Student Lettings Agency Logo

       Student Lettings Agency  (Grant House)

office (01227) 459 888
email info@stla.co.uk

Frequently Asked Questions

MONEY

Do I have to pay a deposit?

No, with SLA you do not have to find a deposit.

Do I have to find any other money up front?

Yes we ask for a Third Party Charge of £250.00, this is not refundable. The charge temporarily secures the property in your name and removes it from the market, with the understanding that you/your group sign the tennacny agreement the following week or sooner.*

When will my rent need to be paid?

We are flexible, you can pay either monthly, quarterly or yearly in advance.

What happens if my loan is late or I get into financial difficulty during the year?

As soon as you start to experience problems that would impact your rent, pick up the phone and let us know. We are here to help and will assist you to implement a workable finance plan.

GUARANTORS

Why do I need a guarantor?

A guarantor acts as security for the Landlord. They effectively guarantee that all monies owed by you will be paid by them if you don’t pay. E.g. should you default on your payments and then refuse to speak to us, we would contact your guarantor and request that they make up the shortfall owed.

Who can be a guarantor?

Family and friends or anyone else over 25 who is prepared to stand as guarantor for you, that has an income/assets.

What happens if I do not have a guarantor?

Then we would ask you to pay the last three months in advance i.e. before the tenancy begins.

What happens if my guarantor moves out of the country?

If your guarantor emigrates you will need to provide us with details of a new guarantor that resides in the U.K. and we will write to them without a further charge to you.

THE AGREEMENT

What does a collective tenancy mean?

It means you are collectively responsible for each other .e.g. if a door is broken in the house and nobody owns up to the damage we would send the repair/replacement bill, to all of you to pay. This also applies to outstanding debts like rent not being paid: if we chase the debtor and their guarantor but find our efforts are fruitless, we will look to the other tenants to make up the shortfall.Please call us first and we can discuss details with you, and then we may direct you towards the form Sub-let Letter for existing tenants which is located in the Documents and Forms section.

MOVING IN

I signed up to a house months ago, how do I go about moving in?

Just let us know what date and time the first person is moving into the house. We will see them into the property and do a condition report, as well as giving them everyone’s keys. (If you would prefer we could send them to you.)

I will not be coming back to Canterbury until September what can I do with my belongings.

It may be possible to store them at the house you have rented from us, call us and we will help you make arrangements.

I need to vacate my current property some time before I am able to move into my new house with SLA, what can I do with my possessions I do not need to take home?

Storage King are a local storage co. Marshwood Close Canterbury, off of the Sturry Road. 01227 470700 Alternatively talk to us you may be able to store them in the house itself?

I have moved in a couple of months after the tenancy has started and the place is untidy I thought it was going to be cleaned?

The property will have been cleaned for the start of your tenancy on 1st July. If your house mates have been living there for some time before you then we cannot be held responsible for the cleanliness of the house.

We have all moved in together and noticed a problem with the house?

Whatever it is call our team, we are here to help you settle in and to resolve any issues you may have. This is also true for the whole of your tenancy. You will find our contact details in the house book at the house and a plaque on the wall with all the numbers you will need.

Do I have to be in if your maintenance men are coming to fix something?

That depends on what you decided to do when we went through the agreement with you. We give you the option of letting us have free access or appointment access only. The maintenance men will leave a card detailing what work was completed on their visit for example "part ordered" or "items fixed."

What do I do about insurance?

We insure the building, but you will need to insure your contents and those of the Landlords.  Should anything on the inventory go missing or get damaged you are responsible for its repair or replacement. As always we will assist where we can but costs are applicable to you.

What furniture is standard in an SLA house?

All houses are fully furnished. A typical inventory list can be found under Documents and Forms.

What do I do if I have too much rubbish or rubbish that I can’t dispose of in the bins?

Go to the local waste centre, it is just past Asda, for more info go to the Links section

What do we need to do with the garden?

Nothing unless you want to! We employ a gardening firm to maintain the front and back gardens of you house periodically through the year so you don't have to!

Can we have a cleaner to come in regularly?

Yes this can be arranged, just call us and tell us what you need and we will provide you with a quote.

MOVING OUT

Do I need to let you know when I plan to vacate the property towards the end of my tenancy?

Yes please let us know when you are planning to leave, we will need to carry out a condition report on the property with you and/or the last person at the house.
We also need this info so that we know how much time we have for any repairs/refurbishment and cleaning before the new tenants arrive.

What happens to the condition report?

We assess the notes made and compare it to the report we made when you entered the house at the beginning of your tenancy. We would then write to you describing our findings and illustrating any charges applicable, or have the pleasure in just wishing you well without an invoice attached! As June to September is an extremely busy period for letting to students you will receive this correspondence within six months of vacating the property.

Cleaning

Although you do not have the added pressure of a full scale clean of the property at this busy time of year for you, you must ensure that it is left in a reasonable condition.
*We will have to forward additional costs to you if our cleaners encounter heavier soiling e.g. stained floors/furniture, a build up of mould, discoloured toilets, excessive lime scale, and the collection of rubbish from the property. Please note your internal and external bins should be empty when you depart.