For "certificates" Click "Student Houses" page(s) Select your house & click appropriate links Example: 6 Field Ave: Map Location Pictures Certificates Facilities View Contract	Building Control Completion Certificates
	Cavity Wall Insulation Certificates
	CCC Accreditation Certificates
	Corgi Gas Certificates
	Double Glazing Certificates
	Electric Certificates
	Energy Performance Certificates EPC's
	Fire Alarm Certificates
	Gas Certificates
	HMO certificates
	Loft Insulation Certificates
	TV Licenses

LEAVING A STUDENT HOUSE EARLY

On average 11.5% of students drop out of Canterbury universities during the academic year.
In addition to this some continuing students wish leave their houses due to incompatibility with housemates.
Leaving before the end of your contract can be a very difficult experience.
However, you must remember that you remain responsible for your liabilities.
If you follow the advice below you are very likely to find a substitute tenant to mitigate continuing liability.

UNABLE TO TAKE UP RESIDENCE AFTER SIGNING THE CONTRACT

Leaving a Student House

If, having signed a contract to rent a house a student is nevertheless unable to move in (for whatever reason), students are still responsible for rent for the duration of the contract (in most cases 1st July - 28th June of the following year).

Leydon Lettings do not want to charge tenants for unoccupied rooms. We therefore recommend you advertise (very easy to do) for a replacement tenant as soon as you decide you are not going to move in. Please remember that the later you leave the decision not to move in, the more difficult it will be to find a substitute tenant.

If you reserve a house in say December if yours is one of the majority of houses where no deposit is required you will nevertheless pay £325 advanced rent. The balanc of rent for the first quarter is due to be paid on 1st June in any year.

If you have not found a replacement by this time you will be obliged to pay for the first quarter's rent. In this situation, should the student leaving later find someone to take over their room from 1st July onwards, then any rent received from the substitute tenant would reduce the original tenants liability.

As soon as you know there may be a problem, email Leydon Lettings to explain the situation and do not delay notifying your other housemates who may be able to help find a substitute. Even if you are undecided, we recommend that you begin your search for a replacement housemate, you can still reflect upon your decision prior to securing a substitute tenant.

Once you have someone interested in taking over your tenancy, ask the prospective housemate to contact Leydon Lettings. Leydon Lettings will arrange an appointment to provide a draft contract and show the new house mate around the house.

When a new housemate agrees to rent the house, and when the remaining tenants are happy with the new housemate we would organise to sign the contract. Do remember that if, after promising to take the house, this substitute tenant does not proceed to sign the contract, original tenants remain liable for rent.

For information on how to find a substitute tenant click here.

LEAVING BEFORE THE END OF YOUR TENANCY AGREEMENT

Should you find that you are unable to reside at your student house before the end of your tenancy agreement ends (in most cases 1st July - 28th June of the following year), students are still responsible to Leydon Lettings for paying rent until the end of the tenancy (i.e. 28th June).

We know that students are not normally wealthy and Leydon Lettings do not want tenants to be unnecessarily burdened. Therefore, if students need to leave the house then the original or remaining tenants must find a replacement student tenant to take over the responsibility for the remainder of the tenancy period.

Whilst the responsibility for finding substitute housemates lies with the tenant(s); , tenants can however. ask college mates, current housemates and Leydon Lettings, to assist in the search for substitute housemates.

WHAT ARE THE CHANCES OF FINDING A SUBSTITUTE TENANT?

As soon as you think you may need to leave the house, start looking for a replacement. The later into the academic year you leave your decision, the harder it is to find a replacement.

The table below shows when you are most and least likely to find a replacement. If you leave in March, the chances of finding someone to take over your room are minimal. Almost no students are willing or interested in moving (even to a nicer house) with revision and exams approaching in the final academic term.

Moving house for some is recognized as one of life's most stressful events. So students will only endure this if it is necessary and worthwhile. Few students would choose to move into a house in March knowing they will then have to move out in June. Most likely, the room occupied by the departing tenant will remain empty until the new group (often reserved at least 10 months in advance) arrive after July.

The key consideration is that students, unlike professionals, reside in year-tight academic compartments. If we let houses to professionals, it matters much less when they leave, as there is a steady market of professional house hunters. Although few people want to move house prior to Christmas and New Year in any tenant category.

Should you be leaving at the end of say December, there is still six months of the contract remaining; you are somewhat more likely to be able to find a replacement than in March.

Decreasing marketability of a student house following early departure of tenants during a university student's academic year
Jul& b4	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	Ail	May	Jue
Good Student Demand	Good Student Demand	Good Student Demand	Less Student Demand	Less Student Demand	Minimal Student or Professional Demand	Poor Student Demand	Poor Student Demand	Minimal Student Demand	Minimal Student Demand	No Student Demand	No Student Demand

GREEN: Relatively easy to find a replacement tenant

BLUE: Still reasonably likely to find a replacement tenant

ORANGE: A little more difficult to find a replacement, but with enough searching you may be able to find someone

RED: Very difficult to find replacements as exams are approaching and very little duration of the contract remains

		HOW TO FIND A SUBSTITUTE TENANT
1.		PAPER ADVERTISING Put posters/flyers up at your university with your contact details.
2.		ELECTRONIC PORTAL ADVERTISING Advertise on web sites such as www.accommodationforstudents.com and www.easyroommate.com Click to the ‘links’ page of our web sitehttp://www.leydonlettings.co.uk/links.html . There you will find portal advertising sites, some of which may display our current adverts. www.accommodationforstudents.com is the best site as it also has a 'notice board'. Locate your house if advertised there and log on to it. Then, within the house particulars, scroll down to: ‘find housemates for this house’. You could be inundated with enquirers if you act quicly. You can also advertise on the same site on the electronic ‘notice board’. Describe your housemates male /female mix, hobbies, music, college attended and year, course titles. You are seeking compatible housemates for the remaining tenants which is more difficult because it is unlikely they will have met. Each year students drop out about 12% and we have never been unable to fill a room prior to the course starting date. Your housemates are actually the best ones to select the new person because they will otherwise have to live with your choice which may not be theirs. Therefore, you need to discuss this with all your housemates as it could otherwise be a problem for them, for up to a year after you have left your housemates will have to live with a substitute tenant.
3.		LEYDON LETTINGS WEBSITE ADVERTISING We are very happy to advertise student's rooms on our web site: www.leydonlettings.co.uk Any prospective tenants can be forwarded by email to remaining housemates to consider compatibility.
4.		NETWORKING Ask your housemates to look for someone they would be happy to live with (this is critically important). Also ask friends if they know anyone looking for a bedroom in a shared student house.
5.		VIEWING When someone shows interest in seeing your house and room: If you have signed a contract but have yet to move into your house, ask prospects to contact Leydon Lettings to arrange a viewing. If you are a current tenant, arrange to show your bedroom and the rest of the house. Make sure the house is spotless for all viewings as this greatly increases your chances of finding a substitute.
6.		NEW CONTRACT When someone has agreed to take your bedroom, ask them to contact Leydon Lettings to arrange signing the contract. Please note that if this person does not sign the contract and pay any admin fee and rent, you remain responsible.
7.		FEATURES When you advertise remember to emphasis the features which originally attracted you to the house. E.g. Double beds. parking, double kitchen, energy efficient house, bills package, orthopedic mattress, internet ready, TV points in all rooms, digital aerial on all houses, telephone points in bedrooms, sound resistant walls, ensuite bedrooms, ratio of people to amenities e.g. toilets, fire doors throughout, location etc.

It is not about fault; it is about consequence :
Students often reason that the cause of leaving is not their fault and so they should be able to walk away from the contract with impunity thus ignoring consideration of the consequences of leaving early. Do keep in mind that any knock on effect of leaving is never about fault; it is always about consequence. Students may already be struggling to cope with mixed emotions including disappointment at having to leave prematurely.
The simplest solution might thus appear to be to abandon the tenancy. This is understandable but it is not reasonable. It is important to read the terms of the contract in such event. The terms are not there to be onerous but to protect all parties to the contract. If one tenant simply walks away the other tenants still have to live with the consequences. Leydon Lettings will also be affected by any decision of a student tenant to leave prematurely. Student landlords can only let houses during certain months of the year and ideally prior to term starting. If say12% of tenants drop and argue it is not my fault and thus not my responsibility to pay the rent, then Leydon Lettings could potentially suffer a drop in rent of 12% for the void period in question. This is neither reasonable nor commercially viable and so few landlords will let to students without adequate protection in the event of a void in rent.
Some little realised no fault consequences following premature leaving :
The new substitute cannot get along with the original tenants.	A new student housemate arrives and initially all is well, the original tenant has left and then gradually the new substitute housemate proves to be incompatible with the other housemates. Perversely this can actually result in the original tenants leaving one by one until only the substitute remains. This is a real if rare example of what has happened in some of our houses. There may be no fault involved. But there is always a consequence and often a knock on series of consequences. So the original tenant's departure is the causal link resulting in the consequence which follows; the house having a vacant room during term time.
One or more original tenants cannot get along with the substitute.	A substitute tenant may gradually become aware of incompatibility after arriving and decide to leave prematurely. The consequence is that the room is still empty after the departure of the original tenant who may be blissfully unaware of the chaotic legacy left behind.
Council Tax problem.	An original tenant departs and there are no students looking to rent accommodation but there may be professionals willing to let a house for the remaining duration of the tenancy despite there being only a short term remaining. The consequential chain of effects could be: the house is no longer solely occupied by students thus the house is no longer categorized as student exempt for council tax thus Council tax can be charged to the tenants and this additional charge may cause housemates to fall out and even leave early in an attempt to avoid this liability.
Good outcomes:	An original housemate leaves and a more compatible substitute student housemate arrives. Surprising how often this happens!
Cleaning problem:	At the end of a tenancy where everyone leaves together there is no issue about cleaning; it is either clean or not. However, when a student leaves early it may be impracticable to clean the fridge freezer (as it is switched on and full of food). The oven, and some sanitary ware may not be accessible to clean as these may also be in use at the point of early departure. At the end of the tenancy the remaining tenants will be cleaning the original tenants portion of the common areas. Some may even retort, " I am not cleaning that as so and so who left early was responsible".

Re-painting :	An original housemate may put up posters and leave marks which could be off putting to a prospective tenant. This could mean repainting the departing tenant's bedroom and potentially other areas of the house at the start of the tenancy, in the middle of the tenancy and again at the end of the tenancy. These are real scenarios taken from actual case histories.
Another more complex (fictional) example based on a real scenario in other houses not named:	HANSEL a student tenant at say no. 1 College Road is horrified by an allegedly dirty housemate's lack of cleanliness. HANSEL threatens to leave. GRETEL a student tenant across the road at no. 2 College Road announces she is pregnant and must must also leave. GRETEL and LEYDON LETTINGS advertise for a substitute housemate. HANSEL on seeing this advert asks to transfer from no.1 to no.2 College Road to escape his 'dirty' housemates. No.2 College road housemates are very happy to receive Hansel especially since Hansel is actually more compatible than the original housemate Gretel. So all is well that ends well ...isn't it? No, because the landlord still has an empty room at no 1 College Road, for which no accepts responsibility. No 1 College Rd housemates deny they were dirty and that the landlord who owns both properties should have left HANSEL at no1 College Road. No 2 College Rd say thank you very much for GRETEL now we do not need to find a substitute tenant in any event.
The new tenant does not pay the rent or bills on time or at all.	In this situation the original remaining tenants argue that is not their responsibility, The departed original tenant(s) argue it is no longer their responsibility. But ultimately by abandoning the tenancy the departing tenant gave rise to the need to resort to a substitute tenant. When there are plenty of people looking for accommodation there is a choice as to which tenants to select. During term time there may be little or no choice. Thus it is more likely such problems will manifest.
Lost commercial advantages:	It is said the early bird catches the worm. It is the experience of Leydon Lettings that the earlier a tenant reserves a house the more likely they will be early or on time to pay rent and bills. And contra wise the later a group reserve a house the more likely they are to pay late and also to drop out. This is because the most organized tenants book early and are equally organized when paying rent. It can be that a group will reserve a house in say January with a commencement date six months later in July of the same year. Meantime one, two or more housemates may drop out even before the tenancy commencement date. New substitute tenants may necessarily be secured from among those who would perhaps fall into the late brigade category. It is not until after the tenancy commences that the consequences can be realized. Meantime, the drop out tenants who gave rise to the lost commercial advantage have long gone.

What are the main differences between letting to Students as opposed to non-students? Does it make a significant difference? Surely are all in the same category as tenants? Professionals can leave a house early and a new tenant can take over the tenancy the next day – so logically why shouldn't’ students do the same?
	Leydon Lettings try to explain these important questions in detail with examples:
A student house has a legal status in terms of Council Tax:	Student houses are normally exempt from council tax if degree course students solely occupy the house and they produce an exemption form from college to confirm this and the form is provided to Canterbury City Council at the Council Tax section – without which there is no exemption.
Summer discounts	During the summer, most students are unlikely to want to remain in a student house, preferring instead to return to parents houses during the long vacation. Whilst some houses will attract full rent over the summer as it could be uneconomical to accept less, Leydon Lettings will accept half rent for most houses for two months of the year during July and August. i.e. 11 months over a 12 month tenancy. In consideration for providing this discount, Leydon Lettings are entitled to let a vacant room during the summer to try to mitigate the loss otherwise suffered. A tenant can still elect to remain during the summer by providing adequate notice but would instead pay full rent and bills.
Leydon Lettings and their student tenants know that the month of June marks the end of their tenancy and July marks the start of a new tenancy.	Tenancies normally end on 28 June each year. Knowing and relying upon this, Leydon Lettings is likely to have each house reserved at least six months in advance to a new group of housemates for the following academic year. To optimize occupancy a new group will be entitled to arrive shortly after the former group depart. Alternatively, there may be arrangements to renovate a student house after the last housemate departs and prior to the new studnet arrivals– a very common scenario. Bearing in mind that a student may already have only paid for 11 out of 12 months there can be problems when a student finishes a course early or drops out before the tenancy ends. Despite the contract clearly stating the tenancy is for a fixed duration to June the tenant may nevertheless be unhappy retrospectively about paying for any perceived ‘unconsumed’ rent. Leydon Lettings may have little prospect of letting to a substitute tenant for the short remainder of a term. Logically only a holidaymaker wants to reside for a week or two. So the student has paid for 11 months rent but having left say one, two or three months early and were Leydon Lettings to receive no further rent we may only receive rent covering perhaps 8 months of the year. There would be no point in letting to students. The mortgage and upkeep cost still has to be paid for 12 months. Therefore, if Leydon Lettings knew at the outset, that the house would only attract 10 months rent or less over a 12-month period, then in such circumstances student letting would not be a viable option. Other markets would be preferable e.g. professionals who pay a full 12 months of the year. Some departing tenants perceive the landlord to be unfair to ask rent for an empty room. After all the tenant in no longer deriving any benefit so why should they pay? But it is only empty because a student has left prior to the agreed date. You also need to consider the disbenefit to the landlord as a result of early departure.
Most mortgage lenders prohibit letting to student tenants	The largest mortgage lender (around 40% of the market) is The Halifax bank - formerly a building society. This bank does not currently permit landlords to let to students, preferring instead professionals who are perceived to be more mature and to have stable jobs and incomes. Most other lending institutions are similarly minded. This means that the remaining lenders can charge additional interest rates and arrangement fees, as the market is very narrow. Some Lenders, who are prepared to lend to student landlords, place so many restrictions on lending, e.g. maximum 3 or four students per house, that it is not viable to borrow. There are comparatively few mortgage lenders in the student rental market. Thus landlord borrowing costs are likely to be higher.
Students are likely to need more space than non-students.	Students need space to spread out in order to compare notes in books and to store these. Socialising with housemates and college mates is part of student life. For this reason Leydon Lettings often knock down and re-site walls in order to redistribute available space more fairly between student tenants. For this reason, Leydon Lettings offer no box rooms. All box rooms have been enlarged.
Students’ desks must be positioned carefully	Students must have a desk suitable for computer use and office style chair. Desks are normally in close proximity to sockets – electric, TV and Data internet. The position of windows for light in relation to desks means some alterations may be required with the student needs in mind.
It can be very difficult all round to try to study in a non-student house.	Non-students lead very different lifestyles. Students do not necessarily work from nine to five. An assignment may be due by 9am sharp and a student may have several of these to be submitted - often all close together. This time dilemma may involve students frantically working through the night to meet deadlines. Thus, a trip to the kitchen at 3am for refreshments may be normal in some student houses. Were professionals sharing in the same house this might cause friction to light sleepers who have to be up at perhaps 6:30am for work.
Harmony	Where a group have similar or related courses and interests there is likely to be more: harmony, understanding and tolerance even where there is no natural bond.
Some categories of student have distinct needs from other students	Art students need the space to be creative and to create and view paintings and sculptures. Leydon lettings provide a number of houses with workshops ideal for such groups.
Students do not normally have full time jobs	Many students have part time jobs and most are dependant upon a student loan to pay their rent and bills. Leydon Lettings understand this and is thus likely to be more sympathetic to a student’s needs. Leydon Lettings is thus more agreeable to adjust student rent payment dates and standing orders dates, in line with recognized student loan release dates.
Students’ Parents	Parents often assist in the payment of a student’s rent and so Leydon Lettings may be dealing with the tenants’ parents, step-parents and others. Parents are not always familiar with the mechanics of letting to students and may have a different understanding of what is required or acceptable. This can require an additional layer of admin to deal with matters professionally. Parents also act as guarantors and this requires further parental explanation and involvement. Leydon Lettings have a good working relationship with parents who in some instances will take advantage of the facilities to enjoy a summer holiday. (See 'Student Comments on this site' for feedback from parents on summer lettings).

Leydon Lettings 2003/4/5/6/7/8

Leydon Lettings 2006
Leydon Lettings is a Member of NLA; NFRL; RLA and all houses are accredited or licensed.