Students > FAQ
- Do I have to sign a lease with my landlord?
- Do I have to pay a deposit?
- Is my deposit refundable?
- As a full-time student do I have to pay rates?
- When can I pick up the keys to my new home?
- What am I, as a tenant, responsible for?
- What is my landlord responsible for?
- What other costs will I have besides the rent?
- Who is responsible for the TV licence?
- What maintenance is the landlord required to complete?
- What is classed as reasonable wear and tear?
- Can the landlord enter the property without my permission?
- Can my landlord increase my rent at any time?
- Can my landlord take my possessions if I fall behind on rent?
- Can I redecorate or make any other alterations to the property?
- How do I end my lease early?
- Can I stay longer than the agreed term of my tenancy?
- Can my landlord refuse to give me back my deposit?
- Who can help me if I have problems with my landlord?
- Who can help me if I have problems with LPG Property Management?
Do I have to sign a lease with my landlord?
Ans. Yes, until the tenancy agreement is signed there is no contract between you and the landlord. If the tenancy does not go ahead as planned you cannot claim against the landlord or LPG Property for your costs or out of pocket expenses that you may have paid.
Do I have to pay a deposit?
Ans. Yes, a security deposit is required in case of any of damage or dilapidation of the property during your tenancy. LPG Property holds all the deposits in a separate Client Monies Account.
Is my deposit refundable?
Ans. Your deposit will be held for the duration of the tenancy. At the end of the tenancy you will be checked out of your property and an assessment of damage / dilapidations will be made by your landlord and delivered to LPG Property in the form of a report. Your tenancy agreement will state what can be claimed from the deposit. If any of these items are identified, you will be contacted to discuss and if no resolution can be drawn they will then be deducted from your deposit. LPG Property Management would prefer to be able to agree to refund the full deposit to you on your vacation, but it will be your responsibility to ensure that you have fulfilled the terms of the tenancy, left the property in accordance with the inventory and schedule of condition, followed the checkout notes and ensured that you rent is paid up to date.
As a full-time student do I have to pay rates?
Ans. Rates are included with your rent
When can I pick up the keys to my new home?
Ans. LPG Property Management will not release any keys to you until the commencement date of the tenancy agreement. You will be required to visit the LPG Property Management office on this day in order to finalise any paperwork, such as signing the tenancy agreement, completing direct debit form, Guarantor Form completed and returned to the LPG Property Management office accompanied with photographic ID, paying for your portion of the TV licence (if applicable), outstanding deposit balance from previous tenancy with LPG Property, broadband (if applicable) and oil (if any is left in the tank from previous tenancy) Once all of these have been completed and LPG Property have completed their procedures, you will be given the keys to your rental property.
What am I, as a tenant, responsible for?
Ans. As a tenant you are responsible for:
- Prompt payment of rent.
- Prompt payment of gas (if applicable), electricity, telephone and internet bills.
- Reporting any damages and repairs of the property as early as possible to LPG Property.
- Carrying out odd jobs in the property in a Tenant like manner such as changing light bulbs etc.
- Repairing any damage caused by you at the property which includes unblocking a sink or toilet which has been blocked due to your misuse.
What is my landlord responsible for?
Ans. Your Landlord will have appointed LPG Property Management to act for him regarding day to day matters. Therefore you should contact LPG Property Management on all occasions. They may need to get authorisation from your Landlord for certain requests, but they will then act in accordance with your Landlord's instructions. Your Landlord will have appointed LPG Property Management to set up the tenancy and then to receive your rent on a regular basis. You should only contact LPG Property Management if you have queries regarding your rent.
What other costs will I have besides the rent?
Ans. These will vary but are most likely to include gas, electricity, telephone, water rates (if applicable), and contents insurance to cover your own possessions.
Who is responsible for the TV licence? Read and amend
Ans. Both the landlord and tenant are liable and must ensure that the address has a valid TV licence. The responsibility on who has to pay for the licence is usually stated in the Tenancy Agreement. However if the landlord provides a television with the property then they would be expected to pay for the TV licence, particularly in any communal areas. But if a tenant wishes to watch TV in their own room or bring their own television into the property they are likely to be expected to pay the licence fee, each property is different and the tenancy agreement must be consulted for clarification
What maintenance is the landlord required to complete?
Ans. Your Landlord has statutory obligations to maintain and repair certain areas and items in your property. Your Landlord must ensure the following:
- The gas appliances and pipework at the property are safe and is obliged to have a qualified engineer to test these on an annual basis.
- The electrical appliances that they have supplied to you at the property are safe. They will require access to your property in order for a qualified engineer to conduct this check on an annual basis.
- The structure of the building is maintained to include walls, drainpipes, guttering, roof and windows.
- The hot water and heating are operational. If they should malfunction, then your Landlord is responsible for ensuring that it is fixed, once you have altered them, in the shortest time possible.
Your landlord is not responsible for repairing any damage that you have caused at the property - this is your responsibility.
What is classed as reasonable wear and tear?
Ans. Fair wear and tear is the normal deterioration of an item in normal use, however it is a landlord's decision on what is reasonable wear and tear and what is excessive dilapidation. Fair wear and tear is based on the length of the tenancy, the number and ages of the Tenants, the condition and ages of the items and the expected lifespan of these items. LPG Property Management ensures that the condition of the property is noted down in the inventory prior to the tenancy beginning for reference of the original condition of items in question.
Can the landlord enter the property without my permission?
Ans. The answer to this is usually stated in the tenancy agreement. In most cases a landlord cannot enter the property without giving the tenant reasonable notice beforehand, usually no less than 24 hours. Please see your tenancy agreement for more details. However, in the event of an emergency which may affect the safety of the occupants or the property, it may be necessary to gain access without this notice
Can my landlord increase my rent at any time?
Ans. No, the tenancy agreement determines when and by how much your rent can be increased. If the agreement does not specify an amount or time, then the landlord must negotiate this with you. Neither the landlord nor the tenant can alter the original tenancy agreement without the other party's consent
Can my landlord take my possessions if I fall behind on rent?
Ans. No. The Landlord can take certain action via the courts in order to take action against you for non-payment of rent, but if you are occupying the property under an assured short hold tenancy or a fixed term contract; your Landlord cannot enter and take your possessions from the property. If you fall behind with your rent it is always best that you contact LPG Property Management to discuss how you will ensure that any money due can be paid. Your Landlord is entitled to take action to regain possession of the property via the courts if you continue to not pay your rent
Can I redecorate or make any other alterations to the property?
Ans. This will be stated in the tenancy agreement, but in most cases you cannot decorate or alter the property without the landlord or property owner’s consent.
How do I end my lease early?
Ans. When you enter into a tenancy agreement with your Landlord it will state how long this period is for. During this time neither you nor the Landlord can end the tenancy unless there have been breaches of the terms. If there is a break clause in place you may be able to end your tenancy early according to the terms of the break clause. You should refer to your tenancy agreement and discuss this with LPG Property Management. A fixed term lease gives you security to occupy a property for a set period of time and you will be responsible for paying the rent for this sent period of time which was agreed at the commencement of the tenancy.
Can I stay longer than the agreed term of my tenancy?
Ans. Once the initial fixed term is coming to an end, it may be possible to continue the agreement for a further period of time by mutual agreement with the landlord concerned.
Can my landlord refuse to give me back my deposit?
Ans. The Landlord can instruct LPG Property Management to withhold reasonable amounts of the deposit for items which are stipulated in the tenancy agreement without your consent
Who can help me if I have problems with my landlord?
Ans. Please contact LPG Property Management directly.
Who can help me if I have problems with LPG Property Management?
Ans. If you have a complain about the service you are receiving from LPG Property please put it in writing to the office