Tenancy Agreement
(back to top)
Academy Properties use a standard Leeds Property Association (“LPA”) Tenancy Agreement which is called an Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement (“AST”). A sample agreement can be viewed above. The LPA is the premier Leeds landlords association (www.lpa.org.uk). The LPA is held in high regard by both Leeds Council and all the universities in Leeds. The LPA actively promotes Unipol’s (the Universities accommodation bureau) code and the Leeds City Council’s code amongst its members. The standard Tenancy Agreement provided by the Association is used by most landlords in the Leeds area.
Renting a house is an important decision and it is essential that you are aware that an AST becomes legally binding once it has been signed. You therefore need to take your time to find the right friends and the right house before signing any agreement. A specimen copy of our AST is shown here to enable you to read it at your leisure. Should you have any concerns or questions regarding this agreement, please feel free to contact us. If students wish to speak to an impartial third party about the agreement, Unipol is fully conversant with the LPA contract and can also answer any questions you may have. Unipol also provide a very useful guide entitled “Your Guide to House Hunting 2012-13” which you may wish to read. Please refer to their website for further information: www.unipol.org.uk
Guarantees(back to top)
Academy Properties, along with many other landlords and indeed, University accommodation providers, ask for rent guarantees. This means that if your parent signs a rent guarantee, they will be required to pay your rent if you fail to do so. It is important to note that the Guarantee which Academy Property uses, restricts the Guarantor’s rent liability to their son or daughter’s share of the rent and not the whole house rent. Not all rent guarantees have this restriction. In an assured shorthold tenancy, tenants are jointly and severally responsible for the rent payments. Accordingly, we believe that having our guarantees not only help safeguard Academy Properties’ interests but also the co-tenants’. A specimen copy of Academy Properties Guarantee Form can be viewed above.
Deposits(back to top)
Landlords who take deposits from Tenants are legally required to register their deposits with one of the Government’s authorised Tenancy Deposit Schemes. These schemes safeguard your money and offer impartial adjudication in the event of a dispute. Academy Properties uses the Unipol’s Tenancy Deposit Scheme. A copy can be viewed above.
Academy Properties ask for a standard deposit of £250 per tenant. This deposit is taken when the tenant signs our AST. We always give a written receipt for monies received and our AST states what your deposit covers.
Academy Properties were founder members of both the Unipol and Leeds City Council’s Code of Standards. Since joining Unipol’s code in 1999, we have never had reason to use their dispute service which is one of the reasons why Academy Property has received Unipol’s Golden Owner award.
All our tenants are provided with a Deposit Scheme Certificate on receipt of their deposit. This certificate enables each tenant to check, for themselves, that their deposit is protected. Academy Properties always aims to repay deposits in full. However, if any deposit issues do arise, we have a reputation for always being fair and reasonable in these matters.