Opto Newcastle

Updates to Policy

Covid Booking Guarantee - Our 4-point promise to you We want you to know that whilst there may be uncertainty around your university course scheduling, study visas and/or travel arrangements to the UK, you can be certain that your accommodation is taken care of. 
In these unusual times, we’ve created the Covid Booking Guarantee for all students who have entered into a Licence Agreement starting in September 2020 and who pay their Licence Fees this month, and for all new bookings made on or before 16th August 2020. 
This means you can secure a room booking now with complete confidence as you can cancel your accommodation with us with no further obligation should any of the following happen before you move in with us*: 

• No Visa: you have been denied a Visa, or your country’s visa office is closed/unable to process your visa in time 
• No Place: you have not secured a confirmed place of study in the UK for the upcoming academic year 
• No Travel: you are unable to travel to the UK because of any government-imposed travel bans, whether in the UK or in your own country 
• No Course: your course has been cancelled altogether, or you have been notified that all course content will be delivered fully online If you have an existing booking with us and would like to understand how this affects you please arrange a call back , or if you would like to make a booking, please contact us for remaining availability.

 *Proof of the reason for cancelling your accommodation required in each and all cases and Terms and Conditions** apply. 
**Terms and Conditions

1. This [cancellation pledge] applies to all existing bookings and any new bookings made on or before 16 August 2020. Property reserve the right to withdraw or extend the availability of this policy at its absolute discretion at any time. In the event that the policy is withdrawn, any cancellation requests received before the withdrawal date with valid reasons in accordance with these terms and Conditions will still be honoured.

2. If you wish to cancel your booking under this [cancellation pledge] you should contact us within 48 hours’ notice of you becoming aware of the reason for your need to cancel. We will ask you to provide written evidence of the reason(s) for your cancellation.

3. Where the reason for cancellation is because of the ‘No Course’ option above, cancellation requests can ONLY be accepted if your study provider has either cancelled your course or changed the course to be taught entirely online, NOT where you have elected to study by correspondence rather than in person or chosen a later commencement date voluntarily.

4. A cancellation under this [cancellation pledge] will terminate your booking and licence agreement with us. We will provide you with a full refund (usually within 30 days of the date of cancellation) of all sums that you have paid to us for any booking, and you will have no further liability or obligation in relation to that booking.

5. The enhanced rights set out in the cancellation pledge will no longer apply to you once you have checked into your accommodation. 

6. This [cancellation pledge] does not affect your statutory rights, nor any other terms and conditions of any booking or Licence Agreement that you may already have with us. We know that making arrangements is a little more complicated this year so below is a quick guide to our flexible policy updates to make life easier. 

If you wish to cancel: 

·Firstly, and most importantly, please talk to us. We have a dedicated team at the end of the phone that are available to discuss your options 
·As always you are allowed to cancel with no obligation under our designated cooling off period*. 
·And as normal, there is a policy available for those of you who are concerned about your Visa application or university place, allowing you to cancel without obligation*. 
·We have now introduced a new policy that can be used in conjunction with the above designed to give comfort to those who are worried about government travel restrictions or university course delays, again allowing you to cancel without obligation should these scenarios happen*. 
·If you would like to take advantage of the above, speak to our team and we will happily move your booking onto these policies. 

Flexible start dates: 
·Due to the movement of traditional course and travel dates, we’ve introduced flexible tenancy start dates allowing you to start your contract and move in, on any chosen Saturday throughout September and October. 
·These new flexible start dates include new, shorter 44- and 47-week tenancies available in most residences.

Cancellation Policy

You’ll need to find an appropriate tenant to move into your room. The replacement tenant will need to pay a booking fee and sign a tenancy contract.

You’ll need to pay a £50 admin fee. Alternatively, if you can’t find a suitable placement you will need to pay the remainder of your rent.

Q. What is a reservation fee?

 The reservation fee of £250 is required to secure your room. £50 of this fee is non-refundable, while the remaining £200 will be taken off the last instalment of the tenant’s rent.

Q. Where can I park my bike?

There is a bicycle stand in the courtyard of all three buildings that are available for all tenants. Those making use of this equipment are advised to use a chain when locking bikes.

Q.  Is it possible to share with friends?

Yes, it is possible. Upon application, please contact us with the details of the friends you would like to live with.

We will do everything in our power to accommodate your requests however due to the volume of applications we cannot make any guarantees. The earlier you apply, the better!

Q. How far away is Luton Airport?

Luton Airport is only a 3-minute drive away from Opto Village. Busses from Luton Town Centre can also be used to access the airport.