STUDENT HOUSES - WHEN TO START LOOKING?

Viewings for student houses in Canterbury begins earnestly in November.
By January Leydon Lettings is often sold out with respect to the following academic year. 
So you need to seek accommodation quite soon after beginning your first academic year.
Begin your search early - start to establish your group before November! 
If you wait until November or later to form a group you will reduce your choice - some houses houses may already be reserved.

CHOOSING STUDENT HOUSEMATES

Find house-mates you wish to live with -not merely to make up numbers. 
If you are set on a 6 bed house, but have fewer house-mates; quickly find 6 house-mates.  
Alternatively consider a smaller house to match your group size.
It is important to establish the correct number of house mates before viewing a house. 
Leydon Lettings only let houses to groups until February. 
From March onwards any available single rooms are then let to individuals . See Individual Lettings

 CHOOSING HOUSES FOR LARGE OR MULTIPLE GROUPS read only if relevant to you

We cater for groups in the same street or estate as determined by your total number

A group of 10 may be in two 5 bed houses or in a 4 and a 6 bed house.

We have 4 neighbouring houses with 22 bedspaces all within seconds of each other as well as numerous nearby houses less than 1 minute away.

Not wishing to lower your hopes we have only twice had a group of 10 actually materialize.

Getting 10 people to agree on LOCATION, RENT, HOUSEMATES, ROOMS etc is not easy.  Normally one person is less committed than the others, but does not say so until the last moment.

S/he may secretly be hedging between your group and another group.

Establish firm commitment from each group member and if anyone hesitates, beware. 

One group of 10 students ended up as a group of 5 and almost lost their nice house at the last minute.

Leydonlettings web page zonemap will enable you to see adjacent houses with different room numbers.

Try this approach:

Fill one house at a time, then if the second house fails to materialize your first house is still secure. 

Those students joining the first house are most committed, saving time and avoiding disappointment.
This approach firmly establishes both those who are more and the less committed students.

Our busiest viewing day is around late November to early December. 
As each house is reserved, fewer adjacent houses remain, making it impossible to accommodate all.

Delays are likely result in one-of-a-pair of adjacent houses being reserved by other students.

Leydon Lettings policy remains: "a bird in the hand is worth two or three student groups in the bush".

FINDING HOUSES TO VIEW

Finding and comparing houses can take valuable time - take advantage of our summary fast links:

For house-mate numbers click: 4 bedroom, 5 bedroom and 6 bedroom student houses. 
For location click map
For criteria e.g. houses with double beds, , parking, conservatories -Criteria Search All Houses

For summary list of all available houses All Student Houses / Rooms To Rent
To view everything visit the student houses page to see all Leydon Lettings properties.

Each house has it's own virtual web site providing answers to most questions from prices to features.

Use the distance location summary:

BEFORE SELECTING A HOUSE TO VIEW

There are some payment differences highlighted where appropriate.

Your selected house may be one of those requiring full summer rent?
Or, like most houses only 25% discount for summer rent as shown in the table below.

Does your house require no deposit and advanced rent of £325 or only full deposit of £325 pp (fully refundable) or

In any event a non refundable admin fee of £125 each is payable upon reserving any house.

First quarter’s rent is due on 1 June 2010 e.g.:

BEFORE BOOKING A VIEWING

Before booking an appointment to view a house please ensure the following:

If all is well, please contact us at info@leydonlettings.co.uk to arrange a viewing.

ARRANGING A VIEWING

Go to the viewings diary to find when your selected house(s) is scheduled for viewing.
Choose two or three dates and times when everyone in your group is able to view.
Leydon Lettings will try to meet you at the house at your preferred time. 
In the heart of the viewing season it is very busy so be prepared to be flexible.
Better still start student house hunting early!

Email Leydon Lettings using the link entitled, arrange a viewing. 
This link will ask you for your contact details.
Leydon Lettings will then contact you with regards to viewings. 
Remember to state your preferred viewing days and times.

MAKING YOUR WAY TO THE HOUSE

Unfortunately Leydon Lettings is unlikely to collect and take you to viewings. 
Use the map location link alongside each property for instant house location / directions.
Alternatively, visit the map page for links to all houses and map directions. 
Type in your post code and the the house post code to view directions

VIEWING THE HOUSE

A representative of Leydon Lettings will meet students at the house and show you around.

RESERVING A HOUSE CAN BE LIKE A CONTRACT RACE

To reserve a student house upon seeing it, each house-mate must pay £125 admin fee
Delays in reserving risks others reserving your ideal house before you.
It is prudent to telephone and email confirmation of your reservation.
Houses have been reserved within seconds - two groups phone at the same time after the same home.
During the peak viewing season demand is high.
Leydon Lettings accept the first group able to pay. 
It is therefore prudent to bring a means of payment with you. 
If you view in November cheques are acceptable
After November we may insist upon cleared funds.
Cleared funds means cash or evidence of direct or online bank payments.

For information on making payments please go to our payments page.

ARRANGE APPOINTMENT FOR SIGNING THE CONTRACT

Please visit the contract sign diary to find a suggested time to sign the contract. 
Every member of the group must be present at the same time for the contract signing. 

Email Leydon Lettings with a choice of two appointments everyone is able to meet. 

Leydon Lettings will then email back to confirm an appointment time. 
Allow a minimum of one hour for signing the contract to enable us to fully answer your questions.
Please do not arrive at the signing stating, "I have a seminar shortly will this take long? "
Instead arrange an appointment when you have sufficient time so everyone is relaxed.

If you have lots of queries it could take up to two hours, check FAQs instead.

SIGNING

Sign the contract with Leydon Lettings and the house is officially yours.

KEYS

You receive all your keys upon the first housemates' arrival.