Frequently Asked Questions

Short Answer: Most groups start in October for the following September, and larger houses go first. But we let all year round, so if you're looking now there's usually still something good.

Most students start searching by the End of October or Start of November for a September start. Houses for groups of four or more go earliest, by Feburary the best of those are usually taken. Smaller houses, apartments and individual rooms keep moving right through spring and summer.

If you've left it later than that, don't panic. We let properties all year round, and there's a reliable late-summer wave as confirmation and clearing results come through. Some of our best-value rooms come free in July and August.

The one thing worth doing early is agreeing your group and your budget. Most delays we see aren't about finding a house, they're about a group of five taking three weeks to decide.

Helpful Links: browse properties · Lincoln · when do students actually book · when to book 2026/27

Short Answer: If it's showing on our website, it's still available, listings come down as soon as a property is let. Send us the link on WhatsApp and we'll confirm and get a viewing booked.

Answer: Our website updates in real time. If a property is still on the site, it's still available; listings are removed as soon as they're let. So the fastest way to check is simply to look at the listing.

If you want certainty on a specific property, send us the link on WhatsApp — we'll confirm availability and book you a viewing in the same conversation, usually within the hour during office hours.

For houses where only one or two rooms are left, the listing shows how many are remaining.

Links: property search · WhatsApp us · save properties to your shortlist

Short: Usually yes. Rooms and Houses come free mid-year through replacements and late applications, and we list them as soon as they do. Tell us your city and budget and we'll send what's genuinely available this week.

Answer: Yes, we're not only a September business. Rooms become available through the year when someone transfers out and a replacement is needed, and we take on new properties mid-year too.

The quickest route is our spare rooms listings, which show rooms available in existing shared houses. If nothing there fits, message us with your city, your budget and your earliest move-in date and we'll send you what's actually available rather than what's listed for next year.

Links: spare rooms in Lincoln · spare rooms in Nottingham · individual rooms

Short Answer: You can rent a single room. We list spare rooms in existing shared houses across Lincoln, Nottingham and Hull, and our Find Your Tribe service will match you to one.

Answer: You don't need a group. We let individual rooms in shared houses as well as whole properties, and a good proportion of our tenants arrive on their own — international students, people whose plans changed over summer, and anyone who'd rather pick a house than a group.

Tell us your city, budget and move-in date through the form on our individual rooms page and we'll send you a shortlist, including houses where existing tenants are looking for one more person. We'll tell you who's already living there and what they're studying, so you know what you're walking into.

Links: find your tribe · spare rooms in Lincoln · spare rooms in Nottingham · why spare rooms are a good way to meet people

Short Answer: A shared house means your own bedroom with shared kitchen and bathroom. An ensuite gives you your own bathroom. A studio is a self-contained flat with its own kitchen and bathroom.

Answer: Shared house — your own bedroom, with the kitchen, bathroom and living room shared between everyone. The most sociable option and usually the cheapest per person.

Ensuite room — the same, but with your own private bathroom attached. Removes the single biggest source of housemate friction. Common in our Lincoln Bishop properties and newer conversions.

Studio or 1-bed apartment — entirely self-contained, with your own kitchen and bathroom. Best if you want quiet and independence; costs more and you'll need to make more effort socially.

In shared houses, bedrooms are banded small, medium, large or extra large, and each band has its own weekly rent. So housemates in the same house often pay different amounts — you're not subsidising someone else's bigger room.

Links: browse 1-bed apartments in Lincoln · houses with multiple bathrooms · ensuite vs shared · halls vs houses

Short Answer: Rents are quoted per person, per week, with bills included. (Range to be confirmed.) What you pay depends on the city, the area, and whether your room is small, medium, large or extra large.

Answer: All our rents are per person, per week, with gas, electricity, water, broadband and the TV licence included. There's no separate bills budget to work out.

What moves the price: the city, how close you are to campus, whether the room is ensuite, and which size band your bedroom falls into. Room bands mean two people in the same house can pay different weekly rents, the larger room or the room with better facilities pays more.

Lincoln: Typical Rents vary between £95pppw - £300pppw
Notitngham: Typical Rents vary between £110pppw - £320pppw

Worth comparing properly: an agent advertising a lower weekly rent without bills often works out more expensive once gas, electricity, water and broadband are added at current rates, and you take on the admin of four suppliers and splitting the bills between six people.

Links: property search with price filters · what bills are included · cost of student accommodation in Lincoln · student budgeting guide

Short Answer: In Lincoln we're concentrated in the West End, Sincil Bank, Monks Road and the city centre, plus Longdales Road for Lincoln Bishop. In Nottingham it's Lenton, Dunkirk, Beeston and the city centre.

Answer:
Lincoln. The West End is the biggest student area and the closest to the University of Lincoln's Brayford Pool campus. Sincil Bank and Monks Road are slightly cheaper and still walkable. The city centre and High Street suit people who want apartments over houses. For Lincoln Bishop University (formerly Bishop Grosseteste), Longdales Road and the north of the city are the ones to look at.

Nottingham. Lenton and Dunkirk are the classic University of Nottingham areas. Beeston is a little further out and better value. The city centre around Lister Gate suits Nottingham Trent students and anyone who wants to be in the middle of things.

Hull. Properties are concentrated around the University of Hull.

Every listing shows its distance to the relevant campus, and you can search directly by university.

Links: Lincoln student areas · Nottingham student areas · Hull student areas · search by University of Lincoln · Lincoln Bishop University · University of Nottingham · Nottingham Trent · inside Lincoln's West End · inside Lenton

Short Answer: Yes; we have offices in Lincoln, Nottingham and Hull, covering the University of Lincoln, Lincoln Bishop, University of Nottingham, Nottingham Trent and the University of Hull.

Answer: We operate in Lincoln, Nottingham and Hull, with a local office and local team in each. Between them we cover the University of Lincoln, Lincoln Bishop University, the University of Nottingham, Nottingham Trent University and the University of Hull.

Lincoln is where we started in 2015 and where we have the most properties. Nottingham opened in 2019. You'll always deal with the team in your city rather than a central call centre.

Links: Lincoln · Nottingham · Hull · contact your local office

Short Answer: Booking a viewing. Send us the property link on WhatsApp, use the enquiry form on any listing, or call your local office. We will come back to you with times, usually the same day.

Answer: There are three ways to book:

WhatsApp is fastest. Send us the link to the property you are interested in (Lincoln 01522 410 646, Nottingham 01157 848 600) and we will come straight back with available times.

The enquiry form on any property page. Tick the properties you want to see and we will get in touch to arrange.

Call your local office and speak to the team directly.

Whichever route you use, tell us how many of you there are and roughly when you are free. It saves a round of messages and gets you booked faster.

Links: property search · book a viewing · WhatsApp Lincoln · WhatsApp Nottingham

Short Answer: Viewing several properties. Yes, and we would encourage it. Send us everything on your shortlist and we will arrange them back to back so you can compare them properly in one trip.

Answer:
Most groups view three or four properties before deciding, and seeing them on the same day makes them far easier to compare. Houses blur together when you view them a week apart.

Send us every property you are considering, ideally all at once, and we will build a sensible route rather than booking them piecemeal. If you have saved properties to your shortlist on our site, just send us that.

A practical tip: view them in the order you are least to most keen. You will judge the last one more clearly once you have a sense of what the others offered.

Links: property search · your saved shortlist · what to look for when viewing a student house

Short Answer: Virtual viewings. Yes. We can walk you round on a live video call or send you a recorded tour. Useful if you are applying from overseas or still at home over summer.

Answer:
If you cannot get to the property in person, we can do a live walkthrough on a video call so you can ask questions as you go, or send you a recorded tour along with the floor plan and full photo set.

Plenty of our international students and anyone still at home over the summer book this way, and it is a normal way to secure a property with us.

If you are taking a property without seeing it in person, ask us to point the camera at the things photos never show: the actual size of the smallest bedroom, water pressure in the shower, what the street looks like, and where the bins go. We would rather you asked awkward questions now than moved in disappointed.

Links: property search · WhatsApp us · advice for international students

Short Answer: At the viewing. A member of our team will meet you at the property and show you round. Allow about 20 minutes, and use the time to check the things photos do not show.

Answer:
One of our team will meet you at the property and take you through it. Allow roughly 20 minutes, longer if you have questions, and there is no pressure to decide on the spot.

Worth checking while you are there:

The bedrooms. Sizes vary a lot within the same house, and they are banded small, medium, large or extra large with different weekly rents. Work out who is having which room before you commit, not after.

Storage, heating and damp. Open a wardrobe. Find the thermostat and ask what type of heating controls the house has. Look at the corners of ground floor external walls and behind furniture.

The practical stuff. Where do the bins go, and which day are they collected? Is there a driveway or is it a permit street? Where is the meter cupboard? How is the mobile signal?

The street. Have a look outside the property as well as inside. You will be walking home along it at night.

Ask us anything, including what the previous tenants said about the place. If the current tenants are in, ask them too. They will tell you things we cannot.

Links: viewing checklist for Lincoln · what to ask before signing in Nottingham · top 10 student housing mistakes · how to spot a good letting agent

Short Answer: Bringing people with you. Yes, bring whoever is helping you decide. If you are renting as a group, it is much better if everyone comes, because everyone will be signing.

Answer:
There is no restriction on who comes with you. Housemates, friends, parents, all welcome.

If you are planning to rent as a group, try to get everyone to the same viewing. It saves a second trip, and it avoids the situation where four people love a house and the fifth has never seen it. Everyone named on the tenancy signs the same agreement and takes on the same responsibilities, so everyone should see what they are signing up to.

Parents are very welcome, and often ask the useful questions about heating, safety certificates and bills. If a parent is going to act as guarantor, coming along is a good way for them to understand what they are guaranteeing.

Links: advice for parents · supporting your child through the university move · is my child's accommodation safe

Short Answer: Changing your viewing. Message us on WhatsApp or call your local office. There is no charge and no problem. We would much rather you moved it than did not turn up.

Answer:
Just let us know. WhatsApp is easiest, or call the office. There is no fee for changing or cancelling a viewing, and it does not affect how we treat your application.

A bit of notice helps, because viewing slots are in demand and someone else can usually take it. But if something comes up on the day, message us anyway.

Running late? Tell us rather than rushing. We can often push the slot back or reorder the properties, and if the current tenants are home we need to keep to what we told them.

Links: WhatsApp Lincoln · WhatsApp Nottingham · contact your local office

Short Answer: Occupied viewings. Yes, and most viewings are like this. Current tenants get at least 24 hours' notice before we bring anyone round.

Answer:
Most student houses are let for the following year while the current tenants are still living in them, so viewing an occupied property is completely normal.

Current tenants are given a minimum of 24 hours' notice before any viewing, which is their right under the tenancy agreement. We keep to the time we agreed with them, which is why we ask you to let us know if you are running late.

Two things worth remembering. First, the house will look lived in, because it is. Try to look past the washing up and assess the property itself: room sizes, storage, heating, condition of the fabric. Properties are professionally cleaned before every new tenancy starts.

Second, the current tenants are your best source of information. Ask them how warm the house is in winter, how quickly maintenance gets sorted, and whether they would live there again.

Links: how maintenance works · why student houses in Lincoln go fast

Answer: No, we're not open weekends, we do however extend our opening times during the peak of viewing season to help you get your desired slot.

Short Answer: Apply online. Applications are at student-housing.co.uk/tenants/apply. There are five steps and it takes about 15 minutes if you have your documents and your guarantor's details ready.

Answer:
Everything is done online. The form has five steps:

1. Property and tenancy details. Which property, how long, and whether you are applying on your own, as a couple, or as a group.

2. Applicants. Everyone who will be living there.

3. Documents. Your ID and supporting paperwork.

4. Guarantors. Contact details for each applicant's guarantor, who is then emailed their own form.

5. Review. A final check before you submit.

Two things to have ready before you start: photo ID, and your guarantor's full name and email address. The guarantor stage is where most applications stall, so warn them it is coming.

Applying does not commit you to anything. The tenancy only becomes binding once the agreement is signed.

Links: start an application · property search · step by step guide to securing accommodation

Short Answer: Yes. There is a couple option on the application form for two people sharing one room. Dual occupancy is only usually avalible in 1 bedroom properties, you're unable to share a room in a larger house.

Answer:
Yes. When you start an application you choose Individual, Couple or Group, and the couple option covers two people sharing a single room.

Both of you complete your own applicant details and both of you need a guarantor, assessed against the same criteria as anyone else.

Because a property's energy and water allowance is set by the number of people living there, dual occupancy is only possible in 1 bedroom properties, there is no aditional charge and the asking rent is split equally between the 2 occupants.

Worth checking early: not every property is suitable for a couple, particularly houses where there are 2 or more bedrooms.

Links: start an application · guarantor requirements

Short Answer: You should apply under one group application, but each person completes their own section and their own guarantor. Nothing is finalised until everyone has done theirs.

Answer:
Choose the Group option and each person completes their own applicant details, uploads their own documents, and nominates their own guarantor. You do not all have to sit down and do it at the same moment, but the application is not complete until every applicant and every guarantor has been approved.

In practice this means one person who keeps putting it off holds up the entire house. It is the single most common reason a group loses a property they wanted.

Two things that help. Agree a deadline between yourselves before anyone starts, and make sure everyone has actually asked their guarantor before naming them. A surprising number of applications stall because someone put down a parent who had not been asked yet.

Links: start an application · guarantor requirements · top 10 student housing mistakes

Short Answer: Photo ID and proof of your student status or employment. Your guarantor will separately be asked for income or savings evidence.

Answer:
From you: photo ID (passport or driving licence) and confirmation of your student status or employment.

From your guarantor, requested separately when they get their form: evidence they meet the income or savings threshold. That means three months of bank statements, recent payslips, an SA302 from HMRC if they are self employed, or dividend statements if they are a shareholder.

International students will also need their original passport, Biometric Residence Permit and share code, though those are checked in person at key collection rather than uploaded at application.

If a document will not upload, message us and we will take it another way rather than leaving you stuck.

Links: start an application · guarantor requirements and accepted documents · guarantor form · advice for international students

Short Answer: Usually a few working days once every applicant and every guarantor has submitted everything. Almost all delays come from the guarantor stage.

Answer:
Once all applicants and all guarantors have submitted their documents, processing normally takes a few working days.

Nearly every delay we see comes from the same place: a guarantor who has not opened their email, not finished their form, or not sent income evidence. If your application feels stuck, that is the first thing to check.

If you have been waiting more than a week, message us with the property address and we will tell you exactly what is outstanding and who it is waiting on. We would rather chase it than leave you wondering.

Links: contact your local office · WhatsApp us · guarantor requirements

Short Answer: No.There is no application fee, admin fee or holding deposit at Student Housing. Nothing is payable until the agreement is signed, and your first payment is due 14 days before the tenancy starts.

Answer:
There is nothing to pay to apply. Application fees, admin fees and referencing fees are banned under the Tenant Fees Act 2019, and we do not take a holding deposit either. No rent or deposit can be demanded before the tenancy agreement has been signed.

Once the agreement is signed, your first payment is the deposit plus your first month's rent, both due no later than 14 days before your tenancy start date. Keys are not released until that has cleared for every tenant in the property, not just you.

By law you cannot be asked for more than one month's rent in advance. If anyone suggests otherwise, that is not right and you should query it.

Links: tenant downloads · what bills are included in your rent · student budgeting guide

Short Answer: Everything is signed electronically. Each tenant gets their own email invitation and signs separately. Once all tenants have signed and we have countersigned, it is legally binding.

Answer:
Signing is electronic. Once your application is approved, each tenant receives their own email invitation with a link to read and sign the agreement. You sign individually, in any order, and you can see the whole document before you sign anything.

When every tenant has signed, we countersign on the landlord's behalf and the agreement is complete. In practice most groups get through this in a few days. We send reminders if someone has not signed, but chasing your own housemates is faster.

Once signed, the agreement is legally binding and you cannot withdraw from it, even before the tenancy has started. There is no break clause, and notice cannot be served before the tenancy begins. Read it properly before you sign, and if anything is unclear, ask us. Shelter and Citizens Advice both give free independent housing advice if you want a second opinion.

Links: example tenancy agreement · what the Renters' Rights Act means for you · leaving your tenancy early

Short Answer: Before signing, we can swap a person in or out of the application, so the rest of the group is unaffected. After signing, it goes through our Severance Procedure.

Answer:
It happens more often than you would think, and it is usually fixable.

Before anyone has signed, tell us as soon as you know. We can replace one applicant with another and reissue the agreement, and the rest of the group carries on unaffected. If you do not have a replacement, we can help you find one.

After the agreement is signed, it is binding and the person leaving cannot simply withdraw. They remain liable for their full obligations until a suitable replacement has been found and approved by us in writing. That process is called severance and there is a £50 admin fee. If they would rather we found the replacement, our tenant find service is £259 plus VAT on a no let, no fee basis, which covers marketing the room, running viewings and referencing candidates.

The thing to avoid is someone serving formal notice instead. Under the new joint tenancy rules that ends the tenancy for everyone in the house, not just them.

Links: severance and leaving early · what if one person wants to leave your student house · how to end your tenancy early

Short Answer: It is an indication only. Since the Renters' Rights Act there are no fixed length tenancies, so whichever option you pick does not lock you in or commit you to anything.

Answer:
The length options on the application (51 weeks, 102 weeks, 103 weeks) are there so the landlord knows roughly how long you expect to want the property. They are not a contract term and they are not enforced.

Since 1 May 2026, fixed term tenancies no longer exist. Every tenancy is an assured periodic tenancy that rolls on a monthly basis with no fixed end date, so nothing you select here appears in your agreement as a commitment. Picking 102 weeks does not tie you in for two years, and picking 51 weeks does not mean you have to leave after one.

As a rough guide: 51 weeks is about one academic year, 102 weeks is about two, and 103 weeks is a slightly extended two year period. Choose whichever is closest to what you have in mind. If your plans change later, that is fine.

What actually governs how long you stay is the notice process, not this field. You can end the tenancy at any point after it starts by giving two full months' written notice. Your landlord can only end it on a specific legal ground, most commonly Ground 4A at the end of the academic year.

One thing worth knowing before you pick: in a shared house, if any one tenant serves notice, the tenancy ends for everybody. So it is worth having the conversation with your group about how long you all expect to stay, even though the form itself does not bind you.

Links: start an application · what the Renters' Rights Act means for you as a student · Ground 4A explained · leaving your tenancy early

Short Answer:You do not have to be a student. The one difference that matters is council tax: full time students can claim exemption, non students cannot, so budget for it on top of your rent.

Answer:
We let to both students and non students, including working professionals, graduates and postgraduates. The application process, the guarantor requirements and the tenancy itself are the same. The difference is council tax.

Our advertised rents include gas, electricity, water, sewage, broadband and the TV licence. They have never included council tax. Full time students are generally entitled to a Class N exemption, which they apply for themselves with the local council, so most of our tenants never pay it. As a non student you will not qualify for that exemption, so you need to budget for council tax as a separate monthly cost on top of your rent.

If you are moving into a shared house, this matters to your housemates as well as you. A property occupied entirely by full time students is exempt. Once one occupant is not a student, the property becomes liable, though a discount usually applies where everyone else is a disregarded student. Your tenancy agreement makes all named tenants jointly and equally liable for the full amount, regardless of whose status created the liability, so it is worth agreeing between yourselves who covers it before anyone signs rather than discovering it when the bill lands.

Tell us you are not a student when you first enquire. We will confirm the council tax band for any property you are considering so you can budget properly, and flag anything that would not suit.

Links: property search · can working professionals live in student accommodation in Lincoln · rooms for young professionals in Lincoln · what bills are included in your rent · individual rooms

Short Answer: Yes, every tenant needs one, students and working professionals alike. They must live in the UK or hold the legal right to live here.

Answer:
Every tenant needs a guarantor. There are no exceptions, and it applies whether you are a student or a working professional.

A guarantor is someone who agrees to cover your rent if you are ever unable to pay. It is a standard requirement across the private rented sector and nothing to be worried about, as long as you plan ahead.

Your guarantor must live in the UK or hold the legal right to live in the UK. We cannot accept guarantors based overseas, whatever their income.

They do not need to be in full time employment. Retired guarantors living on a pension, people on dividend income, and anyone with other regular income can all qualify, provided they meet the financial threshold.

If you do not have anyone who fits, there is a route for that. See G4.

Links: guarantor requirements explained · guarantor form · advice for parents

Short Answer: Either gross income of at least 3.5 times your annual rent, or savings of at least 5 times your annual rent held for three months or more. Annual rent is your weekly rent times 52.

Answer:
Your guarantor needs to meet one of two tests. Both are assessed on a gross basis, before income tax and national insurance.

Income route: At least 3.5 times your annual rent. Salary, pension, dividends and other regular earnings all count.

Savings route: At least 5 times your annual rent, held continuously for at least three months and evidenced by bank statements.

Annual rent is your weekly rent multiplied by 52.

Worked example at £100 per week:
Annual rent is £5,200. Your guarantor needs either £18,200 gross income or £26,000 in savings held for three months or more.

If one person is guaranteeing two tenants, the thresholds apply to the combined rent. Two tenants at £100 per week each means £10,400 combined, so £36,400 income or £52,000 savings. Make sure they understand that before they agree to cover both of you.

Links: guarantor requirements explained · guarantor form · deed of guarantee

Short Answer: A parent, family member or anyone else who meets the financial criteria and lives in the UK or has the right to live here. They do not need to be employed.

Answer:
A guarantor can be a parent, another family member, or any individual who meets the criteria. There is no requirement for them to be related to you.

They must: Live in the UK, or hold the legal right to live in the UK, Meet either the income or the savings threshold, Be able to evidence it with the documents required.

They do not need to: Be in full time employment. Pension income, dividends and other regular income all count, Be a homeowner or Be a parent

One person can guarantee more than one tenant, which sometimes works for siblings or close friends. The financial thresholds then apply to the combined rent of everyone they are covering, so check they clear the higher bar before nominating them.

One practical point. Ask them before you put their name on the application. A surprising number of applications stall because someone nominated a parent who had not been asked yet and was not expecting the email.

Links: guarantor requirements explained · what parents need to know before signing · advice for parents

Short Answer: We accept two approved services, Housing Hand and Rent Guarantor. They act as your guarantor for a fee you pay. Apply early, as approval takes a few days.

Answer:
Not everyone has access to a family member or contact who meets the criteria, particularly international students and anyone whose family is based abroad. There is a straightforward route for this.

We accept applications backed by company guarantors, which are professional services that act as your guarantor in exchange for a fee you pay as the tenant. The two providers we currently accept are:

Housing Hand: one of the most widely used guarantor services in the UK, working with both students and working professionals. They assess your application directly and, if approved, act as your guarantor for the tenancy.

Rent Guarantor: a straightforward service for tenants without a suitable personal guarantor, with an application process designed to be quick.

Apply to them as early as you can. Approval can take several days and needs to be in place before your tenancy can be confirmed. Leaving it late is the most common reason an otherwise solid application misses out on a property.

One thing to be aware of: paying extra rent in advance is not an alternative. By law you cannot be asked for more than one month's rent in advance, so a company guarantor is the route rather than a lump sum upfront.

Links: Housing Hand · Rent Guarantor · no UK guarantor, how to secure student housing · guarantor requirements explained

Short Answer:Three months of bank statements, plus payslips, an SA302 or dividend statements depending on their income type.

Answer:
Your guarantor will be asked to evidence their income or savings. We accept:

Bank statements. The most recent three months. If they are using the savings route, these must clearly show the required funds held continuously for at least three months.

Payslips. Recent and dated, showing gross monthly or weekly earnings.

SA302 tax returns. Issued by HMRC, confirming gross income for the tax year. This is the one for self employed or self assessed guarantors.

Dividend statements. Formal dividend vouchers or statements confirming amounts received, for shareholders.

They only need to evidence whichever route they are using, not all four. If they are unsure which applies, or something will not upload, tell us and we will sort it rather than leaving them stuck.

Links: guarantor requirements explained · guarantor form · downloadable guarantor form

Short Answer: Check spam and promotions first, that is where it almost always is. If it is genuinely not there you can access the form online here: https://student-housing.co.uk/parents/guarantor-form

Answer:
The guarantor invitation lands in spam or promotions far more often than it should, so check there before doing anything else. Ask them to search their inbox for "Student Housing" as well, since it may have filed itself somewhere odd.

If it genuinely has not arrived, they can fill in a generic form on our website here: https://student-housing.co.uk/parents/guarantor-form.

Double check the email address on your application while you are at it. A typo in a guarantor's email is one of the more common reasons an application sits doing nothing for a week.

Links: WhatsApp Lincoln · WhatsApp Nottingham · contact your local office · online guarantor form

Short Answer: Before the tenancy starts, yes, just tell us and we will issue a new form. Once the tenancy has started it is more involved, so contact us to talk it through.

Answer:
Before the tenancy starts, this is straightforward. If your nominated guarantor cannot proceed, or does not meet the criteria, tell us and we will issue a fresh invitation to someone else. The new guarantor goes through the same assessment.

Once the tenancy has started, it is more complicated. The existing deed is in place and a guarantor cannot simply be swapped out. A guarantor can end their own guarantee by giving two months' written notice, but that only takes effect after you have vacated the property, so it does not release them from the current tenancy. If your circumstances have changed, contact us and we will talk through what is possible.

Worth knowing: if no suitable guarantor is supplied before the tenancy commences, the landlord can terminate the agreement. That right sits with the landlord only and cannot be triggered by a tenant as a way out.

Links: guarantor form · deed of guarantee · contact your local office

Short Answer: The entire duration of the tenancy. Because tenancies are now periodic with no fixed end date, the guarantee continues until the tenancy itself ends and the tenant has moved out.

Answer:
The guarantee lasts for the whole of the tenancy.

Since 1 May 2026 tenancies are periodic rather than fixed term, so there is no end date written into the agreement for the guarantee to expire against. It continues for as long as the tenancy runs, including through any renewal, extension or statutory continuation, and through any period of occupation beyond the expected end date.

Ending the guarantee. A guarantor can give two months' written notice to terminate it, but that only takes effect after the named tenant has vacated the property. It does not release them from the tenancy that is currently running.

Two things guarantors should know before signing. Liability continues until the tenant has actually moved out, not from the point notice is given. And in the event of the guarantor's death, their estate remains liable under the deed.

If a tenant leaves and is replaced through our severance process, the outgoing tenant's guarantee ends when that replacement is approved and signed. That is the cleanest route out for everyone.

Links: guarantor terms and conditions · deed of guarantee · advice for parents · leaving a tenancy early

Short Answer: Limited to your share or rent / damage. Under our Deed of Guarantee your liability is limited to the suggested rent portion of the specific tenant you are guaranteeing, plus your share of any damages and related costs. Not the whole property's rent.

Answer:
The tenancy itself is joint and several, which means all tenants together are liable for the full rent of the property. The guarantee is deliberately narrower than that.

Under our Deed of Guarantee, a guarantor is liable only for the obligations of the specific tenant they are guaranteeing. That means that tenant's suggested rent portion, plus their share of damages, cleaning, utility overuse and related costs.

What that looks like in practice. In a four bedroom house with total rent of £1,600 a month, each tenant's suggested rent is £400. As a guarantor for one of those tenants, your exposure is that £400 portion and costs attributable to them, not the full £1,600.

Other terms worth knowing:

• Payment is due within seven days of a written demand

• Interest of 3% above the Bank of England base rate applies to overdue sums

• You are liable for reasonable legal and enforcement costs in recovering what is owed

One thing that works differently: Deposits. Each tenant's deposit is protected individually in their own name. But where communal areas are damaged or left unclean and the cost cannot be attributed to one person, any tenant's deposit can be drawn on. That is a feature of the deposit, not of your guarantee, and it is capped at the deposit amount.

The full terms are set out in the guarantor terms and conditions and the Deed of Guarantee, both linked below. We would always encourage a guarantor to read them before signing, and to take independent advice if anything is unclear.

Links: guarantor terms and conditions · deed of guarantee · advice for parents · what parents need to know before signing · guarantor requirements explained

Short Answer: Per person, per week. Advertised rents are per person, per week. In a shared house each room has its own weekly rate depending on its size, so housemates often pay different amounts. For 1 bedroom properties the price is for the entire house and can typically be split between 2 people.

Answer:
Rent on our website is per person, per week. If a listing says £95, that is £95 for you, not £95 split between the house.

In a shared house, bedrooms are banded small, medium, large or extra large, and each band has its own weekly rate. That means housemates in the same property often pay different amounts, which is deliberate. You are not subsidising someone else's bigger room.

Your own figure, the total for the property and your payment reference are all set out on your payment schedule before you pay anything.

This is the most common misunderstanding we see, and it usually surfaces at the worst moment, when someone is about to transfer money. If you are unsure what you personally owe, message us and we will confirm before you pay.

Links: property search · Lincoln properties · Nottingham properties · how much does student accommodation in Lincoln cost

Short Answer:Weekly times 52, divided by 12. Your monthly rent is your weekly rate multiplied by 52 and divided by 12. It is not your weekly rate multiplied by four.

Answer:
The calculation is weekly rent × 52 ÷ 12.

So £100 a week is £5,200 a year, which is £433.33 a month. Not £400.

The reason is that a year has 52 weeks, not 48. Multiplying the weekly rate by four gives you a figure that is short by about a month's rent over the year, which is why we set it out this way rather than leaving people to work it out.

Rent is due monthly in advance, on the same date each month, matching your tenancy start date. If your tenancy starts on the 25th, rent is due on the 25th.

Your payment schedule shows every payment date and amount for the full year, so there are no surprises.

Links: tenant downloads · student budgeting guide

Short Answer: Fourteen days before you move in. Your deposit and first month's rent must both clear at least 14 days before your tenancy starts. Keys are not released until every tenant in the property has paid.

Answer:
Your deposit and first month's rent must be paid no later than 14 days before the tenancy start date.

This one is not flexible, and the reason matters: keys cannot be released until it has cleared for the whole property, not just for you. If one housemate has not paid, nobody in the house gets keys. It is worth being the group that sorts this early rather than the group standing outside with a van.

Nothing can be demanded before the tenancy agreement has been signed, and by law you cannot be asked for more than one month's rent in advance.

Your payment schedule gives you the exact due date, the amount and your BACS reference. Use that reference, as it is how we match your payment to your account.

Check with the office a few days before your start date to confirm your keys are eligible for collection.

Links: tenant downloads · contact your local office · WhatsApp us

Short Answer:Yes. Monthly is the default, but you can pay larger amounts in advance, such as by semester. Anything paid ahead is credited and drawn down automatically, and you do not need to tell us first.

Answer:
Monthly is the default, and your payment schedule shows those dates. But if your student finance arrives in three lumps, paying in three lumps often makes more sense.

Your payment schedule includes a semesterly option alongside the monthly one, showing what you would pay and when. Anything you pay in advance is credited to your account and used against future monthly rent automatically.

You do not need to notify us if you choose to pay this way. Just pay the larger amount using your usual reference.

You can also pay the whole year upfront if you prefer. It does not attract a discount, but some people find it simpler.

Links: tenant downloads · student budgeting guide

Short Answer: By bank transfer. Rent is paid by BACS to Lincoln Property Company Ltd, using the payment reference on your schedule. A standing order form is available if you would rather automate it.

Answer:
Rent is paid by bank transfer (BACS) to Lincoln Property Company Ltd. Your account details and your personal payment reference are on your payment schedule.

Always use your own reference. It is unique to you and the property, and it is how your payment gets matched to your account. Payments without a reference take longer to allocate and can look like arrears in the meantime.

If you would rather not think about it each month, download the standing order form from our tenant downloads page, set it up with your bank for the due date on your schedule, and it runs itself.

Short Answer:Tell us early. Your tenancy requires you to notify us of student finance delays. Contact us before the payment is due and we can usually work something out.

Answer:
Tell us as soon as you know. Your tenancy specifically requires you to notify us if you are experiencing delays with student finance, and we would far rather rearrange a date than apply a charge.

The important thing is timing. Contact us before the payment is missed, not after. Once a payment is late the position is harder for everyone.

For transparency, the charges that apply if a payment is simply missed without contact are interest at 3% above the Bank of England base rate on anything more than 14 days late. Fees are avoidable with early notice.

If money is tight more generally, your university will have a hardship fund and a student money advice service. They are worth using and they are used to these conversations.

Links: contact your local office · WhatsApp us · student budgeting guide

Short Answer: Protected individually with MyDeposits. The deposit is set per property and capped by law at five weeks' rent. Yours is protected in your own name within 30 days.

Answer:
The deposit amount is set per property and is capped by law at five weeks' rent. Many of our properties are below that cap at a standard £300 or £400. Your exact figure is on your payment schedule.

Your deposit is protected in the MyDeposits custodial scheme (membership number M00476355) within 30 days of receipt, along with your prescribed information.

Two things worth knowing:

Each tenant's deposit is held individually, in their own name. You will get your own email from MyDeposits with your own Repayment ID. Keep it. You will need it at the end of the tenancy, and every year people spend a fortnight trying to find it.

It can be used for communal costs. Because the tenancy is joint, where damage or cleaning in shared areas cannot be attributed to one person, any tenant's deposit can be drawn on for it. Your deposit covers more than just your bedroom.

Links: how to get your deposit back · MyDeposits · tenant downloads

Short Answer:
Gas, electricity, water, sewage, broadband and TV licence. Council tax is not included. Full time students apply for exemption themselves, and non students should budget for it separately.

Answer:
Your rent covers: Gas, Electricity, Water and sewage.

Broadband & TV licence are provided free of charge and do not form part of the rent

There is nothing to set up. No utility accounts to open, no contracts to compare, no splitting bills with housemates and no chasing anyone for their share. We have seen more house arguments about unpaid utility bills than about almost anything else, which is why we do it this way.

Not included:

Council tax. Full time students are generally exempt but must apply themselves. See RB10. If you are not a full time student, budget for this as a separate monthly cost.

Contents insurance for your own belongings. The landlord insures the building and their contents, not your laptop.

Page 2 of your tenancy agreement shows exactly which utilities are included for your specific property, so check there if you want certainty.

Links: what bills are usually included in student rent · why bills included saves you money · contents insurance for students · Lincoln properties · Nottingham properties

Short Answer:Yes, a fair usage allowance. It is set by your property's EPC rating and how many people live there. Most houses finish the year well under it, but you are liable for anything above it.

Answer:
Bills are included up to a fair usage allowance, set annually per property. Two things determine it: the property's EPC rating (A to E) and how many tenants live there. Less efficient houses get a higher allowance, so you are not penalised for the building you are in.

Roughly what that looks like for a four person house rated C: around 20,000 kWh of gas, 5,000 kWh of electricity and 190m³ of water for the year.

At the top end that works out at up to around £31 per person per week, which we believe is among the highest caps of any student agent in Lincoln or Nottingham. If your property has no gas connection, so heating and hot water are electric, the electricity allowance is doubled.

The full table, showing every combination of EPC rating and number of tenants, is in the Understanding Energy Allowances document included with your tenancy.

The vast majority of our tenants finish the year well under allowance, and most never come close. If you do exceed it, you are liable for the excess, payable within 14 days of demand. Submitting monthly meter readings is how you stay on top of it, see RB10.

You can look up any property's EPC rating yourself on the government register at gov.uk/find-energy-certificate.

Links: tenant downloads · how to read your energy meters · find an EPC · understanding EPC ratings

Short Answer: Monthly, at student-housing.co.uk/Read. It is a condition of your tenancy, and it is the only way to know how much of your allowance you have used before a bill arrives.

Answer:
Submit gas, electricity and water readings once a month at student-housing.co.uk/Read, or email us them direct.

This is a tenancy requirement, but it is genuinely in your interest. Readings are how you find out you are heading over allowance in January, when you can still do something about it, rather than in July when you get an invoice.

Cannot find or read your meter? Pop into the office. We will give you a meter access key free of charge and show you how to read it. There are also instructions on our website.

One to remember at move out: take a final reading on the day you leave and photograph the dial. It settles any argument about usage before it starts.

Links: submit a meter reading · how to read your energy meters · contact your local office

Short Answer: Full time students are exempt, but it is not automatic. We will apply to your local council , using proof of enrolment from your university. We do it in your first week, if the council need futher information, they'll contact you direct.

Answer:
Full time students are generally entitled to a Class N exemption from council tax. But the exemption is not applied automatically, and it is initially handled by us or by your landlord. If the council need additional information you may need to apply for it yourself, directly with your local council.

You will need proof of enrolment, usually a council tax exemption certificate from your university, which you can normally request from your student portal.

Where to apply:

• Lincoln — City of Lincoln Council, at lincoln.gov.uk

• Nottingham — Nottingham City Council, at nottinghamcity.gov.uk

• Hull — Hull City Council, at hull.gov.uk

If a bill arrives , do not ignore it. Apply for the exemption, contact the council, and tell us so we can help sort it.

When you move out, tell the council your leaving date and make sure the account is closed. That is a tenancy requirement as well as good practice.

Links: City of Lincoln Council · Nottingham City Council · Hull City Council · Lincoln student areas · Nottingham student areas · Hull student areas

Short Answer:The house becomes liable for council tax. All tenants are jointly and equally liable for the full amount under the tenancy, regardless of whose status caused it. Agree who pays before anyone signs.

Answer:
A property occupied entirely by full time students is exempt. As soon as one occupant is not a full time student, the property becomes liable for council tax, although a discount usually applies because the remaining students are disregarded.

This can happen at the start, if someone is a working professional or a part time student, or partway through, if someone drops out, switches to part time, or finishes their course early.

The contractual position is the part people miss. Your tenancy makes all named tenants jointly and equally liable for the full amount, irrespective of which tenant's status triggered it. Legally, the council can pursue any of you, and under the tenancy you are all on the hook.

What to do:
If you already know one of you is not a full time student, talk about it before anyone signs and agree in writing between yourselves who covers it. It is a much easier conversation in June than in March.

If someone leaves their course mid tenancy, they are required by the tenancy to tell us immediately. That is not about checking up on anyone, it is so the council tax position can be dealt with before a bill lands on the whole house.

Either way, contact the council as soon as the position changes. Backdated bills are worse than current ones.

Links: City of Lincoln Council · Nottingham City Council · Hull City Council · contact your local office

Short Answer:There is no fixed length. Since May 2026 all tenancies are periodic, rolling monthly with no end date. You end it by giving two full months' written notice.

Answer:
Since 1 May 2026, fixed term tenancies no longer exist. Every tenancy we grant is an assured periodic tenancy, which rolls on a monthly basis with no fixed end date.

If you have an older agreement with an end date written into it, that end date no longer applies.

What actually determines how long you stay:
You can end the tenancy at any point after it has started by giving two full months' written notice, expiring on the last day of a rental period.

Your landlord can only end it using a specific legal ground. The no fault Section 21 route is abolished. For student houses the relevant ground is usually Ground 4A, which allows possession at the end of the academic year. See TA5.

On the application form, you are asked to choose 51, 102 or 103 weeks. That is an indication of how long you expect to want the property, given so the landlord can plan. It is not a contract term and it does not tie you in. See our applying section for more on that.

The exception. Our purpose built properties, including Lord Tennyson House, Laureate House, The Hide Out, Swan Mews, Lister Gate Apartments and The Old Bank, are generally exempt from the new regime and work differently. Ask us about the specific property if you are looking at one of these.

Links: what the Renters' Rights Act means for you as a student · example tenancy agreement · leaving your tenancy early · Lord Tennyson · Laureate House

Short Answer: A rolling tenancy with no end date. It continues month to month until you give notice or the landlord obtains possession on a legal ground. It is the only type of assured tenancy that can now be granted.

Answer:
A periodic tenancy runs on a rolling basis, in your case monthly, with no fixed end date written into it. It continues until one of three things happens: you give notice, you and the landlord agree to end it, or the landlord ends it using a valid legal ground.

Since 1 May 2026 this is the only kind of assured tenancy that can be granted. Any existing assured shorthold tenancy converted automatically on that date.

What changed for you, in practical terms:

More security. You cannot be evicted without a reason. Section 21 no fault eviction is gone, and your landlord now needs a specific ground and the correct notice.

More flexibility. You are not locked in for a year. Two full months' written notice and you can leave.

More control over rent. Increases can only happen once every 12 months, never in the first 12 months of a tenancy, must use the prescribed Form 4A with two months' notice, and can be challenged at the First tier Tribunal if you think they are above market rate.

One significant catch in shared houses. In a joint tenancy, one tenant's notice ends the tenancy for everybody. See TA4, because it is the single most important thing to understand about renting as a group under the new rules.

Links: what the Renters' Rights Act means for you as a student · the end of fixed terms · Renters' Rights Act information sheet

Short Answer:You are all responsible for everything. Everyone in the house is legally liable for the full rent and the whole property, not just their own room and share. If one person does not pay, the others cover it.

Answer:
In a shared house you sign one tenancy together. The rent is payable as a single sum for the property, and it is not automatically divisible between you. The individual amounts you see are suggested room charges, a reference split, not separate contracts.

What that means day to day:

Rent. If one housemate does not pay, the rest of you are liable for the shortfall and we may ask you to cover it. Your tenancy requires you to resolve rent disputes between yourselves and pay the landlord what is owed.

Shared areas. You are all responsible for the condition of the kitchen, bathrooms, hallways and garden, regardless of who made the mess.

Deposits. Where costs in communal areas cannot be attributed to one person, any tenant's deposit can be drawn on.

Council tax. If the house becomes liable, all tenants are jointly and equally liable for the full amount, whoever's status caused it.

Notice. If one person serves notice, the tenancy ends for everyone.

Even if you rent a single room in a shared house on your own agreement, you still accept joint responsibility for communal areas alongside the other occupants.

None of this is unusual, it is how nearly all shared tenancies work. But it is worth choosing housemates with it in mind, and worth agreeing between yourselves early how you would handle it if someone fell behind. The houses that have problems are rarely the ones that talked about it in advance.

Links: joint tenancies under the new rules · what if one person wants to leave · how to deal with messy housemates · example tenancy agreement

Short Answer: Two full months' written notice. It must expire on the last day of a rental period. In a shared house, one person's notice ends the tenancy for everybody, so talk to your housemates first.

Answer:
You end a periodic tenancy by giving two full months' written notice, expiring on the last day of a rental period. Written means a letter or email to us.

How the timing works. If rent is due on the 25th and you give notice on 8 May, the notice cannot expire on 8 July. It runs from the next rental period, so it starts 25 May and the earliest end date is 24 July.

Three things to know before you serve it:

In a shared house, your notice ends the tenancy for everyone. This is the biggest change under the new rules and it catches people out. If you give notice, your housemates have to leave too, unless a new agreement is put in place. Talk to them first.

Notice cannot be withdrawn once validly served, unless the landlord agrees in writing. There is no obligation on them to agree.

You cannot serve notice before the tenancy has started. The agreement is binding from the moment it is signed, and there is no break clause.

If you want to leave but your housemates do not, do not serve notice. Use the severance process instead, where you find or we find a replacement and the tenancy carries on for everyone else. It is almost always the better route. See TA6.

Links: leaving your tenancy early · how to end your student tenancy early · why students can leave when they like · contact your local office

Short Answer: Possibly, under Ground 4A. It lets a landlord recover a student property at the end of the academic year, on at least four months' notice ending between 1 June and 30 September.

Answer:
Because student houses need to turn over for each incoming cohort, the law provides a specific possession ground for student properties called Ground 4A.

It allows a landlord to recover the property at the end of the academic year, on at least four months' notice, with the end date falling between 1 June and 30 September.

You are told about this before you sign. Written notice that the landlord intends to rely on Ground 4A is given before the tenancy agreement is signed, and it is set out in your agreement. That prior notice is a legal requirement for the ground to be used at all.

Receiving a Ground 4A notice during your tenancy is normal and does not affect your rights while you are living there. You stay in occupation until the date specified in the notice.

If you want to stay another year, tell us early. We would generally rather re-sign existing tenants than re-let, and we usually start those conversations around January.

Ground 4A only applies where the property is let to students. If you are not a student, it does not apply to your tenancy.

Links: Ground 4A explained · what the Renters' Rights Act means for you as a student · Renters' Rights Act information sheet

Short Answer: Three options. Find a replacement, which is the recommended route at £50 admin. Negotiate an early exit, where your housemates absorb your share. Or serve notice, which ends the tenancy for everyone.

Answer:
Circumstances change, and there is a process for it. Three routes, and they affect your housemates very differently.

Find a replacement. Recommended. You leave, an approved replacement takes your place, your housemates are unaffected and the tenancy continues. £50 admin fee, typically two to six weeks. If you would rather we found someone, our tenant find service is £259 plus VAT on a no let, no fee basis, covering marketing the room, running viewings and referencing candidates. You only pay if someone is approved and signs.

Negotiate an early exit. You are released if the landlord agrees, but your remaining housemates take on your share of the rent. Handled case by case and depends on them agreeing.

Serve formal notice. Your guaranteed right, two full months. But it ends the tenancy for everyone in the house, so they would all have to leave. A genuine last resort, and once served it cannot be withdrawn without the landlord's written agreement.

Until a replacement is approved in writing, you remain liable for your full obligations. Stopping payment is not an option and will affect both you and your guarantor.

Before the tenancy has started, it is simpler. Tell us as soon as you know and we can usually swap someone in and reissue the agreement. Still binding, still needs the severance process, but far less disruptive.

Links: leaving your tenancy early · how to end your student tenancy early · what if one person wants to leave · contact your local office

Short Answer: Once a year at most, and never in the first 12 months. Any increase needs a formal Section 13 notice on Form 4A with two months' notice, and you can challenge it at the tribunal.

Answer:
Rent can only be increased once every 12 months, and not at all during the first 12 months of a tenancy.

To increase it, the landlord must serve a valid notice using the prescribed Form 4A under Section 13 of the Housing Act 1988, giving at least two months' notice before the increase takes effect.

You can challenge it. If you think a proposed increase is above the open market rent for a similar property, you have the right to refer it to the First tier Tribunal (Property Chamber). The tribunal can decide the increase should be lower. Using that right cannot be held against you.

If you receive a rent increase notice and are not sure whether it is valid, ask us, or get free independent advice from Shelter or Citizens Advice.

Links: what the Renters' Rights Act means for you as a student · Renters' Rights Act information sheet · contact your local office

Short Answer: From 3pm on your start date. In person from your local office. Bring photo ID, and make sure everyone in the house has paid, because keys are not released until they have.

Answer:
Keys are available from 3pm on your tenancy start date, from your local Student Housing office. You can collect any time after that, so there is no need to come on day one if it does not suit.

Three things that catch people out every year:

Each tenant must collect their own key, in person. We cannot release keys to a housemate, a parent or a friend on your behalf, under any circumstances. This is not us being difficult, it is because we complete a Right to Rent check at collection and that has to be done with you.

Bring ID. Your original passport, or your driving licence plus your birth certificate. International students need their original passport, Biometric Residence Permit and share code. Photocopies and photos on your phone are not accepted.

Everyone in the property must have paid. No keys are released for the property until every named tenant has paid their deposit and first rent instalment in full. One person outstanding means nobody gets in.

Message us a few days before your start date and we will confirm your keys are ready. It takes a minute and saves a wasted trip.

Links: contact your local office · WhatsApp Lincoln · WhatsApp Nottingham · your first day in your student house

Short Answer: Your Passport, or driving licence plus birth certificate. International students also need their BRP and share code. We cannot accept copies or photos.

Answer:
We complete a mandatory government Right to Rent check when you collect your keys, so you need to bring original documents. Copies, scans and photos on your phone are not accepted, and we cannot skip it or do it later.

UK and Irish citizens: your original passport. If you do not have one, your driving licence plus your birth certificate.

International students: your original passport, your Biometric Residence Permit, and your share code. Generate the share code before you travel at gov.uk/view-prove-immigration-status. It expires after 90 days, so do not generate it months ahead.

If your documents are unusual or you are unsure whether what you have will work, message us in advance with what you hold and we will confirm before you make the trip.

Links: prove your right to rent · get a share code · WhatsApp us · advice for international students

Short Answer: Not before your start date. Your tenancy begins at 3pm on the start date and keys cannot be released before then, because the previous tenants' tenancy runs up to it.

Answer:
No. Your tenancy gives you the right to possession from 3pm on your start date, and we cannot release keys before that. The most common reason is simple: the outgoing tenants' tenancy runs right up to your start date, and the property needs to be cleaned and checked between the two.

You can collect any time after your start date, so if it is easier to arrive a few days later, that is fine and the property is yours waiting. Check our office opening times as you're only able to collect keys on days we're open.

If your arrival date is genuinely difficult, message us early and we will tell you what is possible for that specific property. Occasionally a property is empty ahead of the start date and something can be arranged, but never assume it, and never plan a move around it until we have confirmed in writing.

Links: contact your local office · WhatsApp us · what to bring to your student house

Short Answer: Fully furnished. Bedrooms come with a bed, wardrobe and desk (space permitting), and communal areas are furnished. Bring bedding, towels, crockery and pans. You cannot bring your own large appliances or heaters.

Answer:
Every property is fully furnished and professionally cleaned before you arrive.

In your bedroom: bed and mattress, wardrobe, desk and chair (typically), and storage.

In the communal areas: furnished living space and an equipped kitchen. Appliances vary by property, but where a cooker, washing machine, tumble dryer, fridge, freezer or dishwasher is provided, the landlord is responsible for keeping it in working order and replacing it within a reasonable time.

Bring your own: bedding and a duvet, pillows, towels, crockery, cutlery, pans, and anything personal. The first night without a duvet is a rite of passage but an avoidable one.

What you cannot bring:

• Large appliances such as fridges, freezers, tumble dryers and washing machines, without written consent. Unauthorised ones can be removed at your expense.

• Your own electric or oil filled heaters. This is a fire safety and insurance condition, not a preference. Electric fans are fine.

• E-bikes, e-scooters or lithium battery vehicles, which cannot be stored or charged anywhere in the property without written consent, because of the fire risk.

If you need something specific for a health or accessibility reason, tell us. Reasonable adjustments are a different conversation and we will have it properly.

Links: what to bring to your student house · your first day in your student house · report maintenance · property search

Short Answer:Your deposit protection. It records the property's condition at check in. You have seven days from your start date to challenge anything in it, after which it is treated as accepted.

Answer:
At check in you are given an Inventory and Schedule of Condition, a photographic record of the property and its contents at the start of your tenancy. At the end, your deposit is assessed against it.

You have seven days from your tenancy start date to submit any amendments or discrepancies in writing. After that it is deemed accepted, and anything you did not flag is treated as having happened during your tenancy.

This is the highest value hour of your entire tenancy. Go through it properly in your first week:

• Check every room against the document

• Photograph anything already marked, chipped, stained, scratched or broken, with the date visible

• Check inside the oven, behind doors, the mattress on both sides, and the garden

• Send us anything that is missing from the record

Ten minutes of photographs now is the difference between getting your deposit back and arguing about a stain in August that was there before you arrived.

Anything actually broken or not working should be reported separately through our maintenance form, not just noted on the inventory. The inventory records condition, the maintenance form gets it fixed.

Links: report maintenance · how to get your deposit back · how to negotiate your deposit return

Short Answer:Yes, already set up. Where Wi-Fi is included, the connection is live before you arrive. Your network name and password are provided at key collection.

Answer:
Where Wi-Fi is included for your property, the connection is already live when you move in. There is nothing to set up, no account to open and no installation appointment to wait in for.

Your network name and password are provided when you collect your keys.

Two things worth knowing. The connection is provided free of charge and does not form part of your rent, and we cannot guarantee full coverage in every room of an older house with thick walls. If the signal is weak upstairs, a mesh extender or a powerline adapter costs very little and solves it.

Please do not change the router settings, network name or wireless channel, and do not run network cables through walls or leave them across floors where someone will trip.

If the Wi-Fi stops working, report it through our maintenance form the same way you would any other issue.

Links: report a problem · how to fix common Wi-Fi issues in your student house · what bills are included

Short Answer: Use student-housing.co.uk/fix. Takes about 30 seconds, you can attach photos, and you get a reference number to track it. Please use the form rather than WhatsApp.

Answer:
All maintenance goes through student-housing.co.uk/fix. Describe the problem, say which room, add photos or a video, and submit. You will get a confirmation with a reference number.

From there it moves through assessment, contractor assignment, the visit itself, and resolution, and you can track where it is.

Please use the form rather than messaging us. It is faster, it goes straight to the maintenance team rather than the lettings team, and it creates a dated record with photographs. That record is what protects you if there is ever a question about your deposit.

Report things promptly, even small ones. Your tenancy requires it, and the landlord's repairing obligation only applies once they know about a defect. A small leak reported today is cheaper and less disruptive than a ceiling next month.

Give us detail. "Kitchen tap dripping constantly from the base, worse when hot water is on" gets the right person with the right part. "Tap broken" gets a visit and then a second visit.

Links: report maintenance · the ultimate student housing maintenance guide · contact your local office

Short Answer:
Call 01522 410 646, any hour. Emergencies are gas leaks, major leaks, total loss of power or heat, fire safety issues and anything leaving the property insecure.

Answer:
For a genuine emergency, call 01522 410 646 at any time, day or night.

These are emergencies:

• A gas leak. Call the National Gas Emergency Service first on 0800 111 999, then us. Do not turn anything electrical on or off, open the windows and leave.

• A major water leak or flood

• Total loss of electricity or heating

• A fire safety issue, or a smoke alarm that will not stop

• A break in, or a door or window lock that leaves the property insecure

These are not, and go through the form: a dripping tap, one broken appliance, a blown lightbulb, slow Wi-Fi, a single radiator not heating, or a blocked sink you have not tried to clear.

One warning. If a contractor is called out for something that is not an emergency, or the problem turns out to have been caused by something you are responsible for, the visit is chargeable at £50 to £250 or more. If you are unsure, report it through the form and say you think it is urgent. We will make the call.

Links: report maintenance · emergency maintenance, what counts and what doesn't · contact your local office

Short Answer: Emergencies are attended immediately. Everything else is prioritised by urgency and impact. You can track progress using the reference number from your maintenance request.

Answer:
Emergencies are attended immediately, at any hour.

Everything else is assessed and prioritised by how urgent it is and how much it affects your ability to live in the property. No heating in November is treated very differently from a loose cupboard door or no heating in May.

Once assigned, a contractor will contact you to arrange access. You can track progress using your reference number.

What speeds things up: clear photos when you report it, a description of what actually happens rather than just what is broken, and someone available to let a contractor in. If the house is empty during the day, say so and we will arrange something.

What slows things down: trying to report things in person rather than using the form, waiting to report several things at once, or nobody responding when the contractor makes contact.

If something has gone quiet, message us with the reference number and we will chase it.

Links: report maintenance · the ultimate student housing maintenance guide · WhatsApp us

Short Answer: Landlord handles the building and appliances. You handle lightbulbs, alarm batteries, blockages you cause, ventilation and the garden.

Answer:
The landlord is responsible for:

• The structure and exterior, including the roof, drains, gutters and external windows

• Installations for water, gas, electricity and sanitation, including basins, sinks, baths and toilets

• Space heating and water heating

• Any cooker, washing machine, tumble dryer, fridge, freezer or dishwasher they have provided

• Annual gas safety checks, five yearly electrical inspections, smoke alarms on each storey and carbon monoxide alarms where there is a combustion appliance

• Ensuring the property is fit for human habitation throughout your tenancy

You are responsible for:

• Lightbulbs and smoke alarm batteries. These are consumables. Test your alarms regularly.

• Ventilation, and removing blackness caused by condensation. See LH5.

• Keeping drains clear. No fat or oil down the sink, no hair left in plugholes, nothing but the obvious down the toilet.

• The garden, driveway, paths and hedges, including weeds, throughout the tenancy and not just at the end.

• Bins out on collection day and brought back in afterwards.

• Pest and vermin removal if an infestation starts during your tenancy, woodworm excepted.

• Reporting lost keys within 24 hours, and reporting all maintenance promptly.

• Flushing all taps and showers after the property has been empty for more than seven days, as a Legionella precaution.

If you report a repair that turns out to be on your list, the call-out is chargeable. If you are not sure whose job something is, report it anyway and ask. We would rather tell you than have you leave it.

Links: report maintenance · the ultimate student housing maintenance guide · winter maintenance tips · example tenancy agreement

Short Answer: Report it to us with photos. We will check whether it is condensation or genuine damp, because the fix is completely different. Meanwhile ventilate and move furniture off external walls.

Answer:
Report it at student-housing.co.uk/fix with photos. Do not leave it and do not just paint over it. We will assess whether it is condensation or genuine rising or penetrating damp, because they need completely different remedies.

Most mould in student houses is condensation, caused by warm moist air meeting a cold surface. Drying clothes indoors, showering, cooking and simply breathing all add moisture to a house. It is not a reflection on how clean you are.

What helps while we look at it:

• Open windows daily, even briefly in winter. Ten minutes with the heating off does more than an hour with it on.

• Keep internal doors open so air circulates

• Pull furniture a few inches away from external walls

• Do not dry washing on radiators. Use the airer near an open window if you have to.

• Hang wet towels up rather than leaving them in a pile

• Keep the heating at a steady 17 to 21°C rather than letting the house swing hot and cold. The swings are what cause condensation to form.

If it is genuine damp, we deal with it properly, which may mean damp course injection, re-pointing, tanking or re-plastering. Some of those need weeks of drying time before redecorating, which is exactly why reporting it in November is better than reporting it in May.

Links: report maintenance · beating damp and mould in your student house · how to use your heating efficiently

Short Answer: Around 20°C by day, 18°C overnight, 21°C maximum. Turning it up higher does not heat the house faster. A steady temperature also reduces condensation.

Answer:
Most properties have a gas boiler and radiators, controlled by a digital thermostat, a digital programmer, or an analogue dial.

The settings that save the most money: 20°C during the day when you are in, 18°C overnight, 21°C as a maximum.

Turning the thermostat to maximum does not heat the house any faster. It heats to the same speed and then overshoots, which wastes gas and eats your allowance. This is the single most common and most expensive misunderstanding about heating.

If you have a programmer, a sensible winter pattern is two hours in the morning, two in the middle of the day and three in the evening. During summer we would not use the heating at all.

Leaving for a week or more? Set it to around 7°C rather than switching it off entirely. That protects the pipes without heating an empty house.

Thermostatic radiator valves, the numbered dials on individual radiators, let you turn down rooms you are not using. Turning off the radiator in an unused bedroom is more effective than turning the whole house down.

Holding a steady 17 to 21°C also reduces condensation, which is the main cause of mould.

Your own electric or oil filled heaters are not permitted, for fire safety and insurance reasons. Electric fans are fine.

Full detail is in the Heating Controls and Energy Saving guide in your tenancy pack.

Links: tenant downloads · how to read your energy meters · report a heating problem · winter maintenance tips

Short Answer:
Some properties have parking, most streets need a permit. In Lincoln you can apply for up to two resident permits per house through City of Lincoln Council. Apply early, it takes up to 7 days.

Answer:
Some of our properties have a driveway, off street space or designated bay, with no permit needed. The listing says so.

Otherwise, in Lincoln, most central student areas including the West End, Sincil Bank and lower High Street are Resident Parking Zones, usually restricted 8am to 6pm Monday to Saturday. Parking without a permit during those hours risks a fine.

Applying for a permit: up to two resident permits per property, through City of Lincoln Council at lincoln.gov.uk/parking-permits. You will need proof of residence (your tenancy agreement works), your vehicle registration and a payment card. Permits are digital, tied to your address and registration, take up to 7 days to process, and go live from the 1st of the month. Apply early rather than the week you arrive.

More than two cars between you? Visitor scratch cards are available through the same portal and work well for friends and family. For a guaranteed space, Lincoln BIG sells monthly car park passes from around £77.85 at Broadgate, Langworthgate and Chaplin Street.

Campus parking at the University of Lincoln is available via a university permit for off peak times, or scratch cards for day parking. Contact their Estates department.

Nottingham works differently, with its own zones and rules. See our Nottingham parking guide.

Enforcement runs year round, including university holidays.

Links: student parking in Lincoln, a complete guide · student parking in Nottingham · City of Lincoln Council permits · Lincoln BIG car parks · properties with parking in Lincoln

Short Answer: You have a legal right to request one. We must respond in writing within 28 days and cannot unreasonably refuse. Fish are always fine, up to two in a tank, no permission needed.

Answer:
Under the Renters' Rights Act you have a statutory right to request a pet, and the landlord must respond in writing within 28 days and may not unreasonably refuse.

How it works:
Fish are always allowed. Up to two in a tank, no permission needed.

For anything else, complete the request form at student-housing.co.uk/pets. Include a photo, and the pet's name, age, breed, size and your care arrangements, plus vaccination records where relevant.

Maximum two pets per property, regardless of type or size.

All tenants in the house must sign the pet agreement, so talk to your housemates before you apply. Somebody's allergy or objection is a legitimate reason for a request to be refused.

There is no pet deposit. You are responsible for any damage your pet causes, and where bills are included we may pass on additional utility costs for things like heat lamps or tank filters.

Submit your request before you sign if you possibly can. It is far easier to find a property that works for your pet than to move one in later. Some of our properties are better suited than others, with gardens or ground floor access.

Keeping a pet without permission is a breach of tenancy, and permission granted is specific to the pet described, not a blanket allowance.

Links: pet policy and request form · pet request form PDF · pet friendly properties in Lincoln · dog friendly spots in Lincoln · why pet friendly student digs are worth it

Short Answer: Up to two consecutive nights, four nights a month. Beyond that you need written permission. You are responsible for your guests' behaviour.

Answer:
Occasional guests are fine and expected. Your tenancy allows a guest to stay up to two consecutive nights, and no more than four nights in total per calendar month, without prior written permission.

Longer or more frequent stays need our agreement in writing. Without it, the person is treated as an unauthorised occupier, which matters for three reasons: it affects the property's HMO licensing, it can affect your council tax position, and it uses the property's utility allowance, which everyone in the house pays for.

You are jointly responsible for your guests' behaviour, including any damage and any noise complaints.

A practical note on housemates. A partner staying most nights is one of the most common sources of house friction, and it is usually about the shared bill and the shared bathroom rather than the person. Have the conversation early rather than letting it build.

Links: can my boyfriend stay in my student accommodation · how to set boundaries without blowing up the group chat · contact your local office

Short Answer: Parcels go to your property. Anything that arrives at the office we won't hold for you and will be returned to sender.

Answer:
Deliveries go to your property address. If nobody is in, most couriers will leave it with a neighbour or in a safe place, or take it to a local collection point.

If you are ordering something valuable, use a collection point or a locker rather than risking a doorstep delivery in a shared house.

When you move out, set up a Royal Mail redirect about a week before you leave. It costs £36 for 12 months at royalmail.com/redirect. We cannot forward post indefinitely, and post left at a property becomes the next tenants' problem.

Links: Royal Mail redirection · contact your local office · WhatsApp us

Short Answer: Collection days vary by street. Check your council's website using your postcode. Bins must go out on collection day and come back in afterwards, that is a tenancy requirement.

Answer:
Collection days and which bin goes out when vary street by street. Check your council's website using your postcode:

• Lincoln — lincoln.gov.uk

• Nottingham — nottinghamcity.gov.uk

• Hull — hull.gov.uk

Most councils offer an email or calendar reminder, which is worth ten seconds of setup at the start of the year.

Your responsibilities: put bins out on collection day only, bring them back in afterwards, and use the correct containers. Councils charge for bins left out after collection day, and those charges are passed on to tenants, not absorbed by the landlord.

If the containers provided are not enough for the number of people in the house, your tenancy requires you to contact the council directly and request more. They will usually provide them.

Missed a collection or the bins are overflowing? Contact the council in the first instance. If there is a persistent problem with the bins themselves, report it to us.

At the end of your tenancy the bins must be empty. The council will not take a full bin after you have gone, and clearing it is charged at from £12 per bag.

Links: City of Lincoln Council · Nottingham City Council · Hull City Council · moving out guide

Short Answer: Report lost keys within 24 hours. During office hours come in, replacements are from £25. Out of hours a lockout call-out is £75 before midnight and £100 after.

Answer:
Report lost keys within 24 hours. That is a tenancy requirement and it matters for everyone's security in a shared house.

During office hours, come in and we will sort a replacement. Replacement keys are from £25 each. If the lock needs changing for security, that is from £85 per lock and is chargeable.

Out of hours, a lockout call-out is £75 before midnight and £100 after. Those charges reflect the real cost of getting someone out to you.

Before you call, try the obvious. Is a housemate in? Does anyone else have a spare? Have you checked the pockets of whatever you wore last night?

The cheapest insurance is giving a spare key to a housemate at the start of the year, or leaving one with someone you trust nearby. It costs nothing and saves £100 at three in the morning.

Do not change or add locks yourself. It is a breach of tenancy, and all keys have to be returned at the end.

Links: contact your local office · WhatsApp us · tenant downloads

Short Answer: Keys back by 10am on your last day. Your tenancy ends either two full months after you serve notice, or on the date given in a Ground 4A notice from your landlord.

Answer:
Your tenancy is periodic, so it ends one of two ways: two full months after you serve written notice, expiring on the last day of a rental period, or on the date specified in a Ground 4A notice from your landlord, which for student properties falls between 1 June and 30 September.

Whichever applies, all keys must be returned in person to the office by 10am on the last day of the tenancy.

You can hand them in any time before that. Most people drop them off a day or two early once they have finished cleaning, which is fine and often easier.

Office hours are extended in August and September to cover the busiest period.

A word on timing. Do not plan to clean the house on the final morning. The 10am deadline is real, you will be tired, and a rushed clean is the most reliable way to lose part of your deposit. Start two to three weeks out.

Links: moving out guide · moving out of your student house, how to avoid delays and charges · contact your local office

Short Answer: As clean as you found it. Remove everything, clean every room including the oven, weed the garden, empty the bins, return all keys. It was professionally cleaned before you moved in.

Answer:
Every property is professionally cleaned before a tenancy starts, and the standard going out is the same.

The five step exit:

1. Remove all your possessions. Everything. You cannot leave things behind even if you think the next tenants would want them. Clearance is charged from £12 per bag, and the council treats us as a business so we cannot use residential bins for it.

2. Clean every area fully. Including the oven.

3. Weed the garden, if you have one. Remove weeds from the garden, passage and front, sweep paths and patios, and remove any BBQs you brought.

4. Empty the wheelie bins. The council will not take them if they are full after you have gone.

5. Return all keys in person by 10am on your last day.

What you do not need to do in the garden: mow the grass, trim or remove trees, cut branches, dig or move soil, or fix fence panels. Those are the landlord's. We lend gardening tools free from the office, so pop in rather than buying a spade.

The places people forget every single year: walls, the washing machine detergent tray, behind and on top of furniture, windows, skirting boards, the extractor fan, under the beds, the mattress (we check both sides), and the cupboard under the stairs, which costs £75 or more to clear.

Typical charges we see: oven clean £120 or more, mouldy grout £35, hair in a plug £15, dirty extractor £20, limescale on taps £20, toilet not bleached £25, soap scum £35. Professional cleaners cost up to £30 an hour and that comes out of your deposit.

Use the tear-out checklist in the Moving Out Guide. It splits the job room by room so you can divide it fairly between housemates, with space to record who did what.

Take dated photos of every room once you have finished. It is the single best protection for your deposit.

Links: moving out guide · moving out without delays or charges · why gardening matters at the end of your tenancy · report anything broken

Short Answer: An inspection after you leave. We complete it 5 to 7 days after everyone moves out, comparing the property against your move-in inventory. You can book a free pre-checkout inspection first.

Answer:
After everyone has moved out and all keys are returned, we complete a check-out report, usually 5 to 7 days later. It compares the property against the inventory you were given at the start, and it is what any proposed deductions are based on.

Book a free pre-checkout inspection. You can ask your property manager to walk the property with you before handback, so you know exactly where you stand while you can still do something about it. It is free and almost nobody uses it, which is a shame because it is the easiest way to avoid a surprise.

We photograph everything, before and after. If there is ever a question about a deduction, that evidence is available to you on request, including maintenance photos from during your tenancy.

Take your own photos too. Belt and braces. Date them.

If something is broken, tell us before you go rather than hoping it is missed. A 30 second report at student-housing.co.uk/fix is far easier than arguing about it in August, and reporting damage honestly usually costs less than the alternative.

Links: report a problem before you go · moving out guide · how to negotiate your deposit return · contact your local office

Short Answer: Every tenant must request it first. Nothing is released until all of you have. Undisputed amounts are paid within 10 working days of deductions being agreed. Average is around 30 days.

Answer:
This is the part most people misunderstand, so here is the actual sequence.

1. The tenancy has ended and every tenant has moved out

2. All keys returned

3. Check-out report completed, 5 to 7 days after you leave

4. Every tenant requests repayment through MyDeposits. Nothing is released until all of you have done this, so it needs a group chat message.

5. The landlord responds with any proposed deductions, supported by evidence

6. You accept or dispute

7. Once agreed, the undisputed amount is released within 10 working days, then 5 to 10 working days to reach your bank

The clock starts when deductions are agreed, not when you move out. That is the bit that catches people. Average end to end is around 30 days. Houses left genuinely clean have landed in a week.

How to request it: log in at mydeposits.co.uk using the email address on your tenancy. Your deposit is already registered against it, so once you create an account it appears automatically. Click Request Repayment, confirm your bank details, and propose the amount, usually 100%.

Lost the login email? Call MyDeposits directly on 0330 321 9401. Make sure they have your current contact details and bank account before you leave.

Links: how to get your deposit back, step by step · MyDeposits · moving out guide

Short Answer: A deduction is only a request. You have the right to refuse and negotiate. If you cannot agree, MyDeposits runs free independent adjudication and most tenants get 100% back.

Answer:
Deductions are proposed by the landlord, not by us, and they must be supported with evidence. Common ones are cleaning, damage beyond fair wear and tear, missing items, rubbish left behind and rent arrears.

A proposed deduction is a request, not a decision. You have the right to refuse it and negotiate.

If you think something is unfair:

Ask for the evidence. You are entitled to see the check-out report, photographs and any invoices or quotes. We keep everything from across your tenancy, including maintenance photos, and we will supply whatever supports your case. If you think a cost is inflated, ask us for comparison quotes and we will provide them.

Submit your own evidence. Your check-out photos, proof of cleaning, and any emails showing you reported the damage earlier in the tenancy.

Be reasonable where something did happen. Offer a partial settlement reflecting the item's age and condition. If you damaged a carpet that was already five years old, offer a percentage of replacement value rather than the full amount. Reasonable offers are usually accepted.

Dispute it if you cannot agree. MyDeposits runs a free, evidence based adjudication service. An independent adjudicator reviews both sides and makes a binding decision. You do not have to attend anything or speak to anyone.

The vast majority of our tenants get 100% of their deposit back.

One thing to know in a shared house: where communal damage or cleaning cannot be attributed to one person, any tenant's deposit can be drawn on and the cost is usually shared equally between occupants. It is worth sorting the shared areas together rather than each doing your own room and assuming someone else has the kitchen.

Links: how to negotiate your deposit return · how to get your deposit back · MyDeposits dispute service · contact your local office

Short Answer: Meter readings, council, post, photos. Take final readings on the day, close your council tax account, set up a Royal Mail redirect, and photograph every room.

Answer:
The admin that is easy to forget and annoying to fix afterwards:

Take final meter readings on the day you leave, and photograph the dials. This settles any question about your utility allowance before it becomes an argument.

Set up a Royal Mail redirect, £36 for 12 months, about a week before you leave. Post left at the property becomes the next tenants' problem and yours to chase.

Take dated photos of every room once it is clean and empty.

Report anything broken before you go. Honest beats hopeful, and it is usually cheaper.

Book your free pre-checkout inspection if you want to know where you stand before checkout.

Update your address with your bank, your university, your GP and anywhere your deposit refund might need to reach you.

Moving into private rented next? Email us with your new landlord's details and we will provide a reference, free of charge. We are happy to vouch for tenants who looked after the place.

Links: moving out guide · Royal Mail redirection · report a problem · City of Lincoln Council · Nottingham City Council · Hull City Council

Short Answer: In person to your local office, by 10am on your last day. If we are closed, both offices have a key return point, or you can post them recorded delivery. Never leave keys in the house and never send them back with a housemate.

Answer:
Keys go back in person to your local office by 10am on the last day of your tenancy. You can drop them in any time before that, so there is no need to leave it to the last morning.

If we are closed on your last day, you have two options:

Use the key return point. The Lincoln office has a key return at the rear of the building. The Nottingham office has a key return letter box at the front. Both are secure and available outside opening hours.

Post them, recorded delivery. Send them to your local office. Recorded delivery matters, because without proof of postage you are relying on us receiving them, and until we do you are liable for replacement key and lock charges.

Whichever route you use, include a note with the keys showing:

• Your full name

• The property address you are leaving

• Your forwarding address, not your current one

That last point catches people out every year. The forwarding address is where we contact you after the tenancy, so putting the address you are leaving is no use to anybody.

Two things not to do:

Do not leave keys in the house. Not on the kitchen worktop, not through the letterbox of the property, not under a plant pot. The property is not secure until the keys are with us, and keys left inside are treated as not returned.

Do not send them back with a housemate. Each tenant returns their own keys. It is the same principle as collection, and it is how we know who has handed back what. If keys are missing at the end, we need to know whose.

Charges if keys are not returned: from £25 per key, and if the lock has to be changed for security, from £85 per lock. Keys that do not work are treated the same as missing keys.

Your deposit return cannot start until all tenants have returned all keys, so the person who forgets holds up the whole house.

Links: contact your local office · moving out guide · when will I get my deposit back · WhatsApp Lincoln · WhatsApp Nottingham

Short Answer:Three levels. Tenant Find at £259 + VAT per tenant, Tenant Let at £429 + VAT per tenant, and Fully Managed from 12.5% of rent + VAT. You can upgrade at any point.

Answer:
Three service levels, depending on how much you want to be involved.

Tenant Find, £259 + VAT per tenant. For hands-on landlords who manage their own properties. We handle the valuation, professional photography, marketing across the major property and student portals, accompanied viewings, tenant application processing, collecting deeds of guarantee and the tenancy agreement signing. You take it from there. Rent collection can be added for 5% + VAT.

Tenant Let, £429 + VAT per tenant. Everything in Tenant Find, plus the move-in. Professional inventory check-in, deposit collection and registration, first month's rent collection, and key exchange with tenants. Management hands back to you after the first month. Ongoing rent collection can be added for 5% + VAT.

Fully Managed, from 12.5% of rent + VAT. Everything in Tenant Let, plus ongoing management for the life of the tenancy. Rent collection, all maintenance, regular inspections, compliance monitoring, HMO compliance, end of tenancy management and deposit return handling, including representing you in any deposit dispute.

You can upgrade at any time. If you start on Tenant Find and decide you would rather not deal with a boiler in February, we can move you across.

Links: compare all services · Tenant Find · Tenant Let · Fully Managed · book a free valuation

Answer:
We publish our fees. Most agents do not, and we think that tells you something.

Included in Fully Managed at no extra cost: inventory at the start of every tenancy, a minimum of three formal property inspections every 12 months, check-out report at the end of each tenancy, deposit registration and dispute handling, the mandatory Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet served on every tenant, and arranging internet and TV licence where you want them (you pay the supplier, we charge nothing for arranging it).

Other Fees:
Statutory notice service (Section 13, Section 8, Ground 4A) = £118.80 inc VAT per notice
HMO licence application or renewal = £226.80 inc VAT, plus council fees
Certificate of Lawful Use application = £118.80 inc VAT, plus planning fees
Refurbishment management = Free up to £3,000 per 12 months, then 10% + VAT above that
Professional services outside scope = £46 per hour + VAT, in 30 minute increments
Tenant Find = £50 + VAT per tenant (Fully Managed)

hort Answer: We instruct, supervise and tell you before spending over £200. Statutory and safety work proceeds without prior approval regardless of cost, because compliance is not optional. We do not mark up contractor invoices and do not charge contractor commissions.

Answer:
Under Fully Managed, we instruct a competent tradesperson when work is needed and supervise it through to completion. We do not mark up contractor invoices and do not charge contractor commissions.

The £200 threshold. Where estimated cost exceeds £200, we tell you before the work is completed. Below that we get on with it, because chasing approval for a £60 tap costs everyone more than the tap.

The exception. Where works are required to meet statutory regulations or safety standards, we proceed without prior approval regardless of cost. Gas safety, electrical safety, fire safety and HMO licence conditions are not things to sit on while waiting for an email reply, and the liability for delay sits with you.

24/7 emergency response is included in Fully Managed, with a dedicated maintenance team.

A £200 credit is retained per property towards routine maintenance and foreseeable costs, so small jobs can be done without a payment request each time. Where planned works are scheduled we may retain more, and we will tell you.

Refurbishment is handled separately. We manage refurbishment works up to £3,000 in any 12 month period at no charge. Above that, management of the additional works is charged at 10% + VAT of the invoiced value above the threshold.

Monthly statements showing all receipts and expenditure are available through your Landlord Portal.

Links: Fully Managed · the ultimate maintenance guide · what is Awaab's Law · book a free valuation

Short Answer:
Twelve month minimum term, then twelve months' written notice. Or a fee equivalent to 12 months' management fees, with a minimum of £3,500 including VAT.

Answer:
Minimum term of 12 months from the commencement date.

After the minimum term, you can move management elsewhere by giving 12 months' written notice, or by paying a fee equivalent to 12 months' management fees, subject to a minimum of £3,500 including VAT.

If you serve 12 months' notice, we continue managing the property through the notice period but stop advertising it for further tenancies.

During the minimum term, terminating early triggers a fee equal to the management fees due for the remainder of the term, again subject to the £3,500 minimum.

Why the notice period is long. Student lettings run on an annual cycle, and tenancies are marketed and signed up to a year ahead. A tenancy we sign in February commences the following September, and our fee is earned across the tenancy we secured for you. The notice period reflects that cycle rather than a calendar month.

One thing to be aware of before signing. The management fee continues to apply to any tenant introduced to your property by us for as long as that tenant has a legal obligation to pay rent, whether or not the tenancy was arranged through us. If you are comparing agents, this is a term worth checking on both sides, because it is common in the sector and not always disclosed early.

We would encourage you to read the full agreement before signing and take independent advice if anything is unclear.

Links: compare all services · book a free valuation · 7 signs it's time to change letting agent

Short Answer: We handle the transfer. Check your current agent's notice period first, since that is what usually determines timing. We do the rest, including collecting keys, documents and deposit records.

Answer:
Most landlords who come to us are leaving someone else, so this is a well worn path.

Start with your current agreement. Check the notice period and whether there is an exit fee or a continuing commission on existing tenants. That is almost always what determines when you can move, not anything at our end. Send us the agreement and we will read it with you.

We handle the transfer. Collecting management keys, safety certificates, EPC, gas safety record, EICR, fire risk assessment, legionella assessment, HMO licence, inventory and deposit protection records from the outgoing agent.

Deposits. Existing deposits need transferring or re-protecting, and prescribed information re-serving. We deal with this, and it is worth getting right, because the penalty for an unprotected deposit is up to three times the deposit amount and it blocks possession.

What we need from you: two full sets of management keys plus a set for each tenant, your safety documentation, proof of title on request, and identity documents for anti-money laundering checks, which are a legal requirement before management can begin.

Mid-tenancy switches are normal. You do not have to wait for a void. Existing tenants carry on as they are, and we introduce ourselves and explain how maintenance reporting works.

Links: 7 signs it's time to change letting agent · why landlords are switching agents in Nottingham · what does a student letting agent actually do · book a free valuation

Short Answer: Lincoln and Nottingham are our core markets, with offices and local teams in both. We also manage properties in Hull, Loughborough and Derby.

Answer:
Lincoln is where we started in 2015 and where we manage the most properties, covering the University of Lincoln and Lincoln Bishop University. The office is on St Mark Street.

Nottingham opened in 2019, covering the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent, with a local team and office.

We also manage properties in Hull, Loughborough and Derby.

You deal with the team in your city. Not a central call centre and not an account manager three counties away. The people inspecting your property are the people you speak to about it.

If you are not sure whether we cover your property, call us. We would rather tell you plainly than take on something we cannot service properly.

Links: fully managed in Lincoln · fully managed in Nottingham · Hull · Loughborough · Derby · contact your local office

Short Answer: Major portals, student portals, social and our own site. Photography and floor plans included, plus our existing tenant database. Marketing is included in every service level.

Answer:
Marketing is included in all three service levels, not charged separately.

What we do:

Major property portals, including Rightmove and OnTheMarket.

Student-specific portals, which is where students actually look. This is the difference between a residential agent and a student agent, and it is why a general agent often takes longer to fill an HMO.

Our own website, which carries significant direct traffic in both Lincoln and Nottingham, plus our existing database of registered students looking for rooms.

Social media. We run active Instagram and TikTok accounts aimed at students in our cities. A room video that performs does more in a day than a portal listing does in a week.

University accommodation offices and housing fairs. We attend the University of Lincoln housing fair and are SU accredited.

Accompanied viewings, conducted by our team, not by you and not by a lockbox.

Links: compare all services · why landlords should invest in professional photography · why landlords should use social media to let student houses · book a free valuation

Short Answer: Every tenant is manually referenced and every tenant needs a guarantor. Guarantors must meet 3.5x annual rent in income or 5x in savings, and must be UK-based.

Answer:
Every tenant requires a guarantor. No exceptions, for students and working professionals alike.

Guarantor criteria: gross income of at least 3.5 times the annual rent, or savings of at least 5 times the annual rent held for three months or more. Guarantors must live in the UK or hold the legal right to live here. We do not accept overseas guarantors.

Evidence required: three months of bank statements, payslips, an SA302, or dividend statements depending on income type. We check it rather than take it on trust.

Where a tenant has no personal guarantor, we accept two approved company guarantor services, Housing Hand and Rent Guarantor. Both assess the applicant themselves and stand behind the rent. This matters commercially: it means an international student with no UK connections is still a lettable tenant rather than a declined application, which widens your pool considerably in cities with the international numbers Lincoln and Nottingham have.

Right to Rent checks are completed in person at key collection, with original documents, in line with the Home Office Code of Practice.

We also collect a signed Deed of Guarantee from every guarantor before the tenancy commences, and the agreement allows the landlord to terminate before commencement if a suitable guarantor is not supplied.

Links: guarantor requirements explained · international students and UK visas, a landlord's guide · compare all services ·

Short Answer:
We provide a free valuation and you agree it. Since the Renters' Rights Act, a fixed asking price must be advertised and we cannot accept offers above it, so setting the right figure first time matters more than it used to.

Answer:
We provide a free rental valuation before you commit to anything, based on the property, its condition, its location relative to campus, room sizes and current demand in that specific street.

You agree the figure. Our agreement asks you to accept our valuation, and any instruction to advertise at a different rent needs to be in writing. We would rather you overruled us on the record than we quietly advertised at a number neither of us believed in.

What changed under the Renters' Rights Act. Rental bidding is now prohibited. A fixed asking price must be listed on every advertisement, and we cannot invite, encourage or accept any offer above it. That is a real shift for student lettings, where pricing keenly and letting competition do the work was a normal tactic.

The practical consequence: the asking price is now a ceiling, not a starting point. Pricing slightly low no longer gets bid up. It just lets low. Pricing too high in a market where students compare fifteen listings in an evening means you sit empty into August while houses fifty pounds cheaper fill.

What moves the number in our experience: ensuite provision, the number of bathrooms relative to bedrooms, room sizes, off-street parking, and whether bills are included. The bills-inclusive premium is real, and it also makes your listing directly comparable to the PBSA blocks students are weighing you against.

Rent increases during a tenancy are now once per 12 months only, never in the first 12 months, and only via a statutory Section 13 notice on Form 4A with two months' notice. Tenants can challenge at the First-tier Tribunal. We serve these on your behalf when instructed, at £118.80 including VAT per notice.

Links: book a free valuation · how much does student accommodation in Lincoln cost · why Nottingham landlords should embrace bills included · the Lincoln student HMO market · Nottingham HMO market trends

Short Answer: Marketing starts in the autumn for the following September. Most groups view and sign between November and Feburary, with a reliable second wave in July and August around results and clearing.

Answer:
Student lettings run on an annual cycle that starts far earlier than residential lettings.

Autumn. Marketing begins for the following academic year. Current tenants are asked about renewing, usually around January, and many stay put.

November to Feburary. The peak. Most groups view and commit in this window, and larger houses for four or more go first. If a property is going to let easily, it lets here.

April to June. Steadier. Smaller houses, apartments and individual rooms continue moving.

July and August. The second wave, driven by results day, clearing, changes of plan and groups that fell apart. This is genuinely reliable, and a room still empty in June is not the problem it looks like. We wrote about this specifically because landlords panic in June and drop their rent unnecessarily.

One thing the Renters' Rights Act has changed. Tenancies are now periodic with no fixed end date, and possession at the end of the academic cycle runs through Ground 4A, which needs at least four months' notice expiring between 1 June and 30 September. That notice has to be administered correctly and on time, or the cycle breaks. Under Fully Managed we handle it. If you self-manage, it is the single most important date in your year.

Links: the 2026/27 timeline, when students actually book · still got rooms left, the late summer rush is coming · why HMO rooms are taking longer to let, a five year look · the new letting calendar under the RRA

hort Answer: We keep marketing, and there is no let, no fee on Tenant Find and Tenant Let. During voids we manage the property but visit no more than quarterly unless you ask or a risk is identified.

Answer:
On Tenant Find and Tenant Let, you pay per tenant introduced and signed up. No tenant, no fee. The commercial risk of a slow let sits with us, not you.

On Fully Managed, the fee is a percentage of funds received, so an empty room earns us nothing either. Our interest and yours point the same way.

What we do when a room is not moving: review the photography and listing copy, push it harder on social, re-examine the asking rent against what is actually letting nearby, and consider whether the room is better let individually to a single student than held for a full group. Individual room lets fill differently, and a house that will not go as a six can often go as five plus one.

Do not panic-drop the rent in June. The July and August wave is real and reliable, and dropping early costs you for the whole year rather than for the void weeks. We have written about this in detail because we watch landlords do it every summer.

During a void period, we continue to manage the property but will not visit more than once a month unless you ask or a specific risk is identified. Additional void inspections, mail forwarding, overseeing access or security checks can be arranged at a charge agreed in writing.

What sits with you during a void: keeping the property adequately secured and insured, and keeping utilities active enough to prevent damage, including frost protection. Tell your insurer about any void over 30 days, because most buildings policies impose conditions beyond that and a burst pipe in an unnotified empty property is exactly the claim that gets refused.

Links: still got rooms left, don't panic · still got rooms to let in Lincoln, why you shouldn't panic · why rooms are taking longer to let · individual rooms · compare all services

Short Answer: We collect rent, deduct our fee and agreed costs, and remit to your verified bank account. Monthly statements showing all receipts and expenditure are available through your Landlord Portal.

Answer:
Under Fully Managed we collect all rent and any other sums due from tenants, including recharges and dilapidation charges.

Statements. We prepare a statement of account at the end of each month showing all receipts and expenditure on your property, available through your Landlord Portal. You can see what came in, what went out and why, without asking.

Payment. Rent is remitted to the bank account verified at the point of signing, net of our fee and any agreed deductions. Account details are verified through our payment provider, and you need to tell us in writing if they change.

Retained funds. We hold £200 of credit per property towards routine maintenance and foreseeable costs, so small jobs can proceed without a payment request each time. Where planned works are scheduled we may retain more, and we will tell you when we do.

Arrears. If any rent or other sum is outstanding for 31 days, we notify you, by email, phone or through the portal.

If a tenant stops paying, we are authorised to instruct our solicitors, Bridge McFarland LLP, on your behalf to recover funds owed. Because student tenancies are joint and several, all tenants are liable for the full rent, and a guarantor stands behind each tenant's suggested share, so there is more than one route to recovery.

Rent collection is also available on Tenant Find and Tenant Let at 5% + VAT if you want that part handled without full management.

Links: compare all services · Fully Managed · the landlord dashboard · contact us

Short Answer: A minimum of three formal inspections every 12 months, plus an inventory at the start of each tenancy and a check-out report at the end. All included at no extra cost under Fully Managed.

Answer:
Under Fully Managed you get, at no additional cost:

• An inventory at the commencement of every tenancy

• A minimum of three formal property inspections in any 12 month period

• A check-out report at the end of every tenancy

Inspections are visual and photographic, with dated evidence of condition. We look for maintenance issues before they become expensive, check compliance, and record anything that might matter at deposit stage.

Why three matters. A property inspected once a year gets its problems found in July. A small leak, a blocked gutter or early condensation found in November costs a fraction of what it costs in summer, and the photographic record from mid-tenancy is usually what wins a deposit adjudication.

What they are not. Visual inspections, not structural surveys. Only readily apparent defects are reported, and we cannot accept liability for issues not visible on a walk-through. If you want a higher standard of documentation, you are free to instruct an independent inventory clerk at your own cost at any time.

During voids we visit at least quarterly, more if you ask or a specific risk is identified.

Links: Fully Managed · the ultimate maintenance guide · winter maintenance tips · compare all services

Short Answer:We hold deposits as stakeholder and protect them with MyDeposits within 30 days. At check-out we negotiate deductions on your behalf, but you must respond to proposals within 5 working days.

Answer:
We collect and hold the deposit as stakeholder and protect it with MyDeposits (membership M00476355) within 30 days of receipt, serving the prescribed information in the same window.

Why the 30 days matters to you. Failure to protect a deposit or serve prescribed information on time can result in a court order to repay the deposit in full plus a penalty of up to three times the deposit amount, and it blocks your ability to obtain possession. This is one of the most expensive and most avoidable mistakes in the sector.

At the end of the tenancy we conduct or facilitate the check-out inspection and negotiate any proposed deductions with the outgoing tenants, in line with the MyDeposits process.

You must respond to deduction proposals within 5 working days. This is in the agreement and it is not us being officious. Statutory deadlines apply, and where a landlord does not respond in time we have to return the deposit in full to the tenant in order to stay compliant. A slow reply costs you the deduction.

In a dispute, the matter goes to MyDeposits adjudication. We support your case with the evidence in our possession, including inventory, inspection reports and photographs from across the tenancy. The adjudicator's decision is final and binding, and no agent can guarantee the outcome.

A realistic note. Most tenants get most of their deposit back, and adjudicators are evidence-led. Deductions supported by a dated inventory, mid-tenancy inspection photos and an invoice tend to succeed. Deductions based on an impression of how the house looked tend not to.

Links: Fully Managed · student deposits, what you can really deduct · MyDeposits · contact us

Short Answer: Monthly statements, receipts and expenditure, maintenance activity and your account balance. It is also where you monitor your credit balance, which matters if a payment is due.

Answer:
Every managed landlord gets access to the Landlord Portal, where you can see:

• Monthly statements of account, showing all receipts and expenditure

• Maintenance activity on your property

• Your account balance and credit position

• Arrears notifications, where a sum has been outstanding 31 days

One thing to keep an eye on. You are responsible for monitoring your account balance and keeping enough credit to meet liabilities as they fall due. Where your account is in arrears and we have to use our own capital to pay a contractor, utility bill or licence fee on your behalf, a capital deployment fee of 10% + VAT applies on the value funded. It is avoidable simply by keeping the account in credit, and we notify you whenever it is charged.

Links: discover our landlord dashboard · BRIC, the cloud-based dashboard · cloud lettings · Fully Managed

Short Answer Check-out report, deposit negotiation, cleaning and re-let. End of tenancy cleaning.

Answer:
Under Fully Managed, the end of tenancy is handled end to end.

Keys and check-out. All tenants return keys in person. We complete the check-out report 2 to 4 days after they leave, comparing the property against the inventory with photographic evidence.

Deposit. We negotiate any deductions with outgoing tenants and handle the release.

Re-let. In most cases the property is already let for the following year well before the outgoing tenants leave, because student lettings run a year ahead. The turnaround window between tenancies is short, which is why refurbishment work needs scheduling early.

Possession under Ground 4A. Where the property is a student HMO, Ground 4A allows possession at the end of the academic cycle on at least four months' notice expiring between 1 June and 30 September. We administer this on your behalf, charged at £118.80 including VAT per notice served.

One important limit. Ground 4A does not apply to non-HMO student properties, including studios and one or two bedroom properties let to students. Those fall under the standard periodic regime with no student possession ground. If you own that type of property, take independent legal advice on regaining possession between academic cycles, because the position is materially different and it is not widely understood yet.

Links: Ground 4A explained · student deposits, what you can really deduct · Fully Managed · contact us

Short Answer:We canmanage refurbishment up to £3,000 in any 12 months at no charge, then 10% + VAT on the value above that. You pay for the works directly and we agree a schedule with you.

Answer:
Major works are paid for directly by you, completed to an agreed schedule, and we manage the process.

The charging structure: refurbishment works up to £3,000 in any 12 month period are managed at no charge. Above that threshold, management of the additional works is charged at 10% + VAT of the invoiced value above £3,000.

Routine maintenance is separate and handled differently. We instruct a tradesperson when work is needed and tell you before spending over £200, except where the work is required to meet statutory or safety standards, in which case it proceeds regardless of cost.

Timing is everything in student property. The turnaround between tenancies is short and August is the busiest month of the year for every trade in the city. Work scheduled in April happens. Work decided in July does not, or costs more.

If you are refurbishing before instructing us, send us the schedule of works, floor plans, and any mood board or specification. We can advertise accurately from plans rather than waiting for completion, which matters when the peak letting window is January to March and the works finish in June.

What we would spend money on, based on what actually lets: bathroom provision relative to bedroom count, room sizes and storage, kitchen quality, and anything that improves the EPC rating. That last one has a double benefit, since the utility allowance is set by EPC band and a more efficient property costs you less to run under a bills-inclusive let.

Links: level up your student let · designing for demand, future-proofing your HMO · rethinking the student HMO, what tenants really want · what furniture to include · understanding EPC ratings

Short Answer: Fixed terms and Section 21 are gone. All tenancies are periodic, rent rises once a year via Section 13 only, rental bidding is banned, and you cannot take more than one month's rent in advance.

Answer:
The Renters' Rights Act 2025 came into force on 1 May 2026. The headline changes:

Fixed-term tenancies are abolished. Every assured shorthold tenancy converted automatically to an assured periodic tenancy on 1 May 2026, and all new tenancies are periodic. There is no end date. If your agreement has one, it no longer applies.

Section 21 is abolished. No-fault eviction is gone. Possession now requires a specific statutory ground and a correctly served Section 8 notice.

Rent increases are once per 12 months, never in the first 12 months, and only via a statutory Section 13 notice on Form 4A with two months' notice. Tenants can challenge at the First-tier Tribunal. Contractual rent review clauses have been unenforceable since 1 May 2026.

Rental bidding is prohibited. A fixed asking price must be advertised, and you cannot invite, encourage or accept any offer above it.

Rent in advance is capped. You cannot require or accept rent before the agreement is signed, or more than one calendar month's rent at any time thereafter.

Tenants can give two months' notice and leave at any point after the tenancy starts.

The Information Sheet is mandatory. Every tenant must receive the government-produced Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet. Failure to serve it can attract a fine of up to £7,000. We serve this on your behalf for managed properties, included in the management fee.

Pets. Tenants have a statutory right to request one. You must respond in writing within 28 days and cannot unreasonably refuse.

Links: the Renters' Rights Act, what we actually think · your questions answered · the end of fixed terms · Section 21 is gone · what hasn't changed

Short Answer: Ground 4A, with at least four months' notice expiring between 1 June and 30 September. It only applies to student HMOs, and only if you gave written notice before the tenancy was signed.

Answer:
Ground 4A is the student possession ground introduced by the Renters' Rights Act. It allows possession at the end of the academic cycle so a property can be re-let to the next cohort.

The requirements:

• At least four months' notice

• The end date must fall between 1 June and 30 September

• Written notice must have been given to the tenants before the tenancy agreement was signed, confirming you intend to let to students and intend to recover possession at the end of the academic year

• For tenancies already running on 1 May 2026, that written statement had to be served by 31 May 2026

If that prior written statement was not served, your ability to rely on Ground 4A may be affected. This is the detail that catches self-managing landlords out, because the notice has to exist before the tenancy, not when you want possession.

The limitation nobody is talking about. Ground 4A does not apply to non-HMO student properties. That includes studios and one or two bedroom properties let to students. Those fall under the standard periodic regime with no specialist student possession ground at all.

If you own that kind of property, you currently have no reliable route to recover it between academic cycles, and you should take independent legal advice on your position. It is a genuine gap in the legislation rather than an oversight on your part, and it materially affects how those properties should be let.

We administer Ground 4A notices for managed properties, charged at £118.80 including VAT per notice.

Links: Ground 4A explained · joint tenancies, one tenant leaves and the whole tenancy ends · the new letting calendar · contact us

Short Answer: Gas safety, EICR, EPC, fire risk assessment, legionella assessment, HMO licence and certificate of lawful use. We need copies before management starts and will arrange renewals by default.

Gas Safety Record (where applicable)Annually, by a Gas Safe engineer
Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) Every 5 years
Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)Every 10 years
Fire Risk Assessment Reviewed regularly
Legionella Risk Assessment Reviewed regularly
HMO Licence (where applicable)Per local authority term
Certificate of Lawful Use or lawful use class confirmation

Also required: smoke alarms on every storey, a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a fixed combustion appliance, and furniture meeting the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations.

If a certificate expires, you authorise us to obtain renewal copies at reasonable cost. If you have not provided a required document, we will obtain it at your cost. We would rather arrange a gas safety check than have an unlettable or unlawful property.

Where we do not conduct Right to Rent checks, for instance where you introduce your own tenant, you must carry out those checks yourself and confirm in writing that they have been completed.

Coming: the PRS Database. A mandatory national Private Rented Sector Database is expected in late 2026 or early 2027. Every landlord and every rental property will need to be registered. Failure to register may attract fines of up to £40,000, and courts may refuse possession orders for unregistered properties. We will notify managed landlords when registration opens.

Links: understanding EPC ratings and upcoming changes · fire doors in a 4-bed HMO, are they legally required · top 5 tips for meeting 2025 accommodation standards · contact us

Short Answer: Usually yes for five or more tenants from two or more households. Additional licensing schemes can bring that down to three. We can apply or renew for £226.80 including VAT plus council fees.

Answer:
Mandatory HMO licensing applies to properties occupied by five or more people from two or more households sharing facilities. That covers most student houses of five bedrooms and above.

Additional licensing schemes operated by individual councils can extend that to smaller properties, often three or four occupants, in designated areas. Lincoln and Nottingham both have designated student areas where additional requirements apply, and the position changes, so check your specific address rather than assuming.

What licensing controls: minimum room sizes, amenity standards such as bathroom and kitchen provision relative to occupancy, fire safety including doors and detection, and management standards.

We can handle the application or renewal for £226.80 including VAT, plus whatever the local authority charges. You remain responsible for the licence itself and for renewing on expiry.

If the council requires works after an HMO inspection, you agree to let us complete them within the timeframe the council sets. Missing a council deadline is how a routine inspection becomes an enforcement matter.

Thinking of converting a property to an HMO? Check Article 4 first, because in both Lincoln and Nottingham it may mean planning permission is required for something that would otherwise be permitted development. See CL5.

Links: can I convert my property into a student HMO in Lincoln · in Nottingham · in Hull · Article 4 directions vs HMO licences · HMO property management

Short Answer: It removes permitted development rights to convert a home to a small HMO. Both Lincoln and Nottingham have Article 4 areas, so you may need planning permission where you otherwise would not.

Answer:
Normally, converting a family home (use class C3) into a small HMO for three to six people (C4) is permitted development and needs no planning application.

An Article 4 Direction removes that right in a designated area, meaning you need full planning permission for a conversion that would elsewhere be automatic.

Both Lincoln and Nottingham operate Article 4 directions covering their main student areas, which is precisely where you would want to buy. Councils use them to manage the concentration of HMOs in particular streets, and applications in areas already above a threshold percentage of HMOs are frequently refused.

Article 4 and HMO licensing are different things and they catch people out because both involve the council and both concern HMOs. Article 4 is planning: can this property lawfully be an HMO. Licensing is housing standards: is this HMO fit to be occupied and properly managed. You can need both, one, or neither.

Before you buy a property intending to convert it, check the Article 4 position for that specific address. It is the single most consequential piece of due diligence in student property investment, and a refused application can leave you holding a house that does not work as either an investment or a home.

If you need a Certificate of Lawful Use to establish existing HMO use, we can apply for £118.80 including VAT plus planning authority fees.

Links: Article 4 directions vs HMO licences · Article 4 in Lincoln, what private landlords need to know · Article 4 and licensing in Nottingham · can I convert to an HMO in Lincoln

Short Answer: You must keep the property fit for human habitation throughout the tenancy. Awaab's Law introduces fixed timescales for responding to damp, mould and other hazards.

Answer:
Your statutory obligations under sections 9A and 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985:

• The property must be fit for human habitation at the start and throughout the tenancy

• You must keep in repair the structure and exterior, including drains, gutters and external windows

• You must keep in repair and working order the installations for water, gas, electricity and sanitation, and for space and water heating

The obligation bites once you are made aware of a defect, which is why prompt reporting and a documented maintenance trail matter.

Awaab's Law introduces fixed statutory timescales for investigating and remedying damp, mould and other prescribed hazards, following the death of Awaab Ishak. Where a hazard is reported, you must investigate and act within defined periods rather than at your own pace.

Why this matters more in student property than most landlords assume. Student houses are high-occupancy, often older, and generate significant moisture. Damp and mould reports peak in the same months as everything else. The combination of statutory timescales and a written tenant report creates a documented clock, and a "we'll look at it in the summer" response is no longer a viable position.

Under Fully Managed we log every report with photographs and dates, triage it, and instruct contractors. Where works are needed to meet statutory standards we proceed without seeking prior approval regardless of cost, precisely because the timescales do not allow for an approval round trip.

Links: what is Awaab's Law · beating damp and mould in your student house · the ultimate maintenance guide · Fully Managed

Short Answer:
Statutory responsibility stays with you as landlord. We carry it out on your behalf and hold Client Money Protection and redress scheme membership, but we cannot assume your legal liability.

Answer:
Worth being clear about, because it is not what most agents lead with.

Statutory responsibility sits with you. Right to Rent, deposit protection, gas and electrical safety, HMO licensing and fitness for habitation are landlord obligations in law. We are instructed to discharge them on your behalf and we do, but the legal duty does not transfer.

Where we carry the risk:

• Client Money Protection through Safeagent (accreditation A8333). All client monies are held in a dedicated client account, separate from our own.

• Property Redress Scheme membership (PRS055586), so you have independent recourse if a complaint cannot be resolved with us directly.

• AML supervision by HMRC as a supervised letting agent.

• Professional conduct in carrying out the work you have instructed.

Where we do not: losses caused by a tenant, contractor or third party; the outcome of a deposit adjudication; penalties arising where you have not given us information or documents in time; and matters not apparent from a visual inspection.

Our complaints process: in writing to management@student-housing.co.uk, acknowledged within 3 working days, full written response within 15 working days. If unresolved, you can escalate to the Property Redress Scheme.

If you are non-resident for UK tax purposes, tell us. We are required under the Non-Resident Landlords Scheme to deduct basic rate income tax before remitting rent unless HMRC has approved you to receive it gross.

Links: Property Redress Scheme · compare all services · what hasn't changed and why good management still wins · contact us

Short Answer:The market has changed rather than declined. Yields on student HMOs remain strong relative to standard buy-to-let, but the regulatory burden is higher and rooms take longer to let than they did five years ago.

Answer:
An honest answer rather than a sales one.

What is working. Student HMOs typically produce higher gross yields than single-let residential in the same streets, because you are letting per room rather than per property. Demand in Lincoln and Nottingham is underpinned by five universities between them, and the University of Lincoln has been growing. Bills-inclusive lets command a premium and make you directly comparable to the PBSA blocks students are weighing you against.

What has got harder. Rooms take longer to let than they did five years ago, and the peak window has lengthened rather than intensified. Article 4 restricts where you can create new HMOs in both cities. Licensing, safety and now Renters' Rights Act compliance all add cost and admin. Section 21 is gone and possession runs through Ground 4A, which does not cover every property type.

What has changed rather than declined. Students are more discerning. Ensuite provision, bathroom ratios, decent kitchens and reliable wifi now decide whether a house lets at all, not just what it lets for. The properties struggling are the ones that would have let easily in 2018 on location alone.

Our view, for what it is worth as an agent with an obvious interest: this is a market that rewards quality and active management more than it used to, and punishes tired stock more than it used to. That is a change in who does well, not a change in whether anyone does.

This is general market commentary, not investment advice. Talk to your own financial and tax advisers before buying.

Links: student lettings in 2025, why the market has changed not declined · why landlords should still invest in student housing in Lincoln · why Lincoln's student lettings market outshines residential · student HMOs, why the next two years present an opportunity

Short Answer:
Lincoln: the West End, Sincil Bank and Monks Road. Nottingham: Lenton, Dunkirk and Beeston. Check the Article 4 position for the specific address before you offer.

Answer:
Lincoln. The West End is the established student area and the closest to the University of Lincoln's Brayford Pool campus, with the strongest and most consistent demand. Sincil Bank and Monks Road offer better entry prices and still let well. Longdales Road and the north of the city serve Lincoln Bishop University, which is a smaller but real market with less competition.

Nottingham. Lenton and Dunkirk are the core University of Nottingham areas. Beeston is further out, better value, and increasingly popular. The city centre around Lister Gate serves Nottingham Trent and the apartment end of the market. Radford is cheaper and more mixed, and worth understanding properly before buying.

Three things to check before you offer:

Article 4. In both cities the best student areas are exactly where Article 4 directions apply, so a conversion may need planning permission that can be refused. This is the one that turns a good deal into a bad one.

HMO saturation. Councils frequently refuse applications in streets already above a threshold percentage of HMOs. Ask the question street by street, not area by area.

Walking distance to campus, honestly measured. Students filter hard on it, and the difference between 12 minutes and 25 minutes shows up in your void period every single year.

What actually lets: bathroom provision relative to bedroom count, room sizes, kitchen quality, and any off-street parking. Ensuite rooms let faster and at a premium, particularly in Lincoln.

Happy to talk through a specific address before you buy, including what it would realistically achieve. We would rather tell you a property is wrong than manage it badly for you afterwards.

Links: Article 4 in Lincoln · Article 4 and licensing in Nottingham · inside Lincoln's West End · inside Lenton · best areas for student housing in Nottingham · Lincoln student areas · Nottingham student areas

Short Answer:
Sometimes, and Article 4 is the deciding factor. In Lincoln and Nottingham's student areas you will usually need full planning permission, which can be and often is refused.

Answer:
Converting a family home (use class C3) to a small HMO for three to six people (C4) is normally permitted development. In an Article 4 area it is not, and you need full planning permission.

Both Lincoln and Nottingham have Article 4 directions covering their student areas. Applications in streets already above a threshold concentration of HMOs are frequently refused, and the threshold varies by council and by street.

The sequence that avoids expensive mistakes:

1. Check Article 4 for the specific address, before you offer. Not the area, the address.

2. Check HMO saturation on that street with the council.

3. Check whether planning is realistically achievable, rather than theoretically available.

4. Only then look at licensing requirements, room sizes and amenity standards.

5. Then cost the works.

Doing this in the wrong order is how people end up owning a three-bed terrace they cannot let as a six.

If the property is already in lawful HMO use, you may need a Certificate of Lawful Use to establish it. We can apply on your behalf for £118.80 including VAT plus planning fees.

Conversion standards to build to: minimum room sizes under licensing, bathroom and kitchen provision relative to occupancy, fire doors and detection, and escape routes. Building to the standard rather than the minimum is usually the better commercial decision, because the minimum lets slowest.

Links: can I convert my property into a student HMO in Lincoln · in Nottingham · in Hull · Article 4 vs HMO licences · fire doors in a 4-bed HMO · HMO property management

Short Answer:
Demand is underpinned by five universities and record UCAS acceptances. The main pressures are Article 4 limiting new supply, PBSA competition, and the operational cost of new regulation.

Answer:
What supports demand. Lincoln has two universities, Nottingham has two, Hull has one, and UCAS acceptances hit record levels in 2025. The University of Lincoln has been growing, which directly affects the size of the private rented pool in the city. International student numbers remain significant in both cities and those students overwhelmingly rent privately in years two and three.

What constrains supply. Article 4 in both cities limits new HMO creation in exactly the areas students want. That protects existing stock values, and it is one of the more overlooked arguments for buying a property already in lawful HMO use rather than converting one.

What creates pressure. Purpose-built student accommodation continues to expand and competes hardest at the premium end. Regulation has added real operational cost: licensing, safety compliance, Renters' Rights Act administration, and the PRS Database when it arrives in late 2026 or early 2027. And students compare fifteen listings on a phone in an evening, so tired stock now sits empty rather than letting late at a discount.

What we expect to matter most over the next few years. Property quality separating winners from losers more sharply than location alone. Bills-inclusive becoming the expectation rather than a differentiator. And the possession position for non-HMO student properties needing resolution, because Ground 4A does not cover studios or one and two bed lets and that gap is not widely understood yet.

Our honest read: this is a market where a well-specified, well-managed HMO in the right street does well, and a tired six-bed with one bathroom increasingly does not. That gap is widening.

General market commentary, not investment advice. Speak to your own advisers.

Links: the Lincoln student HMO market 2025 to 2027 · Nottingham student HMO market report · the University of Lincoln is growing, what that means for landlords · A level results and student housing demand · student housing market trends 2025 · rethinking the student HMO, what tenants really want

Short Answer: No. We verify income or savings using documents you provide. We do not run a credit check and there is no footprint on your credit file.

Answer:
No. We do not credit check guarantors.

We verify that you meet one of two financial thresholds using documents you provide directly:

Income route. Gross income of at least 3.5 times the annual rent, evidenced by payslips, an SA302, dividend statements or bank statements.

Savings route. At least 5 times the annual rent, held continuously for three months or more, evidenced by bank statements.

That is the whole assessment. No credit search, no footprint on your credit file, and no effect on your credit score or any mortgage or borrowing application you have running.

It also means we do not see your credit history, existing borrowing or anything beyond the income or savings you choose to evidence.

What we do need is for the evidence to be current and to clearly show the figures. The most common hold-up is a bank statement that has been cropped or has the balance obscured, not anything to do with the amount itself.

If you would rather not share bank statements, payslips or an SA302 are usually sufficient on the income route.

Links: guarantor requirements explained · guarantor form · deed of guarantee

Short Answer:
Online at student-housing.co.uk/parents/guarantor-form. It takes about ten minutes. You will need your income or savings evidence ready to upload, and a downloadable PDF version is available if you prefer.

Answer:
Complete it online at student-housing.co.uk/parents/guarantor-form. It takes around ten minutes.

Before you start, have ready:

• Your income or savings evidence, as digital files or photos. Three months of bank statements, recent payslips, an SA302 or dividend statements, depending on which route you are using.

• Your child's full name and the property address they are applying for.

• Your own contact details and address.

If you would rather do it on paper, a downloadable PDF version is on our tenant downloads page. Complete it, sign it and return it to us.

A few practical points:

Make sure the figures are visible. The most common delay is a statement that has been cropped, or where the balance or income figure is obscured. A clear photo of the whole page is fine.

You will also sign the Deed of Guarantee, which is the legal document setting out what you are agreeing to. Read it before you sign. It is published in full on our site along with the guarantor terms and conditions.

If you are guaranteeing more than one tenant, say so, because the financial thresholds apply to the combined rent of everyone you are covering rather than to each separately.

Nothing is finalised until every applicant and every guarantor is approved, so the sooner it is done, the sooner the group knows the property is theirs.

Links: complete the guarantor form online · downloadable guarantor form · deed of guarantee · guarantor terms and conditions · guarantor requirements explained

Short Answer: Every managed property holds a gas safety record, EICR, fire risk assessment and legionella assessment. Ask us for copies for any property, before or after signing.

Answer:
Rather than reassurance, here is what actually has to be in place and what you can ask to see.

Every managed property holds:

• Gas Safety Record, renewed annually by a Gas Safe registered engineer, with a copy provided to tenants within 28 days of each check

• Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR), renewed every five years, with a copy provided to tenants

• Fire Risk Assessment

• Legionella Risk Assessment

• Energy Performance Certificate, provided to tenants seven days before the tenancy starts

• HMO Licence where required, which sets minimum room sizes, bathroom and kitchen provision, and fire safety standards

• Smoke alarms on every storey, and a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a fixed combustion appliance

• Furniture meeting fire safety regulations

Ongoing. Managed properties get a minimum of three formal inspections every 12 months, with photographic records. Maintenance is reported through student-housing.co.uk/fix with a tracked reference number, and there is 24/7 emergency cover.

You can ask for copies of any of these, for a property your child is considering or already living in. If an agent will not show you a gas safety record, that tells you something.

One thing to check yourself: whether the property needs an HMO licence and holds one. Five or more tenants from two or more households usually requires one, and some councils licence smaller properties too.

Links: report maintenance · is my child's accommodation safe, a parent's guide for Lincoln · and for Nottingham · how to spot a good student letting agent · contact us

Short Answer: We let in established student areas with high student populations. We are happy to talk through a specific street, and would rather be straight with you than reassuring.

Answer:
We let in the established student areas of each city: the West End, Sincil Bank, Monks Road and the city centre in Lincoln, and Lenton, Dunkirk, Beeston and the city centre in Nottingham. These are areas with large student populations, good transport links and the amenities students actually use.

What we would suggest you look at, rather than taking our word for it: visit in the evening as well as during the day, check the walking route between the property and campus, and look at the street rather than just the house.

What is in place at the property: secure locks on doors and windows, appropriate security features, and a 24/7 contact for anything affecting security. If a lock fails or a door will not secure, that is an emergency and gets treated as one.

Practical things worth discussing with your child: locking up when the house is empty, contents insurance for their own belongings since the landlord's policy does not cover them, and not propping external doors.

Call us about a specific street if you want a straight answer. We would rather tell you a property is not right than let it to someone unhappy.

Links: Lincoln student areas · Nottingham student areas · is my child's accommodation safe, Lincoln · contents insurance for students · a parent's guide to the West End

Short Answer: Maintenance goes through student-housing.co.uk/fix with 24/7 emergency cover. For housemate or wellbeing issues, their university has support services we would point them to.

Answer:
Maintenance and property issues. Reported at student-housing.co.uk/fix, tracked with a reference number, with 24/7 emergency cover for gas leaks, major leaks, loss of heating or power, and anything affecting security. Encourage your child to report things early rather than living with them.

Housemate problems. Common, and usually about cleaning, noise or guests. We are not able to arbitrate between tenants, but we can talk it through and explain what the tenancy says. Universities have accommodation and wellbeing teams experienced in this.

Money worries. If rent is going to be late, the important thing is that they tell us before the payment is due. There are charges for missed payments, and they are avoidable with a conversation. University hardship funds and student money advice services exist for exactly this.

Wellbeing. If you are worried about your child's welfare, their university's wellbeing service is the right first call. If you have serious and immediate concerns about their safety, contact the police.

Our contact details are on the site with a local number for each city. We would rather hear from a worried parent than not.

Links: report maintenance · contact your local office · how to deal with messy housemates · supporting your child through the university move

Short Answer: Rent is per person per week with gas, electricity, water, broadband and TV licence included. Budget separately for a deposit, contents insurance, food and transport. Council tax does not apply to full-time students.

Answer:
Rent is per person, per week, and the advertised figure is what your child pays, not what the house pays. Monthly rent is the weekly rate times 52 divided by 12, which is more than four weeks' rent.

Included in the rent: gas, electricity, water, sewage, broadband and the TV licence. There is nothing to set up and no bills to split.

Not included:

Council tax. Full-time students are exempt, but they must apply themselves to the local council. It is not automatic and it is the most common unexpected bill in a student house.

Contents insurance. The landlord insures the building and their contents, not your child's laptop or bike.

Living costs. Food, transport, course materials, social life.

Upfront: a deposit, capped by law at five weeks' rent, plus the first month's rent. Both due 14 days before the tenancy starts. No keys are released for the property until every tenant has paid, so it is worth being early rather than exactly on time.

There are no application fees, admin fees or renewal fees. Those are banned under the Tenant Fees Act 2019.

Utility allowance. Bills are included up to a fair usage allowance based on the property's energy efficiency and number of tenants. Most houses finish the year well under it, but going over is chargeable, so meter readings are worth encouraging.

Links: what bills are included · how much does student housing cost, a parent's guide to budgeting · student budgeting guide · contents insurance · property search

Short Answer: Yes, as long as the correct payment reference is used. That reference is how the payment is matched to your child's account.

Answer:
Yes. Plenty of parents do, either monthly or in larger amounts in advance.

The important part is the reference. Every tenant has a unique payment reference on their payment schedule, and it is how the payment is allocated. A transfer without it, or under a parent's name only, can sit unallocated and look like arrears while it is sorted out.

Paying in advance is fine. Payment schedules include a semesterly option, and anything paid ahead is credited and drawn down against future monthly rent automatically. You do not need to tell us first.

Paying rent does not make you a tenant, and it does not change the guarantee. It is simply a payment on your child's account.

If a payment is going to be late, tell us before the due date rather than after. Missed payments attract interest after fourteen days, which a conversation avoids.

Links: tenant downloads, including the standing order form · contact your local office

Short Answer: With your child's permission we can share updates on significant tenancy matters. Without it, data protection limits what we can discuss, even where you are the guarantor.

Answer:
Your child is our tenant and an adult, and data protection law limits what we can share about them without their consent, even where you are guaranteeing their rent.

With their permission, we can keep you updated on significant tenancy matters. The simplest route is for them to confirm in writing that they are happy for us to speak with you, which takes one email.

What we can always tell you, as guarantor, is anything relating to your own obligations: the amount guaranteed, payment demands made to you, and the terms of the deed you signed.

What we will not do is discuss your child's personal circumstances, their comings and goings, or who is visiting, without their consent.

The honest advice. The parents who hear about problems early are the ones whose children tell them, not the ones who have an arrangement with the agent. Agreeing at the outset how you will handle a late payment or a problem is worth more than any reporting we could offer.

If you have serious welfare concerns, contact us and contact their university's wellbeing service. We will do what we properly can.

Links: privacy policy · contact your local office · supporting your child through the university move

Short Answer: A student letting agent founded in 2015 by former students. Trading as Lincoln Property Company Ltd, with offices in Lincoln, Nottingham and Hull, and over 12,000 students housed.

Answer:
Student Housing is the trading name of Lincoln Property Company Ltd and Student Housing LTD. We have been letting and managing student property since 2015.

We were started by former students who had a poor experience renting from traditional letting agents and thought it could be done better. That is not a founding myth we tell for marketing, it is why the business exists and it still shapes how we operate.

What we do. We let and manage student accommodation in Lincoln, Nottingham and Hull, covering the University of Lincoln, Lincoln Bishop University, the University of Nottingham, Nottingham Trent and the University of Hull. We work with over 500 landlords and have housed more than 12,000 students.

What makes us different in practice. Bills included as standard rather than as an upsell, with one of the highest energy allowances of any student agent in our cities. Local offices with local teams rather than a central call centre. And we publish our fees, which most agents do not.

We are rated 4.9 out of 5 by over 5,000 students.

Links: about us · for tenants · for landlords · our blog · press, former students open new lettings branch

Short Answer:
Safeagent client money protection, Property Redress Scheme, HMRC supervised for anti-money laundering, and university accredited. Membership numbers are published below.

Answer:
Worth checking for any agent you deal with, so here are ours with the numbers.

Client Money Protection through Safeagent, accreditation number A8333. All client monies, including rent and deposits, are held in a dedicated client account separate from our own business accounts. This is a statutory requirement, and it means your money is protected if something happens to us.

Property Redress Scheme, membership PRS055586. If a complaint cannot be resolved with us directly, you can escalate it to an independent body. Also a statutory requirement.

HMRC supervised as a letting agent under the Money Laundering Regulations 2017.

Deposit protection through MyDeposits custodial scheme, membership M00476355. Every tenant deposit is protected individually in the tenant's own name within 30 days.

University accredited and PRS accredited, and we attend the University of Lincoln housing fair.

ICO registered for data protection, number ZA130918.

If you are comparing agents, ask for their client money protection and redress scheme numbers. Both are legally required and both are verifiable on the schemes' own registers.

Links: Safeagent · Property Redress Scheme · MyDeposits · how to spot a good student letting agent · about us

Short Answer: Weekdays from 9am - 5pm

Answer:
You will always speak to the team in your city, not a central call centre.

Lincoln
St Mark Street, Lincoln, LN5 7BA
01522 410 646 · WhatsApp

Nottingham
01157 848 600 · WhatsApp

Hull
01484 208 850

WhatsApp is usually fastest, particularly for anything about a specific property. Send us the listing link and we can confirm availability and book a viewing in the same conversation.

Maintenance should go through student-housing.co.uk/fix rather than phone or WhatsApp. It reaches the maintenance team directly and creates a tracked record.

Emergencies, any hour: 01522 410 646.

We aim to respond to all enquiries within one working day.

Links: contact us · report maintenance · WhatsApp Lincoln · WhatsApp Nottingham

Answer:
Routing your query correctly is the fastest way to get it dealt with.

Links: report maintenance · apply · guarantor form · pets · severance · contact us

Short Answer:
In writing to management@student-housing.co.uk. Acknowledged within 3 working days, full response within 15 working days. If unresolved, escalate to the Property Redress Scheme.

Answer:
Raise it with your property manager first if it is something they can fix. Most issues are quicker resolved that way.

For a formal complaint, write to management@student-housing.co.uk, addressed to the Director. We will:

• Acknowledge receipt within 3 working days

• Provide a full written response within 15 working days

If we cannot resolve it, you can escalate to the Property Redress Scheme, membership PRS055586, at theprs.co.uk. They are independent of us and their decision is binding on us.

A copy of our full complaints procedure is available on request.

If your complaint is about a deposit deduction, that goes through the MyDeposits adjudication service rather than our complaints procedure. It is free, evidence-based and decided by an independent adjudicator.

Links: Property Redress Scheme · MyDeposits disputes · contact us

Short Answer:
In line with UK GDPR, ICO registration ZA130918. We do not sell or rent your data, and we retain it for six years after a tenancy or agreement ends.

Answer:
We are registered with the Information Commissioner's Office, registration ZA130918, and process personal data under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

What we do with it. Process it only as far as necessary to let and manage property: referencing, tenancy administration, maintenance, compliance and legal obligations.

Who we share it with. Only where necessary, and only with contractors, solicitors, utility providers, referencing agencies, deposit schemes and regulatory bodies. Local authorities may receive tenant details in the normal course of business, for example for council tax or HMO licensing.

What we never do. We do not sell, rent or transfer personal data to third parties for marketing purposes.

How long we keep it. Six years after a tenancy or agreement ends, unless a longer period is required by law, after which it is securely deleted.

Your rights. You can request a copy of the data we hold, ask for corrections, or ask us to delete it where we are not legally required to keep it. Contact us and we will deal with it.

Our full privacy policy is on our website.

Links: privacy policy · terms and conditions · ICO register · contact us

Answer:
Every property is rated E or above. We do not take on properties below that. EPC ratings are shown on listings before you apply, and the certificate is provided to tenants seven days before the tenancy starts.

Why the rating matters to you as a tenant. Your utility allowance is set by the property's EPC band and the number of occupants, with less efficient properties given a higher allowance so you are not penalised for the building. But a more efficient house is cheaper to heat, which means you are less likely to approach your allowance at all.

Electricity supplied to our properties comes from 100% renewable sources. Gas, where a property has it, is a fossil fuel, which is one reason we encourage sensible heating use rather than just paying for whatever gets used.

You can check any property's rating yourself on the public EPC register at gov.uk/find-energy-certificate.

For landlords, EPC requirements are tightening and we can advise on what improves a rating cost-effectively. Work that lifts a band reduces running costs under a bills-inclusive let, so it pays twice.

Links: find an EPC · understanding EPC ratings · eco-friendly student housing in Nottingham · how to live sustainably as a student · tenant downloads