Frequently Asked Questions

Pre-Tenancy

1. What do I do if I would like to view one of Home Accommodation’s Properties?

Either come into our office, contact us via the website or telephone 0114 268 54 54 to arrange a viewing. We accompany all groups around the property in order to cause minimum disruption for our current tenants, and give 24 hours notice where possible. To protect the privacy and safety of the current tenants we do not encourage groups to call directly at the property to arrange their own viewing. Wherever possible we like to show your entire group around in a single visit to make things easier for the current tenants.

2. How do I sign for the property?

We will prepare our Shorthold Tenancy Agreement for you to sign. We can email a copy for you/your family to look through and when you are happy, you can make an appointment to sign as a group. This agreement is joint and several which means that you are each jointly responsible for the property and the rent for the term of the tenancy (our agreements are usually for a period of 12 months).

We require your payment details upon signing, either post dated cheques, or credit/debit card details to be held until the required payment dates. We also require a security deposit and admin fee when signing for the property.

3. What do you do with my deposit?

It is now a legal requirement for all deposits paid in connection with assured shorthold tenancies to be protected by a government authorised tenancy deposit scheme. To cover the administration costs of implementing this new scheme we require a small administration fee on signing the contract.

4. When are the payment dates?

The rent is divided into 3 equal payments to cover duration of the 12 month tenancy. The majority of our contracts run from 1st of July and we require cleared funds by:

1st July | 1st November | 1st March

5. Are bills included in the rent?

We offer the option of an all inclusive tenancy. The all inclusive rent includes gas, water and electricity bills subject to fair useage, any excessive useage will be charged back to the tenants.

6. Do you do viewings at weekends?

Unfortunately as the office is closed at weekends we are unable to carry out viewings on Saturdays or Sundays.

7. Do you only offer student accommodation?

All Home Accommodation properties are available to both professionals and students. We have a selection of larger properties which tend to be more suitable for groups of students and find that our smaller flats located close to the City Centre, Broomhill and Crookesmoor are very popular with professionals.

Tenancy

1. What do I do about repairs or problems?

Our office is open 9am - 5pm weekdays and we also have an out of hours emergency phone number. We also have a dedicated repair e-mail address so any repairs can be reported at any time.

We take a pride in our properties and therefore run a comprehensive refurbishment scheme for those that need work, in addition to any ongoing repairs. It is important to us to deal with repairs quickly and efficiently in order to maintain the standard of the property and the positive relationship with tenants.

2. What about green issues?

All of our properties are double glazed and well insulated to help reduce student fuel bills and to aid energy conservation. In the new build properties we have also installed the energy efficient condensing boilers. As some of our properties are listed buildings, we have installed internal secondary glazing as a means of conserving energy.

We encourage all students to recycle and will assist in organising a recycling bin for each property.

3. What if I want to leave before the contract finishes?

Legally you cannot do this. However if you find someone to take your place it is possible to re-arrange the contract (a charge is usually made for this). If you are sharing you will need written consent from your housemates.

4. Who pays Council Tax?

Unless otherwise stated in your contract all bills, including Council Tax, are the tenants responsibility. However, if you are a full time student you are usually exempt from Council Tax.

5. Can we put a satellite dish up?

You will need the Landlords consent and may have to take it down at the end of your contract. You may also be charged for the making good of any damages caused by having the satellite dish.

6. Can I re-decorate my room?

No, we use professional decorators. If you decorate any room in the property without telling us you will be charged for the room to be re-decorated.

7. What do I do about utility bills?

When you move into the property you will need to contact your suppliers and set up the accounts in your names. Details on how to do this can be found here on our website. If you are on an all inclusive agreement we will set up the bills for you, we do ask that if any post from your supplier comes to the property that you forward it on to our office.

Post-Tenancy

1. What do I do to get my deposit back?

All Inclusive: If you are on an assured shorthold tenancy your deposit is held by the DPS. The lead tenant needs to log onto the website and request the return of the deposit. If you are not on an assured shorthold tenancy agreement the deposit needs to be requested back directly from the landlord.

Non inclusive: We require proof that the utilities have been paid up until the end of your tenancy. This proof can come in either the form of either a letter from your supplier explaining that your account is clear or your final bill and a stamp from the post office stating the amount that has been paid. Once this has been received the same steps are followed as with all inclusive tenancies (see above)