before the commencement of the tenancy. Remember that the money held as a deposit remains yours at all times and not the landlords and only by mutual agreement should any money be deducted. 

Your deposit or part of it will be withheld if you:

• fail to return ALL keys at the end of the tenancy
• are responsible for any damage to the property, either wilful or negligent
• have not cleaned the property adequately
• have left rubbish which needs removing from the property

From 6 April 2007, all deposits taken by landlords for Assured Shorthold Tenancies (rent less than £25,000 per annum) must be protected by a Tenancy Deposit Protection Scheme. From this date, tenants should ask their landlords about the details of the scheme when signing a new tenancy agreement.
Tenancies where the rent is more than £25,000 per annum (£480 per week) will not be protected under the Tenancy Deposit Protection Scheme

The tenant will pay the deposit to the landlord as now. But – (and here’s the difference with the insurance-based scheme) – the landlord will then pay the deposit into the custodial scheme, the scheme will advise the tennant that they are holding the money and how the money will be returned at the end of the tenancy.

 At the end of the tenancy, if the landlord and tenant agree how the deposit should be allocated, they will tell the scheme, which will pay out the money as agreed.

If the contract is joint the answer is no. The landlord/agent will obviously want to inspect the house and check all rent is paid etc. before returning your deposits. If there is no joint contract, it may be possible for you to come to an arrangement for the early return of the deposit.   You can seek advice from the Student Accommodation Centre

No, not if the bills are in the names of the tenants – the utility companies will chase the named persons and not the landlord/agent.

With the introduction of the Tenancy Deposit Protection Scheme the Landlord would not be holding the deposit and therefore would not have the money to pay the utility bills