Q. What is the minimum term required by the contract?

Each contract is a 6 month shorthold tenancy agreement (after 6 months your tenancy will continue as a periodic tenancy)

Q. What notice period is required to terminate the tenancy agreement?

Neither party may terminate the tenancy agreement within the first six months (unless there has been a breach of contract). After six months we ask that you provide us with at least four weeks notice of your intended departure date.

Should your circumstances change within the first six months, and you wish to terminate your contract early, please contact us to discuss what arrangements can be made.

Q. What deposit/bond required and how is it protected?

A deposit of one month's rent is required prior to commencing a tenancy agreement. This will be held as security against damages, unpaid rent etc. It will be returned after your departure, once we are satisfied that any damages have been rectified and that there are no outstanding rental arrears.

Bonds are secured by the Deposit Protection Scheme.

Q. How are bills determined?

Bills are included in your monthly rent.

Q. When and how is rent collected?

Rent and the monthly bills fee are collected via a standing order payment on the 1st of each month. If you start or end your tenancy during a month, then the rent and bills for that particular month will be determined on a pro rata basis.

Q. Are references required?

Yes. Proof of employment is required (by writing to your employer) prior to commencing a tenancy agreement.

Q. Do we let to DHSS?

Sorry, but tenants must be in full time employment and able to provide a work reference.

Q. How do we ensure the safety of our gas and electric appliances?

All of our gas appliances are serviced annually and a gas safety certificate issued. We also provide audible carbon monoxide detectors by each gas appliance.

Our electrics are checked by a qualified engineer and each property is NICEICl certified.

Q. Are our houses fitted with smoke detectors and carbon dioxide detectors?

All of our properties are fitted with hard wired smoke detectors and british gas approved audible carbon monoxide detectors.

Q. Are the rooms single occupancy?

Yes – all rooms are rented on a single occupancy basis. Please be courteous to your fellow housemates by forewarning in advance visits from friends/partners, and ensure that your housemates are comfortable with their presence in the house - remember your housemates have agreed to house share with you – not you and another!

Q. What is the house cleaner responsible for?

The house cleaner visits weekly, and is responsible for cleaning the communal areas of the house (bathrooms, kitchen, lounge and landings). Their duties do not extend to washing-up so please keep kitchen work surfaces free from clutter!

Q. Who is responsible for maintaining gardens?

We maintain the house gardens for you.

Q. Who is responsible for the maintenance/repair of the house and its contents?

Your landlord is responsible for maintaining damage caused by ‘wear and tear’ to the building infrastructure and appliances (including the central heating system). Should you have a problem, please call us and we will attempt to rectify the problem as soon as possible. Accidental damage or damage caused by misuse is the responsibility of the tenant and must be rectified by the tenant e.g. if you break a glass, please replace it (plates/glasses etc are all from IKEA and duplicates easily sourced). Note in addition to resolving problems we will try to negate them by periodically checking the house and the appliances.

Q. Can we put up posters/pictures/shelves etc?

Of course, but we do ask that you try and use drawing pins for posters. If you would like to put up anything that requires holes drilled into the wall (shelves, speaker brackets etc), please ok this with us prior to mounting.

Q. Can we install Sky TV, Cable TV, Telephone, Broadband etc?

Yes, but please discuss this with us prior to entering into any agreements. It may be, for example, more convenient to add the costs of these services to your monthly bills and allow us to settle the accounts on your behalf.

Q. Who is responsible for incidentals?

Light bulbs, cleaning products, loo paper, bin liners etc are the responsibility of the housemates, and it is up to each house as to how they organise this. We recommend collecting a monthly kitty to cover such items.

Q. What is the smoking policy?

Non-smokers who are exposed to passive smoking in the home, have a 25 per cent increased risk of heart disease and lung cancer, and smoking is the biggest cause of house fires in the UK. In the interest of the safety and welfare of your housemates, we ask that housemates refrain from smoking inside of the house.

Q.  Are there any house rules?

Our houses are officially non-smoking, but it is primarily up to the occupants of each house to self govern and determine the ‘rules’ of each house. The most important thing in any shared let is consideration – so please refrain from behaviour that may upset your fellow housemates – that usually means keeping noise levels acceptable, refrain from ‘borrowing’ food and keep communal areas tidy.