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Southsea Estates Student Lettings - Frequently Asked Questions
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 The Southsea Estates philosophy for student letting arose from our experience as undergraduates at Portsmouth University in the 90's.
Here are some of the questions we asked then!
And how do I get the deposit back ? How do we gain access at the start of the tenancy ? How do we set up bills for the Gas and so on ? What should I do if I want my girlfriend/boyfriend to move in ? What do we do if something needs repairing urgently ? What do I do if the gas boiler packs up ? What do we do about a non urgent repair ? What should I do if I don't have enough money for the rent ? Can we stick up posters with sellotape/blue tack ? What do we do about mice, rats and flies ? What state should we return the property in ? What do we do if we don't want some furniture ? What should we do if we damage the furniture ? What happens if one of the tenants wants to leave before the end of the tenancy ? Can I carry on living here during the Vacation ? What do we do if we wish to stay for the following year ? The easiest way of contacting Southsea Estates is to phone Julian during normal working hours (8.30-5.30 Monday to Friday) on 07884 368862. If he is unavailable please leave a your name, number and short message and he will get back to you In the case of emergency please contact Julian on the above number at any time. Again, if he is unavailable please leave a message indicating the nature of the emergency and he will get back to you as soon as possible. In these cases Paul is also available to contact on 07971 125 1766 This will depend on the time of year. The best idea is to ring Julian and ask 0788436862 SSE entitlement to reclaim fees and charges are detailed within our tenancy agreement. Typically, we will pass onto the tenants any bank charges we incur due to bounced rent cheques. We are generally sympathetic to tenants financial problems, especially if you give us as much notice as possible of impending problems. However, if non-payment of rent is a recurring problem we become robust in our approach to recovery and will charge a further level of fees for inconvenience caused to us in managing the process of rent recovery This is related to the monthly rent, but is usually about £250 And how do I get my deposit back ? At the end of the period fixed by the rental agreement the tenants should notify Julian or Paul if they intend to vacate the property. We then arrange a mutually agreeable date on which to meet with the tenants at the vacated property. At this 'Hand Back' meeting we will carry out a joint inspection of the house to ensure it is in the required state. The tenants hand back their keys and a stamped addressed envelope with their forwarding address on. We record the utility meter readings at this point and Southsea Estates then confirm with utilities etc. that all outstanding bills have been paid. In the event that there is damage to the property, Southsea Estates will quantify the cost of undertaking any required remedial works. Details of these works and associated costs will be provided to the tenants and the relevant amount will be deducted from the tenants' deposit. Please note that Southsea Estates do not wish to retain monies from deposits unreasonably and are more than happy to discuss any costs of remedial works identified. Southsea Estates then forwards a cheque for the deposit to the tenant in the envelope provided. How do we gain access at the start of the tenancy ? The week before you intend moving in you should give Julian a call to identify when you intend moving in. He will arrange a mutually suitable time to meet you at the property to hand over keys. If you are travelling to Portsmouth on this day we ask that you phone Julian when approaching Portsmouth to confirm you will be at the property on time. How do we set up bills for the Gas and so on ? What should I do if I want my girlfriend/boyfriend to move in ? If you wish a partner to move into your property the first thing you need to do is discuss it with the other tenants. We strongly suggest this should only happen by mutual consent within your group, as it will have implications on how you all live. If you come to an agreement within your group you should then approach SSE with your proposals. In most cases we would charge additional rent. The level of this rent will be discussed and agreed on a case-by-case basis between the tenants and SSE. What do we do if something needs repairing urgently ? In the event of an urgent repair - leaking roof, electricity failure etc - you should contact us immediately on 07884 368862 (Julian) or 07971 125176 (Paul). We will then assess the situation, discuss what is required and react accordingly. If you smell Gas - don't smoke, don't turn electric switches on and off, do open doors and windows and ring 0800 111 999 What do I do if the gas boiler packs up ? If your boiler stops working contact Julian 07884 3688620. This is often due to one of two problems: - 1/ Pressure drop in the water system - see if you can find a pressure dial on the boiler unit (it is sometimes on the underside wall mounted units) - If the black needle indicates the pressure is under the red indicator or 0.5 BAR then the boiler will automatically cut out. If you contact SSE we will come round and pressurise the system for you. 2/ Pilot light has gone out - in certain windy conditions the boiler pilot light can be extinguished. Generally there is an inspection window in the face of boiler units, through which you can see the pilot light. If this is not visible then the boiler needs relighting, the instructions for which are often on the unit. If you feel confident - try and relight the boiler using these instructions. If you are unsuccessful please give us a ring and we will visit to assess the situation. What do we do about a non urgent repair ? Such as blocked gutters, leaky tap, door sticking, washing machine fails. One of our aims as a business is to maintain our properties in a good condition to the benefit of our tenants. In the event of an everyday repair or maintenance item being required, the tenants should contact one of the partners preferably during business hours (8.30 - 6.00) to discuss. Any works agreed as being required will then be scheduled into our ongoing maintenance programme What should I do if I don't have enough money for the rent ? Can we stick up posters with sellotape/blue tack ? If you wish to stick posters to your walls please discuss this with us first. We will usually allow the use of Blu Tack to fix up posters, on the understanding that it is fully removed at the end of the tenancy and that any damage to paintwork or wall paper is made good by the tenant. The use of sticky tape or screws and nails to fix pictures can cause significant damage and is generally something we discourage. However, if you have specific requirements please discuss it with us whilst moving into the property. What do we do about mice, rats and flies ? No pets allowed What state should we return the property in ? What do we do if we don't want some furniture ? What should we do if we damage the furniture ? What happens if one of the tenants wants to leave before the end of the tenancy ? This is a serious matter. The tenancy agreement is created for all the tenants for a property, not separate agreements with each tenant. It is therefore the group’s responsibility to ensure the rent for the full tenancy period is paid. If one of your group wishes to leave they should find a replacement tenant who is acceptable to the remaining tenants. You should inform SSE immediately it becomes apparent that a member of your group wishes to leave. This then allows SSE to work with you to find a suitable replacement tenant . Can I carry on living here during the Vacation ? What do we do if we wish to stay for the following year ? We let all our properties in March and April for the following September academic year. If you wish to renew your tenancy for the next year, you need to confirm this to SSE in March. We can then discuss your requirements with you and draft a new agreement for the next year. Generally we would carry deposits across from one year to the next, but this is obviously dependant on the condition of the property and your rent being up to date. | |||
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