Caton Court, Lancaster

COVID-19 Cancellation Policy

Due to the Coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic, they recognise there is a lot of uncertainty for students. At this property they are committed to being as flexible as possible. If you book your September 2020 accommodation with them and your course is cancelled due to coronavirus, they can cancel your booking if you provide them with sufficient advance notice.

Cancellation before you move in:

Delayed university start dates

Instead of cancelling your contract, you may change the date of your arrival to be in line with the start of your university start date. You will not be charged for the weeks that you are not living with us before your university starts. Find out more about this in the FAQs page.

To confirm your application, an advanced rent payment equivalent to one weeks rent is required. When you move in, this money will transfer to your rent account, provided that you have met the terms in the Agreement.  You also need to read and sign the Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement (the AST) before you move in.

Once you have paid your advanced rent payment and signed your AST online you are agreeing to take up your place within the accommodation and are bound to pay the AST fee in its entirety. Any subsequent request to cancel will require you to find a student to replace you, who is approved by the property management. This carries an administration fee of 100. For guidance on cancelling your booking due to travel and visa restrictions see below.

Travel

If you are unable to travel to Ireland or the United Kingdom due to government travel restrictions resulting from the Coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic, you will need to provide evidence from the Government in your home country supporting this which is current at the time of your cancellation. We ask that you please provide this translated into English. Please let your residence know as soon as possible that you would like to cancel your contract and no later than 14 days before your tenancy begins. This must be accompanied by the supporting evidence that you are restricted from travelling in order to cancel your booking. On receipt of notification that you cannot attend, and with the correct evidence, your booking will be cancelled in full and we will refund all payments made for your 2020/2021 academic year booking. If you do not provide evidence in line with this timescale, you will be held to the terms and conditions of your agreement and liable for all accommodation fees.

Visas

If you are due to travel and begin your stay, but you are unable to obtain a Visa due to travel restrictions, or your country's Visa offices being closed, we will try to hold your room for you while your Visa is being processed. Please let us know as soon as possible if you are unable to obtain a Visa for these reasons. We can cancel your booking if you have applied for a Visa and it has been refused, please let us know, with evidence within 5 days of your visa being refused if you wish to cancel for this reason.

The following is applicable to first-year students only:

If you are not successful in obtaining your place at your chosen university/college then don't worry.  We will consider a release from your AST and refund of any advanced rent payment where you can provide proof that you did not obtain a place at a university/college which is within a reasonable distance from accommodation booked. You will need to submit your request to cancel in writing or email along with the proof to the Accommodation Manager at your chosen location within five working days of the confirmation that you have not received your place.

Advanced Rent Fee Repayment:

Bookings made before/by 31st July 2020: After paying your advanced rent payment you have five working days to complete your booking by signing the AST and completing the guarantor information (if applicable). After five days your booking fee becomes non-refundable. For guidance on cancelling your booking due to travel and visa restrictions see above.

Bookings made after/on 1st August 2020: After paying your advanced rent payment you have 48 hours to complete your booking by signing the AST and completing the guarantor information (if applicable). After 24 hours your advanced rent payment becomes non-refundable. For guidance on cancelling your booking due to travel and visa restrictions see above.

If you cancel your booking for any of the above reasons and would like to have your fees refunded by an international bank transfer, there will be an administration fee charge of 12.

Cancellation after you have moved in:

Release without tenancy takeover:

If you wish to be released from your contract for exceptional circumstances, you must appeal in writing (in the form of an email) to the residence General Manager. Some circumstances that may apply (but are not limited to) are:

Serious diagnosed health or mental health issues

Serious diagnosed illness or death of an immediate family member (Parent, Sibling, Child)

In these circumstances, you must provide:

 (1) a suitable letter from the doctor or medical institution detailing the issue and why it has caused you to leave University

 (2) any additional proof or supporting evidence to validate your application

 (3) a letter from your University confirming that you have withdrawn from your course. Even if you do provide this information, then release will be discretionary based on the views of the management team and in some circumstances, tenancy release may not be granted.

Tenancy Releases for exceptional circumstances will not be granted where:

- You are still at University and have not withdrawn from your course

- You have chosen to defer for a year for any reason other than above

- You have left University of your own volition for any other reason, including not attaining correct funding or loan, or suitable grades during the year

- The University has removed the tenant from your course for any reason

Once a tenancy release decision has been made, any appeal of this decision will be undertaken using the framework of the property management complaints policy.

In Circumstances where the medical letter is not deemed as satisfactory, tenancy release will not be granted.

If a Tenancy Release decision is made on behalf of the tenant. The property management will decide the end date of the tenancy. The tenant will be liable for any rent up to the Saturday after the decision is made, even if you return the key and the room is vacated prior to the decision.

Tenancy Takeover:

If you want to be released from your tenancy agreement, licence agreement, or SAT (Scotland) and you do not meet the requirements of a tenancy release, it is your responsibility to find a replacement tenant. The replacement tenant must agree to the existing rent and term conditions of the existing tenant.

If you find a replacement, you will be released from your tenancy from the start date of the new tenancy, however you may be charged to the Saturday nearest to this date. You will be responsible for paying a 100 administration fee, paid directly to the property management and not to be recovered from the deposit.  This fee covers the deep cleaning of the room in the period between you and your replacement, as well as the administration relating to issuing a new contract.

A tenancy takeover will be deemed complete to the point where a replacement is found when the following criteria are met:

- The new tenant has paid their deposit and any current due rental charge, and this has been confirmed as received by the property management

- The new tenant has signed their AST or Licence Agreement

- The new tenant has confirmed receipt of keys

- The new Tenant has moved into the building and completed an inventory form 

The property management will not refund any advanced rent payment until all the above criteria are met.

This policy will be reviewed regularly as the situation surrounding Covid-19 develops. The property management reserve the right to change the terms and conditions of this cancellation policy at any time.

Regular Cancellation Policy

Cancellation before you move in: 

To confirm your application, the deposit required is 250. This fee is held by the Tenancy Deposit Scheme and is returnable at the end of your tenancy, providing you meet the terms in the Agreement. You also need to read and sign the Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement (the "Agreement") before you move in. Once you have paid your deposit and signed your Agreement online you are agreeing to take up your place within the accommodation and are bound to pay the Agreement fee until the end of the period set out in the Agreement. Any subsequent request to cancel will require you to find a student to replace you, who is approved by the property management, to take over your Agreement. This carries an administration fee of 100. 

The following is applicable to first year students only: 

If you are not successful in obtaining your place at your chosen university/college then dont worry, we can help. We will consider a release from your Agreement and refund of any advance Rent payment where you can provide proof that you did not obtain a place at a university/college which is within a reasonable distance from the student accommodation you have booked. You will need to submit your request to cancel in writing or email along with the proof to the Accommodation Manager at your chosen location within five working days of confirmation having been received that you did not obtain a place at your chosen university/college We will also consider the same release terms if you fail to obtain your visa to study. However, you will need to send us proof of such within five days of receipt from the visa office, and before 1st September 2019. 

Cancellation after you have moved in: 

1. Replacement if you wish to leave the accommodation after you have moved in, you will need to find a suitable replacement to take over your agreement, and you will remain liable for all licence fee payments until the replacement has signed a new licence agreement, paid and checked into the accommodation. Only at this point are we able to release you from your Agreement and refund you any overpayment that may be due on your account. Replacements carry a 100 administration fee. 

2. Without replacement we will only consider any release without replacement in exceptional circumstances, such as on medical grounds. Any request will need to be accompanied by evidence, such as a doctor's letter, in writing, and sent to the General Manager. The General Manager's decision whether to release under exceptional circumstances is final.