Students How to Apply

Don’t worry, with Belvoir this will be the most stressful part of the whole process. We understand it is difficult enough living away from home, possibly for the first time, but also knowing who to choose to live with can make it all the more daunting. Don’t leave the uncomfortable conversations until the last minute, because you could then be at risk of missing out on that perfect property! A lot of our properties are in similar locations, so if you have too many people to choose from, why not go for two 4 bed properties on the same street? Come in and speak to us for more advice.

The earlier you start looking for your property for next year the better! The student market moves fast and no one wants to be left without a home for the next year! We begin advertising for the following July around October and November! The larger the property you’re looking for the less choices you will have, as there are a much larger number of three and four bedroom accommodation than 6-8, so get researching now!

At Belvoir Leicester we make it even easier to find that perfect property. You can register your criteria to the website for free and then set up regular email alerts for all our available properties.

We are happy to show you around one property or 15! Have a look at what we have to offer either in branch or online, but feel free to ask to visit all of a particular size property. Know you need a three bedroom property? There’s no harm in seeing each one we have available, to make sure you find the perfect one for you. Don’t worry if you can’t all be available at the same time, you’re more than welcome to book a second appointment to see a property again before you make up your minds.

Write down anything you want to know, about a particular property or about applying and renting in general. Talk to family members, friends, other students, for advice on must ask questions. Our team are highly trained and experienced in student lettings so will be able to help answer any queries or concerns you have.

If you’ve found the perfect property, the last thing you want to do is miss out on it. Our properties let fast so now’s the time to make that decision. Before you come to the office to apply; choose your lead tenant – this person will be our main point of contact so they need to be organised, trustworthy and reliable! Choose your move in date – most students don’t move into their accommodation until September, this means you would only have to pay half price rent for July and August. However, if any of you do need to move in earlier than this, you must tell us straight away, at your initial application, and you will be required to pay the full rental price for all months.

All students are required to provide a guarantor each. This person needs to be a UK resident, in full time permanent employment, with no previous poor credit history. ALWAYS ask first! It may sound simple but do not just assume someone will be happy to stand as your guarantor. This person is as liable for the rental income and the property during the tenancy as you are, so this is a big commitment. All tenants and guarantors alike are jointly and severally liable for the full rental income each month. This means that each guarantor is not just liable for your share of the rental income – but the total monthly income as a whole.

If you cannot all make it, again this can be done via phone or email, but we do encourage you to visit the office to sign you reservation agreement. This helps us to ensure you fully understand what you are signing and also provides you another chance to ask any questions before signing the document. This is a legal document and you must ensure you have each read and understood it fully. We will then talk you through the next steps to getting your chosen property.

This is your chance to make any requests on the property. Some tenants ask the landlord to provide an additional freezer if there is space to do so, or to repaint a weather beaten gate for example. Please be aware you are taking the property as seen, so anything you wish to request must be written on this form. We cannot guarantee a landlord will agree but we can only put forward these requests at this stage.

To hold a property for you, and put your application to the landlord for approval, we will need you each to have signed the Tenant Terms of Business, as well as each paid your £100 application fee. At this point we will find out if the landlord is happy to accept your application and your requests, if you made any. We will then set you a two week deadline to provide all the rest of the required documentation and information.

Within those two weeks you must each have provided, a fully completed and signed application form from both yourself and your guarantor. Proof of ID for yourself and your guarantor, as well as two proofs of address for your guarantor only. You must also each have paid your £300 reservation fee. It is VITAL that you stick to your two weeks. Even if only one item is outstanding you are still at risk of not only losing the property, but also losing any monies you have already paid into the application process. Landlords are within their rights to remarket the property if that deadline passes without all the required items having been provided.

If you are having any problems, talk to us! We are here to help you get through this process with ease. Feel free to call us or pop in with any questions. We are also happy to talk to your guarantor’s directly if they are unsure about anything also. Most importantly tell us if you think you may miss the deadline, if your passport is going to be a day late because it’s had to be posted up from home make sure we know about it so we can reassure our landlords and arrange extensions if possible. Don’t be worried about speaking to us, chances are we’ve dealt with similar concerns and situations before!

Once all the required documents and payments have been received, the hard part is done. We will then check everything is accepted and completed correctly and carry out referencing and credit checks where required. If we need further information from yourself or guarantor we will contact you directly.

We will then create your new contracts which will be checked and approved by our senior management team. This will then be sent to each of your guarantors directly for it to be signed by them (you do not need to sign yet). Once all guarantors have signed and the final document received we will contact you to arrange appointments to visit the office to sign the documents yourselves. (You will not receive a copy just yet, as we will then sign it on behalf of your landlord, and provide your copy at move in).

If you have opted for the September move in dates, your summer retainer payment or two half price months’ rent will be due in May. We will provide you with the exact date in writing. You are then required to make your next payment before the 1st September (regardless of which date in September you have opted to move in) – we recommend setting up your standing order at least 4 days in advance.

If you have chosen to move in in July, you are required to pay one full month’s rent in May (exact deadline date to be provided in writing) in place of the summer retainer.

Please note your rent must always be paid from one account (not one payment from each tenant) using the correct reference code, and must always be in our accounts before the 1st of each month.

Before you come to collect your keys we will have conducted our inspection and will provide you with an inventory report. Keep this safe! This is the condition we expect the property to be returned to us in when your tenancy finishes. You will need to let us know two weeks before the first tenant wants to move in. This ensures that everything is ready for you to collect on the day. The first tenant to arrive will receive copies of all the relevant paperwork along with all the tenant’s sets of keys.

The property will then be your safe place, to live, to enjoy and most importantly, to study in for your academic year!