Lightfoot Hall

Deposit Fees: 

Deposits vary by property ranging from £50-£250 and your deposit is placed into a deposit protection scheme, where it is held safely throughout the academic year and will be returned to you at the end of your contract subject to the contract terms.

The deposit you pay when making the application cannot be used towards a rent instalment as this is secured with a deposit protection scheme for the duration of your tenancy.

Your deposit will be returned to you after your tenancy agreement has ended and your room has been inspected. The amount returned to you will depend on any outstanding charges and any damage found in your room or the communal areas of your apartment. Please see your tenancy agreement for more information. The deposit can take up to 30 working days to be credited at the end of your tenancy period.

Rent Payments:
If you have a valid UK Guarantor, you can choose to pay your rent in three instalments, which are due in September, January and April.
If you don’t have a valid UK Guarantor, you are required to pay the full rent in August, 1 month prior to your contract start date.
Please note you must have paid the rent due by the time you arrive to check in.
Pay in 10 instalments with an additional one-time admin fee (UK based guarantor required)

Mode of Payment:
Pay using a debit card or a credit card online, over the phone or at the reception
Pay via direct debit or bank transfer

You can cancel your booking up to 14 days after you accept your offer or pay your deposit (the Initial Cancellation Period) providing you have not already moved into the property and we will refund your security deposit in full.

If you are outside the 14-days cool off period, you may cancel, but are required to find a replacement tenant. Until a suitable replacement is found, you may not be released from the tenancy agreement and are liable to pay the rent.

If you do not meet the grades of the university you initially applied to OR fail to receive a VISA, you may be released from the contract and receive a refund of your deposit provided you provide the documents as a proof of this within 2 working days of the results. In case of University rejection, evidence can be a written rejection letter from the University/College/UCAS, or a screenshot of the customer’s UCAS status along with the results, etc. In case of VISA rejection, evidence can be a copy of the letter from the Home Office or other official Visa issuing body as well as a letter from the university, sponsor or institution where they were supposed to be studying. It must clearly show the student’s full name, address and date of issue.

Can I live at an Homes For Students property?

You must be a full-time student, and be 18 years or older to live with us. You can book with us whether you have a conditional or unconditional offer. However, please be aware of our cancellation policy prior to booking should your place at university not yet be confirmed.

Do you provide summer accommodation?

Yes. Our Summer Bookings usually open around March. Keep a look out for pricing and information.
 

What are your contract lengths?

Each of our properties offer different contract lengths and room types.

 

Can I book a room without a viewing?

Absolutely. However, we would always recommend booking a viewing wherever possible. If this is not possible our website provides a suite of property images for you to browse.
 

What will I be shown on my viewing?

All communal areas and room types requested (dependent upon availability).
 

Do I have to pay a booking fee?

Most of our properties do not charge a booking fee, specific property information is available online in the property pages. When you accept your room offer, you'll be asked to pay a deposit of either £150 or £250 to secure your room. This is returnable at the end of your Tenancy Agreement depending on any outstanding charges or damages.
 

Can I choose who I live with?

If you are applying to live with friends, please ensure that you follow our 'create application' link online and list the friends that you would like to live with, we will then contact them and make the arrangements for you! 
 

Can I choose my room?

Absolutely! Our online booking system gives you complete visibility of our available rooms and gives you an indication of who is also allocated within the apartment by showing their sex and year group.

 

When do I pay my rent?

When you accept your room offer, you'll be given three options for payment schedules. These are:

1. To pay your rent in full as you accept your offer.
2. To pay your rent in full a few weeks before your contract start date.
3. To pay your rent in three instalments spread throughout the year - one in September, one at the end of January, and one at the end of April.

You can choose whichever is most convenient for you.

Can I pay my rent from overseas?

You can pay your rent either online, or by bank transfer depending on your chosen property. Please note that if you make your payment using a credit card or an overseas debit card, you will be required to pay a surcharge of 1.5%. Contact your chosen property directly for more information. 
 

Can I move in before I pay my rent?

We can only allow students to move in that are up to date with their rental schedule.
 

What do I do if my student loan hasn't arrived yet?

If your student loan hasn't arrived before your contract start date, it may be possible for you to gain access to your room on a temporary student licence by paying a portion of your first instalment and providing proof of the date your student loan will be paid to you. This varies on our properties, so please speak to your chosen property for more information.
 

Can I book if I'm under 18?

We can accept bookings from students who are under 18 if they will turn 18 in the first term of the academic year. Unfortunately, for health and safety reasons, we cannot accept applications from students who won't turn 18 in their first term.
 

What do I do if I'm a first year student and I'm still waiting for my exam results?

If you're still waiting for your exam results and you're not sure whether your place at university is confirmed, don't worry! You can still apply. You just need to ensure that if you do not get your place at university, you let the team on your chosen property know in writing a maximum of 3 days after the A Level results day, to cancel your booking. You must provide a UCAS letter to verify your change in circumstances. In this instance, you will receive a full refund of your deposit. If you don't let us know within 3 days, your tenancy agreement will remain in place, and you will be liable for the rent on your room for the entire contract period. 
 

What happens to my deposit?

Your deposit is placed into a Deposit Protection Scheme, where it is held safely throughout the academic year.
 

When do I get my deposit back?

Your deposit will be returned to you after your tenancy agreement has ended and your room has been inspected. The amount returned to you will depend on any outstanding charges and any damages found in your room or the communal areas in your flat. Please see your tenancy agreement for more information.
 

Do I need a guarantor?

If you wish to pay your rent in three instalments, you will need a guarantor. Your guarantor must be a homeowner or in full-time employment. Some of our properties require guarantors to be UK-based, others can accept overseas guarantors.
 

What if I am a sponsored student?

We are able to accept sponsors in place of guarantors in some cases. If you are a sponsored student, please contact your chosen property directly to enquire about using a sponsor in place of guarantor.
 

What if I want to cancel my booking?

Our full allocation and termination policies are detailed for you within the booking pages of our website. Please read them carefully and ensure that you fully understand our policies. 

As our termination policy states, you can cancel your application up to 14 days after the date we confirm your booking is complete (the Initial Cancellation Period). As confirmed in your agreement, we will refund the full security deposit.

If you cancel your booking after those 14 days, you remain liable for the weekly rent (for each and every week or part week) until we are able to re-let the room. If we are able to re-let the room we will release you from the agreement upon payment of a £250 release fee which we will recover by retaining your deposit (which will not, therefore, be returned).
 

Do I have to move out in the holidays?

No, your room is your room for the full contract period! You won't have to move out in the holidays, so you won't have to remove your belongings every term.