If you would like to view one of our properties you can submit your details using the ‘arrange viewing’ button on each property page (or by using the ‘contact’ form). We will then make an appointment with you to view the property. Alternatively you can call the office on 0115 8390390 or either Sarah on 07807 307 211 or Matthew on 07590 270 105 to arrange a viewing. Out of courtesy to our current tenants we like to give them at least 24 hours notice of a viewing therefore we would ask that you try to give us as much notice as possible to arrange an appointment.
The first thing to do is to call or email us to let us know and to check that your chosen property is still available. We will then arrange to meet you to collect a reservation (or holding) deposit of £80 per person (a copy of the property reservation form can be found in the ‘new tenants’ section of our website under the ‘Information’ tab). Once the reservation is in place you have first refusal on the property for 7 days and we will email you details of everything you will need to do in readiness for signing the tenancy agreement. The reservation deposit becomes part of your full tenancy deposit when you sign the tenancy agreement which should happen within one week of reserving the property. You must always read through the terms and conditions of our tenancy agreement prior to putting down a reservation deposit, these can be found in the ‘new tenants’ section of our website under the ‘Information’ tab. This is important because you will forfeit your reservation deposit if you change your mind before signing the tenancy agreement.
It is really important that you read and understand the terms and conditions of the tenancy agreement before signing it. A copy can be found in the ‘new tenants’ section of our website under the ‘Information’ tab so that you can read it at your leisure or alternatively we can email or post you a copy if you prefer. You should read through the tenancy terms and conditions prior to placing a reservation on a property. If you have any questions about the terms and conditions of our tenancy agreement please do not hesitate to get in touch with us using the details on the ‘Contact Us’ page.
All of our tenancies are Assured Shorthold Tenancies or ASTs. They are for a fixed term of 51 weeks although it is possible to sign a new agreement for a further 51 weeks should you wish to stay in your house for the following academic year. Our tenancies are all joint tenancies so you will all sign the same tenancy agreement and will have joint and several responsibility for paying rent and looking after the property. For this reason, whilst there are privacy snibs on the inside of the bedroom doors, there are not locks on the outside of individual doors and we won’t add these later as this would be a breach of the joint tenancy.
Yes – we ask all of our tenants to provide a UK based guarantor. This is someone who will guarantee to pay your share of the rental should you be unable to do so, usually a parent or close relative. This protects the other tenants as well as ourselves. Unlike some other landlords or agents we only ask for a guarantor for your share of the rental, not for the whole of the rental for all tenants. If you are unable to provide a UK based guarantor, for example because you are an international student, you will need to either pay the whole year’s rental up front at the time of signing the tenancy agreement or purchase a guarantor policy from a specialist company who offer these such as ‘Housing Hand’. Please contact us to discuss your options prior to putting down a reservation if you don’t have a UK based guarantor.
The government introduced a new piece of legislation in October 2015 which requires all landlords and letting agents to check that prospective tenants have the ‘Right to Rent’ in the UK. This means that we need to see documentation that proves this and take a copy. If you are a UK citizen or a citizen of a country in the European Economic Area, or a citizen of Switzerland then you will just need to show us your passport and provide a photocopy of the photo page before we are allowed to grant you a tenancy. If you are from a country that does not meet these criteria then we will need to see your passport or travel document endorsed with leave to stay in the UK for at least the length of your tenancy and your biometric residence permit or a UK immigration status document endorsed with leave to stay in the UK for at least the length of your tenancy. If you are a UK citizen but do not have a UK passport then there are other documents we can use instead but this is a little more complicated so please contact the office for more details about this. There are also alternative documents that can be used for citizens of other countries so again please contact us for further details about this. There is more information about the new ‘Right to Rent’ rules in the ‘New Tenants’ section of our website.
Yes, we do, for all our properties except the 2 bedroom ones. Our bills inclusive package includes your gas, electricity and water rates. You will find the bills inclusive rental amount at the bottom of the description of each property. Going bills inclusive means that you don’t have the worry of large bills suddenly arriving when you hadn’t budgeted for them and it takes away the need for someone to be in charge of collecting in all the contributions from fellow housemates. We will ask you at the time of making a property reservation if you would prefer to be bills inclusive although if you are not sure at the time you have until up to 48 hours prior to signing your tenancy agreement to decide this.
We take a deposit of £300 in total. The deposit is refundable at the end of the tenancy in line with the stipulations of the tenancy agreement, providing the house is left in the same condition it was in when you moved in (fair wear and tear excepted) and you have not generated any additional charges.
In line with current legislation we protect all deposits with ‘The Dispute Service’ in the government approved ‘Tenancy Deposit Scheme’.
Yes! We are a member of the Unipol Dash Code which means that we conform to all the requirements of the code and in the vast majority of cases exceed these requirements. All our properties are also fully licensed where applicable with Nottingham City Council and accredited with ‘The Nottingham Standard’.
About six weeks before the start of your tenancy we will send you detailed information about all sorts of things you need to know such as parking permit information, getting your keys, utility meter readings etc… This should cover everything to make the move into your new property as straightforward as possible but as at all times before or during your tenancy you can always get in touch to ask any questions you may have.
All of our tenancies are for 51 weeks and start on 9th August and finish on 31st July. If we are refurbishing your property during the summer then you will be paying a summer retainer for the first few weeks of this period and you won’t be able to live there during this time. For properties undergoing refurbishment occupancy rights will commence at a later date than usual, most commonly at some point in September. Please check the listings for each individual property for details of which properties we are refurbishing this year and what retainer dates and amounts apply.
Rent is paid in four quarterly instalments, on 7th July, 7th October, 7th January and 7th April. The majority of our tenants pay us by standing order and if this is your preferred payment method then we can supply you with a standing order mandate to complete and return to us. If you choose to pay by standing order please remember that this is not the same as a direct debit i.e. you remain in control of the payments not us. You are therefore responsible for ensuring that the payments are set up correctly with your bank and any amendments to the payments must be done by yourself. If you are unable to pay by standing order then you can give us four post-dated cheques for your rental payments (we will supply you with the details for these) or you can set the payments up using online banking (make sure you let us know if you have done this). It is fine for the payments to come out of someone else’s account, such as your parents, as long as you let us know.
You will need to budget for your gas and electricity, water rates and any internet/telephone/television packages you sign up for as these are not included in your rental payments. We currently advise our tenants to budget around £10 per person per week to cover all of the above bills however obviously each set of tenants’ usage varies considerably. Bills inclusive packages are available, please let us know when you put down the reservation deposit if you would like to include bills in your rental and we will let you know how much this will be.
Yes, you must buy a television license if you intend to watch television, however as you will be on a joint tenancy you only need one license to cover the whole property, not one each.
As a student you are exempt from Council Tax and we will send all the necessary information to the Council to ensure you are not charged. If at any time during the tenancy one or more of you ceases to be a student then council tax will become payable and will be the responsibility of the tenants as per the tenancy agreement.
If you or your parents have any questions at any time you can either email these to us at enquiries@buxtonproperties.net, contact the office on 0115 8390390 or ring Sarah on 07807 307 211 or Matthew on 07590 270 105 . We understand that this can sometimes be a worrying time for parents and students alike therefore we are always happy to help with any questions you may have either before or during your tenancy.
In short, no! Notice may not be given. On signing any Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement, you must understand that you have entered into a legally binding agreement for the duration of the agreed term – usually 12 months. In cases where you find a new tenant for your room, with the agreement of all your co-tenants and the agreement and approval of Buxton Properties; and providing that you have met all your obligations under the terms of your tenancy agreement and have paid all rents which may be due, you may then be released from your tenancy agreement. For further details of the terms and charge that would apply in such a situation please see the tenancy agreement or contact the office for further advice.
