WHAT'S NEW 2012
Leydon Lettings - Providing students with more
See also STUDENT EVENTS
NLA Property Women Awards 2012
- In October Nina Leydon as finalist was short listed for the NLA Property Women Award 2012
- Nina's efforts included encouraging recycling and timely rubbish removal.
- Contacting all tenants on a weekly basis has reduced complaints and call outs and helped our planet.
- Installing loft and wall cavity insulation in all our properties has enabled tenants to be warm whilst consuming less energy.
- Installing Combi boilers to almost all houses has reduced waste.
- Nina either walks or cycles everywhere! Well done Nina!
City Clean up end September early October 1212 to be announced all volunters welcome! A group of UKC students (led by Tom Currry the environment officer) were warmly received by Hailes Place locals for their efforts - Well done to you all!
Mid Otctober 2012 Landlords forum at UKC date to be announced.
1 January 1213 Gas flues mast be accessible of fail gas inspection! Be prepared
Council Tax rules change form April 2013. Former exemptions will in some cases no longer apply. SEE http://www.canterburylandlordforum.co.uk/
Article 4 Directions are no longer on the agenda. However, although CCC voted to say no for now a number of local residents and councillors are seeking evidence to support a motion that this should be implemented asap. More news in November 2012. The Local Plan may incorporate such a move this will be published in November and available to view at the Council Offices.
Additional Licensing is no longer on the agenda. Following an extensive campaign by landlords and agents involving City Cleanups and reform within our profession and letters to all councillors and local MP... CCC voted to say no for now. As a profession landlords have been thrown a lifeline on behalf of students. If landlords cannot encourage students to behave appropriately i.e. we do not deliver on our promises to reform, then Art 4 will return. Next time there will be no second chances.
Student noise following 21st parties and reunions is the biggest issue. Improper recycling of rubbish is second. Sort these out and we are well on the way to reform. Failure will result in more expensive rents for students unable to live locally with additional travelling time and costs to get to uni. It could also lead to additional licensiing which is far worse -see article for more info: HMO Licensing - A License to Print Money?
Lets Have a Fine Time Landlords - Six of the Best - Lets Get fined!
Landlords letting property in England and Wales are more susceptible to fines than ever before, under the Localism Act 2011
- Fail to register or protect your tenants' deposit - fine up to three times the value of the deposit!
- Fail to market a property without attaching an EPC - fine! And, you may no longer be a, "fit and proper person", to licence a property.
- Fail to update a gas safety certificate - fine or worse!
- Fail to Licence a Licensable property - fine! And, denied use of section 21 Accelerated Notice to Quit!
- Fail to comply with Council Improvement Notice - fine or worse!
- Fail to register for Data protection via ICO - fine!
Personally this is all just fine by me.
As a Canterbury landlord and letting agent for Leydon Lettings, I am tired of being tarred with the same brush as non-compliant landlords.
Bob Leydon. For more info see: http://www.leydonlettings.co.uk
Localism Bill 2010 from 15 November 2011 became Localism Act - a five part Act one of these parts - housing affects Deposits:
- How will new rules affect landlords / agents?
- Landlords accepting deposits will have tighter rules of compliance or face a minimum fee of 1 times the value of the deposit or up to three times the value for serious breaches.
- In addition, landlords can be sued for up to 6 years after the tenancy ends where landlords return deposits but, fail to provide the prescribed information and register deposits within 30 days.
- And that's not all - the section 21 (Accelerated Notice) is not available, so no sympathy from the courts.
- This came into effect on 6 April 2012. Letting agents and landlords that do not take deposits are unaffected.
- Deposits taken prior to the protection scheme was introduced are not regulated i.e. pre 6 April 2007 UNLESS you have renewed meantime.
- No renewal means no need to register.
- So a continuing periodic tenancy originating before 2007 is not required to be registered until renewed.
Localism Act re EPCs:
- A remnant from Hips, EPC rules change form 6 April 2012 and again in 2018.
- For now it is important that landlords and agents provide an EPC with all marketting material or face fines and loss of reputation.
- From 2018 under the Green Deal any property with a certificate rating below 'E' will be banned from the lettings market. I.e. 'F' and 'G' will be un-lettable without additional work to raise the rating. Leydon Lettings have no properties rated as low as this so is unaffected.
Equality Act 2010 - section 15 - defence to eviction:
- Effective 1st October 2010
- Should a landlord seek possession from a disabled tenant whether or not the tenancy agreement has been breached, extra due diligence is required .
- Prior to The Equality Act there was no defence to possession followingservice of a valid s21 Notice to quit under the Housing Act 1988 - not necessarily so any more.
- Under Section 15 a disabled person is discriminated against if treated unfavourably due to something arising in consequence of the disability and the person allegedly discriminating cannot demonstrate that they acted proportionately to achieve a legitimate aim.
- A landlord’s right to end an AST using the statutory notice procedure if the occupant is disabled is compromised.
- If a landlord knows of a tenant disability but neglects to ensure that the tenant grasps the effects of a s21 notice, then the landlord may be deemed to discriminate against the tenant, since the tenant may lack the capacity to respond.
- Ironically, if landlords are unaware then it is not discriminatory, i.e. ignorance is bliss, but paradoxically not negligent. The landlord must have subjective knowledge of the disability. Where a landlord demonstrates he acted proportionately to the effects of the disability he does not discriminate.
- London Lewisham BC v Malcolm House of Lords is the main case upon which s15 was later based.
Stand up and be counted students!
The problems experienced in communities by some are not perceived in the same way by others. Not all students are noisy (see student-noise-pollution). Not all homeowners are unhappy with students in their community – indeed many depend on their presence. Not all landlords are irresponsible allowing unkempt gardens. Therefore a differential is required to regulate irregularities – not a broad brush approach via Article 4 Directions, nor manipulative Additional Licensing. Students are a huge part of Canterbury’s community, but their young inexperienced voices are drowned out by the more politically active long term residents. Were students more politically active they would vote in greater numbers at local elections. Students - not just long term local constituents, are both “locals” and “constituents” with a vote. But it seems young students are unlikely to use it. This results in an audible imbalance favouring the louder voices of counsellors representing the elector voters but not necessarily the whole electorate. “Constituent students” could change Canterbury's political map. Better political campaigning prior to elections is therefore required to secure a more representative student voice. Candidates from most parties are clear on what they stand for in relation to Art. 4 and Additional Licensing. Students... if you disagree with restrictions on where you live you can vote for alternative candidates! Canterbury City Council needs to await the outcome of such elections before deciding whether to implement swinging irreversible changes. Widespread uniform controls are not the answer to inconsistent problems. Specific resolutions are required to meet the needs all and this is likely to involve compromises.
see also Article-4-letter-ccc-010212
Canterbury Students and Landlords Face Critisism
facebook.com/LeydonLettings Press complaints regularly feature unsociable student conduct in communities. Such accusations are not necessarily disputed, but are most often a one-sided argument with little defence of students and their landlords. This statement whilst not aimed at defending, is an attempt to balance public oppinion.
Volunteering Students contribute majorly to communities in Canterbury by putting into practice what they learn whilst studying. These student hate-figures donate their time so generously to Canterbury from the moment of their arrival, until their departure after 3 years at university, leaving Canterbury enriched in the process. Students help by tutoring the disadvantaged, assisting the elderly and physically / mentally disabled, working with homeless charities and much more. Frankly students' altruistic contributions proportionally, likely outgives our long term residents. How do we thank them for their generosity? We tar them with the same brush as the minority of bad students. We concentrate our focus on poor rubbish recycling, noise and other nuisance. These things can make miserable the lives of our longterm residents and this is wrong. However, we must not lose sight of the overwhelming good student efforts by narrowly focusing on the bad.
Student Consumerism contributes massively to Canterbury's regeneration.
Visiting Parents like tourists, reside when visiting their student children at local hotels and B&Bs and spend in our local shops and entertainment establishments.
Transport in Canterbury could not provide the regularity of bus, train and taxi services, but for students' contributions.
Canterbury Landlords provide employment for countless staff.
In 2011 Leydon Lettings bought and restored back into use a pair of shops previously empty for some years providing many jobs in the process.
Charity Giving by Leydon Lettings in 2011 exceeded £17,000 to local charities in addition to gift aid; contributing tens of thousands to Canterbury's community over the years.
More on Licensing Canterbury Landlords and Letting Agents:
Most responsible landlords are first to voluntarily accredited. The act of accreditation is a promise to abide by a code of conduct in a locality. The code is invariably a dilute form of pre-existing enactments, esp. Housing Act 2004 (as ammended). Canterbury City Council appear poised to introduce, "Additional Licensing" in default of voluntary Accreditation. Failure of landlords to accredit results in licensing (a more costly and onerus form of accreditation).
Some Canterbury officials seek widespread licensing to control tenant conduct as regards refuse collection, noise, etc. It is ironic that Leydon Lettings own some houses in Regency Place Canterbury where virtually all houses there meet specific criteria, and thus fall within Mandatory licensng (three storey property with 5 or more tenants of whom at least one is unrelated to the others). However, the tenant mischief the proposed "Additional Licensing" seeks to remedy, nevertheless prevails in this largely “Mandatory Licensed” estate. Thus it is a misperception, or an absurd fallacy, that Additional Licensing is any remedy to control tenant behaviour. For clarity: Aditonal Licensing does not overlap Mandatory Licensing. Rather, Additional Licensing at the discretion of local authorities controls all HMOs not already covered by Mandatory licensing. This LA discretion is provided by statute in the housing Act 2004.
Cynically, because of the fallacy described above, many landlords perceive that licensing is merely a pretext for introducing large licensing fees. Who can blame their cynicism? Where other local authorities have introduced such measures the fees have boosted the Council coffers by hundreds of thousands of pounds at the initial expense of landlords and ultimately their student tenants -allready hard hit by student fees. Alternatively, councillors promulgating the move are misinformed that licensing is a panacea. The proposals are seen by some landlords as a vengeful act against landlords, despite there being no evidence that the problems will evaporate following licensing. No one disagrees there is a case to answer, as to student behaviour in communities, but it is evident that licensing is an expensive way to cure nothing! Worryingly, recent feedback indicates that some estate gents actually favour icensing, as this will make it even more complex for landlords to let independantly, causing some landlords to rely on agents to overcome the complexities of licensing.
Judicial Revue - Round One goes against Thanet Council - could this impact Canterbury?
The Southern Landlords Association (SLA) is a relative small fry Landlord body of which Leydon Lettings is a member. SLA has bravely challenged and successfully won the legal right to apply for Judicial Revue against Thanet Council's hasty decision to apply selective licensing to Cliftonville in Margate. This first step by SLA contests the validity of Thanet Council's decision to apply selective licensing and is a precursor to Licensing the whole of Margate.
What is Licensing?
It is a LHA means of controlling property safety and some behaviour.
There are two types of licensing: Mandatory and Discretionary Licensing.
Mandatory (Parliament insists all such properties are licenced):
Part two Housing Act 2004 (HA 2004) covers mandatory licensing under s55.
This provides that a large HMO i.e. 5 or more tenants living on 3 or more storeys forming two or more households must be licensed wherever located in England and Wales. This part of the act was implememented in Canterbry in 2006 - most Canterbury student landlords are familiar with this part.
Discretionary (Parliament allows LHAs to designate areas as licencable):
Discretionary Licensing is twofold: Additional or Selective Licensing
"Additional Licensing" is found in part 2 and s.56 HA 2004 .
"Selective Licensing" is found in part 3 under s. 80 HA 2004
Both Additional and Selective Licensing require Landlords to license properties in diferent situations but with the same outcome - hefty fees resulting in higher rents and significant paperwork.
Additional Licensing provides that small HMOs, i.e. 3 or more tenants forming two or more housholds, living on any number of storeys, be licensed in "Designated" areas. This part of the act is currently the subject of consultation with a view to implemementation in Canterbry in 2012.
Three sharing blood brothers is one household - not an HMO so not licensable, Two briothers and a friend is two households this is an HMO and licensable.
Selective Licensing enables "Local Housing Authorities to review housing conditions in their districts" and requires small HMOs with 3 or more tenants living on any number of storeys to be licensed if an area falls within certain negative criteria - mainly run down housing with serious anti-social behaviour related to the properties in question.
Cliftonville is currently facing Selective Licensing. How could this affect Canterbury? Well if the SLA challenge is ultimately successful, other LAs will be influenced as to whether to apply selective licensing to their areas - and if so, to be certain to implement it with adequate consultation and appropriate demarcation and be able to justify these against parlimentary specified legal criteria not merely the predetermined outcome sought by promulgators of Licensing. This part of the Act was implememented in Cliftonville Margate in 2011. It is now the subject of Judicial Review by the SLA which has won the first step.
This latter criteria is not met in Canterbury. Oxford is applying Additional Licensing to all HMOs. Newham is applying Selective Licensing to all HMOs.
The problems which licensing seeks to correct include: unkempt gardens, rubbish, noise and other nuisances, The misbelief, is that landlords can be compelled to control their tenants, to prevent such nuisance. Within the curtilage of a property the landlord can and normally will significantly influence management, particularly of gardens. However, the law protecting tenants perversely prevents landlords controlling unlawful behaviour. E.g. the kind of intervention demanded by neighbours, could result in landlords appearing in court facing charges of harassment! Landlords cannot evict noisy tenants without a court order, via a s.8 notice to quit, with evidence and witness statements. By the time all this can be achieved the tenant will have already left via a s.21 notice to quit at the end of the tenancy. This still results in neighbours enduring months of hell, with the landlords powerless to intervene when tenants refuse to cooperate. The problem is thus outside of either the landlord or the LA's control. LAs, unlike landlords, do have powers to secure noise abatement orders. En-route to university, noise from students is the responsibility of LAs not landlords.
What can be done then? Students seeking an education by attending university results in serious problems; perhaps serious consideration of further education could also the cure. However, not just for students:
The government needs to recognise the inadequacies of the present law and to provide more effective remedies.
LAs need to become aware of this and to lobby parliament accordingly.
Students. The minority of bad tenants giving the majority of good tenants and landlords a bad name could be subject to fines and this to include penalties and in severe instances court action.
Landlords need an education to understand the impact of students in communities and how to mitigate any adverse implications. A written test demonstrating that landlords understand the problems endured by neighbours and how to respond appropriately to issues, would be a start.
Long Term Residents need to understand the limitations of landlord powers to intervene legally. They also need to recall that many residents were also once students and as such need to make a measured allowance for students who overstep the boundaries of acceptable behaviour. Many communities are enhanced by students, particularly areas previously occupied by displaced problem families. Students are tomorrow's leaders and their influence is often mature and positive. Angry neighbours are unlikely to evoke appropriate responses and could exacerbate problems.
Universities need to teach more than the curriculum by providing a compulsory introduction to community living. A short one hour online course could require students to sit a written test demonstrating understanding of the impact on their neighbours. A written responce is more likely to engage minds with the issues. Teaching would include the need for proper recycling and the discipline to put out rubbish on collection dates. The course would be run to coincide with students leaving halls and entering communities.
KCC Bin collection firms need permission to relax rules on rubbish collection, particularly at peak collection months in summer following departures. Students leaving bins with open lids is not acceptable, but consequently leaving bins uncollected to attract rodents is worse. A common sense approach is needed.
Solution: The above problems require all the parties' cooperation. The alternative is to continue to focus on culpability without resolution
Implementation of permision to let HMOs via Art. 4 to be announced in 2012.
This will require a new permission to let any home in Canterbury with 3 or more unrelated occupants including students:
Any HMO (Houses in multiple occupation) already includes e.g. 3 sharing trainee doctors, nurses, but more to the point - students. Prior to the new restrictions no permission to let was required.
Under the new rules, permission to rent will deter housing investment creating market uncertainty. This in turn could further damage the housing market in Canterbury. In addition it could also damage the local and national economy since local trades people will no longer renovate and maintain HMO properties. Regeneration reduction means the Chancellor will attract less revenue via cyclical and regenerational taxation.
Landlords pay:
Stamp Duty upon purchase of a property,
Revenue Tax throughout the life of the letting,
Capital Gains Tax CGT on sale,
Inheritance tax IHT on the transfer of properties on death.
Accreditation and Licensing fees are a further form of tax.
The Chancellors cash cow could begin to dry up if deprived of these forms of income if such investment is discouraged. Unemployed trades people could, instead of paying taxes to support the economy, rely on benefits, draining the economy further. See earlier articles on this topic in 2011 below Art.4
See earlier articles on related Licensing in 2011 below Licensing
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WHAT'S NEW 2011
Leydon moved to new offfices / shop 49-50 Castle Street Canterbury CT1 2PY in January 2011
Consequently Leydon now manage landlord properties as a letting agent as well as continuing to let their own properties. Leydon have let their our own houses for 25 years so are ideally placed to understand the needs and frustrations of landlords.
16 new houses in 2011 all available only for students.
Price comparison is easier via this link: http://www.leydonlettings.co.uk/search-results.html/s=2
Available/ unavaialble houses easier found via this link: http://www.leydonlettings.co.uk/search-results.html/s=1
We have employed more staff in 2011 to support student housing needs.
http://www.leydonlettings.co.uk/contact-leydon-lettings.html
Article 4:
New legislation threatens to restrict student numbers in Canterbury's resident community. Students are residents too!
Landlords (from sometime in 2012) cannot legally rent a house to 3 or more unrelated tenants in a single dwelling, without Planning permission. If more than 1 in 5 houses within a locality is an HMO, i.e. 20% then permission is unlikely to be granted. The exceptions are those properties with HMO stutus' prior to implemantatioin of the new rules or where inequity would result. The latter might include an owner ocupier unable to sell a property to other than an a property investor. This could result in a perverse outcome, since the law is designed to protect the very people it might otherwise penalise by preventing them from selling and relocating, rendeing owner occupiers prisoners chained to their family homes. E.g. locations with high concentrations of students where non-investors would unlikely buy at the market value. See reasoning:
http://www.leydonlettings.co.uk/student-noise-pollution.html
Selective licensing of Canterbury landlords and their properties likely in 2012 in default of accreditation.
In a move to 'encourage' lanldlords to accredit their properties Canterbury City Council threaten to make licensing compulsory for unacredited landlords. This could be interpreted as selective unlicensing. There is a distinction to be made in that Licensing is compulsory - Accreditation is voluntary. Both require minimum standards for the property together with the conduct of the landord / manager /agent of that property by agreement.
This agreement states the landlord / agent will run the property or portfolio of properties in accordance with specific rules.
The cost of Accreditation for a portfolio is capped at circa £460 p/a, whereas Licensing is uncapped and each property costs about £460 per five years i.e. about £90 pa per property. The latter is thus much more expensive for landlords.
Currently, licensing encompases all propeties with 5 or more tenants living on 3 or more storeys in a single dwelling. The standard of fire-safety is significantly higher (and more expensive) than non-licnesed properties.
Canterbury city council have intimated the possibility of implementing a two tier licensing system. The current licensing system will continue but for non-accredited properties, the owner would be required to license a property not otherwise licensable. We can speculate what a second tier of licensng might entail.
Some other Local authorities have already made licensing compulsory, including nearby Cliftonville in Thanet with the whole of Thanet likely to be compulsarily lisenced in time. Other areas especially student-cities, are highly likely to follow suit. Licensing is seen as a panacea
All Cavitiy Walls and Lofts Insulated
All Leydon Lettings properties were cavity and loft insulated in April 2011 in an attempt to be more environmentlally friendly and to combat the rising cost of energy, in addition to minimising the likelyhood of mould which can adversely affect student's health.
What's new 2010 -11:
This year we extended our portfolio by purchasing a further six properties near UKC and eight near near Christ Church and Creative Arts Universities. Half have completed the sale with more in the pipeline. Initially only two will be refurbished during the summer with the others having to wait until the next suitable vacation.
Upgrading
Every year we upgrade properties and improve existing facilities with replacement kitchens, double glazing and this year is no exception.
No single beds -All Double Beds for single students. (Note. In 2011 we bought some houses with only single beds, which will ultimately be upgraded at our discretion.)
We are pleased to announce that as of summer 2010 all our houses now have double beds - most with orthopoedic mattresses.
Comfy mattresses
We have purchased a number of additional orthopaedic mattresses this year. If you are one of our tenants and do not have a comfy matress please feel free to ask for a free upgrade!
What's New 2009:
Inspired by Ian Drury and the Blockheads the title has a certain irony when you read some of the egregious anticts of our strictly anonymous tenants. Leydon Lettings have made the odd fau paux too! Reasons to be cheerful is a page born out of more than two decades of humerous leydon lettings experiences. This is non-essential reading for those with a sense of humour and time to waste.
Leydon Lettings new Map is a page created in 2009 enabling students to find a house by location only.
Flood prevention
Leydon Lettings pre-empt and prevent many disaters. E.g. we have developed a unique system to reduce both the cause of leaks and the damage following a leak. Sounds obvious! In January 2008 several enquiries were received from all colleges and many landlords. Burst pipes followed the freezing weather at exactly the time when students were absent and unable to report or minimise the damage. Many students had to be re-housed with exams looming! Although Leydon did suffer two burst pipes the damage was contained and the flood water was diverted outside the property leaving you high and very dry! Our tenants were unaffected and not inconvenienced at all. Further, our bills package encouraged our tenants to leave the heating on over the holiday suficient to prevent freezing. Our lofts also have well lagged pipes - just in case. Our maintenance man John patrols landlord properties looking for anything suspicious including leaks during vacations.
What's New 2008:
'What's new' is in itself a new menu on our web site. This provides a summary of the latest information. More features are continually being added. So visit if you would like to know the latest updates.
The emphasis on new pages not only advertises student houses but more importantly communicates the raft of information needed by today's students relevant to a number of criteria: Arriving, Departing, and many seasonal events like viewings and vacations.
Students competing for houses need information fast.
We recognise that we are not available 24 houses a day to answer questions. You might suddenly realise you have a query at midnight but do not want to wait until the next morning to telephone and ask. Rather than lose sleep worrying many new links provide a variety of instant answers. We now have over 300 web pages most of which are invisible until you have a need to know. Our developing web site is being redesigned to be more intuitive with logical progressions for fast information retrieval. So although you do not need to read this information since it becomes apparent there are advantages in having hot tips. So invest a little time and effort now and save more later.
A lot of positive changes both in terms of features and access to information are being introduced; so the list of good news is long!
Other landlords and home owners avail themselves of the valuable yet simple D-I-Y instruction. The information is occasionally technical and intended for those competent to carry out more complex work. But if you have simply lost power to your house or blocked your toilet you could probably fix it yourself guided by the step by step advice given by Leydon Lettings.
Many of our student tenants become professionals capable of carrying out money saving repairs for years after they leave our houses and still log onto our site for tips and tricks! So students get a dual education by signing up for a degree and gaining vocational experience along side their courses free of charge!
Ladies, empowered by this easy to grasp source of training, can shame their male counterparts and future husbands with their super skills developed whilst living with Leydon Lettings.
Because the student letting cycle is repetitive is is possible to predict the type of information needed throughout the year. Thus we have created a Chronological Student Calendar. This provides a logical series of links most likely to be used in any month or season. So if you are unsure of what to expect this area provides links: past present and future. This is a link focused page - for a text focus see Letting Cycle
Letting Cycle
Super standards are not yet universal in Canterbury.
To get the best houses in any university city, especially Canterbury, students must be extra organised. To achieve this students need to know what to expect in advance.
Leydon Lettings' new predictable text based Letting Cycle provides you with a competitive edge over fellow students.
This spells out what is likely to happen and when over a student's academic life cycle with links to relevant topics for easy reference. With this month by month comentary of what to expect at your online fingertips you cease to use the disappointing phrase "if only I knew then what I know now."
Leydon Lettings have significantly contributed to the sharp rise in Canterbury student housing standards with some other landlords also now providing ensuites.
Compare other major university cities like Oxford, Cambridge, Warwick, Durham, etc and you are unlikely to find the quality provided by Leydon Lettings to local Canterbury university students.
This saves time by clearly stating what students get with Leydon Lettings before viewing! During viewings students ask landlords and letting agents many questions and in some instances discover the house is not what they hoped. You need neither hope, since you can know; nor waste a journey finding out. See also Statistics Leydon Lettings
Before Viewing
This is a page is designed to save you time
New Home Page
New clean clear easy to find pages provide fast access to all links including now a new A to Z Alphabetical index of site links
Plan your appointments with Leydon Lettings new coordinated Student's Viewings Diary Each day during the student viewing season you can predetermine which day you are available in relation to lectures, seminars and viewing dates and thus arrange a date with virtual certainty. Our most appreciative tenants have visited a number of other houses before viewing ours. If you only view Leydon Letting houses you may assume all student houses are the same - you would be wrong!
Student's Viewings Diary to identify the best day to view one or several houses in your preferred area around the same time. You can even select where and when to sign contracts after viewing!
Parents often want to know more about their children's landlord and new home. Parents prefer relevant information to be grouped neatly in one location. Parent page locates most of this information in one place together with relevant FAQs.
Converting weekly rent and bills payments over 52 weeks into monthly and then quarterly payments after deducting discounts and vacation periods is complicated! Not any more. Leydon Lettings have made this easy by introducing this page.
Preparing to leave
At the end of a tenancy Preparing to leave provides time saving specific answers to frequently asked questions by final year students about to return home at the end of their courses.
Welcome New tenants
The opposite to preparing to leave Welcome New Tenants assists new arrivals by preempting queries.
Student loan release dates
Finally no more calculating Easter day by determining the relation ship with the sun the moon on a certain Sunday after lent. And when is the term start dates for each college, course, etc.
The Student Bills Package is very popular and it is not always understood what this provides. Now this has it's own page.
Six new houses in 2008 has expanded the choice of Canterbury accommodation rented to students.
One of these was extended during 2008 and completed in June 2008.
All of these houses have been totally renovated
Innovative new water flood-prevention features are also being added to the latest houses to minimise disruption in the event of a disaster.
Leydon Lettings increase the ratio of ensuites to students.
FAQs
In an effort to be transparent in our dealings with our clients we now have almost 100 frequently asked questions and answers all with jump links so you can access your information fast. In addition we have further categorised these into sub groups so you can see other related questions at a glance
Orthopedic double beds are standard
All Leydon Lettings latest house purchases feature orthopedic double beds as standard - and more are being added to our older properties!
Industrial Pneumatic vacuum cleaners
Industrial quality pneumatic vacuum cleaners are now supplied to all Leydon Lettings student houses.
All houses have wireless internet connections +
The latest feature for 2008: All student houses have wireless internet connections and now all but one house has hardwired connection for faster speed and more secure reliability!
Dishwashers
We continue to provide dishwashers as standard in most houses - currently up to about 75%
Fire doors and smoke alarms
Fire doors and smoke alarms feature as as standard in over 90% of all bedrooms - this not a legal requirement, we simply value your safety more than you do!
Digital aerials
The latest houses have already been equipped with digital aerials in line with all our houses.
Energy Performance Certificates EPC's
New Energy Performance Certificates were provided in January 2008 well ahead of legislation requied by October 2008
Cavity wall insulation
All but three houses already had cavity wall insulation by 2007 with the remaining houses due following renovation. Lofts are now having up to a foot of insulation installed in an effort to combat the rising cost of oil and fuel bills generally and to reduce energy consumption and thereby save the environment.