Introduction

Here’s some general information with regards to our LUSU Lets Headlease scheme and how it operates, how you need to look after your LUSU Lets home, and the correct procedures to follow should any problems occur.

Our LUSU Let houses are private flats and houses in South Lancaster that are leased to the University by their owners and then sub-let to students by the Students Union. The scheme was devised to persuade more owners to let properties to students and ensure a good standard of off-campus accommodation.

Through LUSU Housing the Students Union is your Landlord. As your Landlord LUSU Housing will be able to give you help and advice throughout your tenancy and you should make the housing team aware of any problems relating to your accommodation.

As a tenant it is important that you should:

1. Pay your rent directly to LUSU Housing by standing order, card, cash, cheque or e-payment

2. Report all repairs directly to LUSU Housing using any of the accepted fault reporting facilities

3. Make any other enquiries relating to your accommodation directly to LUSU Housing

LUSU Housing can be contacted by phone on 01524 592170 or email at lusu.housing@lancaster.ac.uk

The Housing Team are:

Matthew Ward, Housing Manager

Mary Lewis, Assistant Housing Manager

Caroline Verden, Senior Housing Assistant

Dawn Lockley, Housing Assistant

Moving in to Your New LUSU Lets Home

Keys

Key collection

Keys may be collected from the housing office on or after the commencement date on your contract.

Lost keys

You are responsible for your own keys and if you lose them you will be charged for the cost of replacement. If the lock has to be forced you will be charged for a new lock.

If your keys are stolen and there is any evidence that they could be traced back to the house, in order to maintain the safety and security of the other tenants it may be necessary to replace the lock. The cost of this and the additional keys will be your responsibility.

Internal Locks

You must not fit locks to internal doors. Some properties have room locks fitted and you will have been provided with a key for the room. You must not change any lock or use a lock (even if fitted) on internal doors unless LUSU Housing have provided you with a key.

Contrary to a popular myth, fitting and using a lock to your room is rarely a requirement of insurance companies while LUSU’s inclusive rent package includes £3500 personal contents insurance cover for each housemate within your property – pick up a leaflet for details from the housing office.

Inventories

Property inventories can vary so it’s important that you take time to note any damages, faults, problems or missing items of furniture at the start of your tenancy. This inventory should then be passed directly to the housing office in order that the inventory may be maintained and any necessary works scheduled. It is in your best interest to check your new home, paying special attention to the condition of those items provided. Please ensure you check your mattress carefully, as any stain not recorded on your inventory return and found at the end of tenancy inspection, will result in a charge for a replacement mattress.

Where a disagreement is reached in respect of the inventory and the stated property condition a member of the housing team will visit the house to clarify the situation in order that an agreement may be reached and the inventory return amended as appropriate

This inventory return will form the basis of your end of tenancy inspection, to be carried out after you have vacated the property. At the end of the tenancy, you should ensure all furniture is returned to its original place in the house to enable the inventory to be checked thoroughly. Other than fair wear and tear, a charge may be levied against you or your household for any item(s) missing or damaged.

Equipment

All LUSU Let properties are furnished and other equipment is provided as follows:

A cooker, microwave, refrigerator and freezer will be provided, but you will need to bring all your own cooking utensils, crockery and cutlery. In all properties a washing machine is also provided

Bedding is not provided. You will need to bring your own linen, blankets (or duvets) and pillows

A vacuum cleaner, sweeping broom, dustpan and brush, mop and bucket will be provided where necessary

Furniture

You may move furniture within the property. If you wish to move additional furniture into the property then you must seek prior approval of the University so please consult your Property Manager. Do not under any circumstances remove furniture from the property, dispense of furniture, or store furniture in the cellar,shed or outhouse without permission from the housing office.

Please ensure your own furnishings comply with the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations 1988.

Rent

LUSU Let rent payments can best be made by standing order – forms are available from the housing office upon request. However, we also accept e-payment, card and cheque payments, along with BAC’s and cash transfers.

For further information with regards to paying your rent please contact the housing office directly.

Utilities

Water Rates

Your properties water rates are included in your rent.

Stopcock (Water)

The water should already be turned on when you arrive at the house, but make sure you familiarise yourselves with the location of the stopcock and test its operation in case of emergencies.

Stopcock (Gas)

When you move in make sure you find out where your stopcock is and ensure that it is not stuck, as you may need to turn it off in an emergency, you will find it by the gas meter.

Gas and Electricity Supply

All our LUSU Lets shared households are provided with a fair use energy allowance equivalent to £10 per tenant per week. LUSU pay all bills in respect of our households energy usage so if your group happen to receive a bill or a demand for monies then all related correspondence should be forwarded to the housing office.

LUSU Housing will help you manage your energy usage and related expenditure with households being notified if they are exceeding their allocation – however, this support element of our service is dependent on households providing LUSU Housing will regular and accurate meter readings.
Electrical safety

The main switch for your electricity supply is situated near the meter and fuse box, or in the case of a modern consumer unit it is on the unit itself and should be clearly marked. Make sure you can access the fuse box and meter easily. Keep a torch nearby, so you can see what you are doing if the lights go out.

All the electrical wiring in our LUSU Let houses has been checked and passed by a qualified electrician. If the house is new or has been rewired in the last few years, it may have circuit breakers instead of fuses, Circuit breakers are switches that automatically switch off in circumstances when a fuse would have blown. Reset the switch to ‘on’ after disconnecting the appliance that caused the problem. It may be necessary to unplug all appliances and then switch off the main isolation switch to reset. If the circuit breaker continues to switch off, contact the housing office or Progress Plus if your property is covered by LUSU’s dedicated gas, electrical, plumbing and drainage cover..

There are some simple rules to ensure the safe use of electrical appliances:

• Remove plugs carefully – not by pulling the flex
• Use only good quality plugs that conform to British Standards
• Never run an electrical appliance from a light fitting
• If you need to use an extension cable, do not use a longer one than you need. Do not keep extension cables coiled, as they may overheat
• Do not run cables (including extension cables) under carpets or rugs as the protective covering can be damaged
• Do not overload wall sockets. If you need to use an adaptor, use a multi-socket trailing adaptor, not a multi-way adaptor that plugs straight into the socket
• Do not exceed the recommended bulb wattage for light fittings
• Do not put too high a fuse in plugs
• Never use mains powered equipment in bathrooms or near water
• Do not leave electrical appliances switched on or on stand by when you are not using them
• Electric blankets are a common cause of fires. It is recommended that you get them services every three years
• Do not touch or use any electrical items that you think are unsafe

Where an electrical fault is identified and it does not merely require the consumer unit being re-set you should contact the housing office or telephone LUSU Housing’s designated contractor Progress Plus: 0845 389 9519 in order that a trained engineer may attend.

Gas Safety

All gas appliances in our LUSU Let properties have been checked and serviced by aregistered qualified engineer. A copy of the gas safety certificate will be left in each households welcome pack. Again, as with your electrics, your gas appliances are covered by a Progress Plus maintenance contract. In the event of any failure, the tenants should contact the housing office or Progress Plus directly, TEL: 0845 389 9519 for assistance.

The mains gas supply must be turned off if a gas escape is suspected and Transco contacted immediately on 0800 111999.

Council Tax

Students are exempt from paying council tax on their property however you may need to confirm your student status with Lancaster City Council. This can be done via Student Registry.

If there are any non-students in the property then the property will be liable for council tax with the cost being met by the tenants. If there is only one non-student then the property will be given a 25% discount.

Telephone/Internet

LUSU Housing’s inclusive rent package provides for a landline and call package as well as wireless broadband.

LUSU Housing will cover all costs in relation to line installation and will provide support in setting up and maintaining your broadband connection. For further details of this service contact the housing office.

Post

When a tenancy agreement is signed, tenants will be given the full postal address of the property and, where possible, the postcode. However, having vacated the property LUSU Housing accepts no responsibility for forwarding or redirecting mail.

Insurance

LUSU Housing’s inclusive rent package provides each of housemate with personal contents insurance cover up to £3500 for the duration of your tenancy. For further information as to what is covered and what’s not call into the housing office for a leaflet.

TV Licences

A TV License is NOT included in your inclusive rent package. You are required by law to have a TV licence where there is a television set in the house and TV detector vans operate in all areas, with households without a licence subject to a possible £1000 fine. Television licences can be purchased over the phone or from a pay point outlet: www.tvlicensing.co.uk

Washing Machines

All our LUSU Let properties provide for a washing machine.

Occupying Your LUSU Let House

Living together in a house can be a more intimate experience than living on campus. It’s more difficult to get away from each other and small problems can soon be blown up out of all proportion. Try to establish ground rules before annoying habits become intolerable – remember none of us are perfect and if we find other people annoying, then they probably find us infuriating!

Tenancy Agreement

Once you have indicated that you wish to take a lease on a LUSU Let property you will be asked to sign an tenancy agreement with LUSU Housing. It’s important that you read through this tenancy agreement carefully. Remember – in signing any tenancy agreement or lease you commit yourself to paying an agreed rent over a fixed period, this is BIG commitment and something you should be sure about when signing.

LUSU’s standard Undergraduate lease is 44 weeks, while our Postgraduate leases are for a 50 week fix term. Tenancies are continuous and rent is payable from the commencement of the lease, which includes the Christmas and Easter vacations whether or not you are actually in residence.

The vast majority of LUSU Let tenants are joint and severally liable to meet the contractual obligations contained within the lease agreement with their fellow housemates.

In the event that tenant/s in the same property wish to move out because of inter-tenant friction, the University will always try to relocate the tenant/s concerned within our own portfolio and will not release tenants to go to accommodation available through the private sector.

Reason LUSU Housing may wish to end your tenancy

Your tenancy is a fixed term tenancy that under normal circumstances can only be brought to an end at the end of the contractual period.

However, LUSU Housing can seek possession by serving notice on a tenant(s) to terminate the tenancy during the term of the contract if you/the household have not fulfilled your obligations under the tenancy agreement, (refer to your tenancy agreement for further details).

LUSU Housing has the right to recover possession if the tenant does not comply with any of the conditions in the agreement or any other grounds as specified in Schedule 2 Housing Act 1988 after first serving notice of the Landlord’s intention to apply to the County Court for Possession.

Frost precautions

There are some simple precautions that you should take to ensure that your pipes do not freeze while you are away during the Christmas Vacation:

1. If your house is not centrally heated, then turn off the stopcock on the incoming cold supply and drain the hot and cold water systems by turning on all taps, ensuring first that any water heaters are switched off and remain off until the system is filled again.
2. If your house is centrally heated by water filled radiators, do not drain the system, but leave the central heating to come on for a couple of hours during the early hours of the morning and in the evening with the thermostat set at 15oC. This should maintain a level of background heating sufficient to prevent frost damage
3. Note Particularly:

• The stopcock – This controls the entry of water into the house from the main supply. It is generally (but not always) located under the kitchen sink and MUST be turned off if there is a burst in a cold water pipe. Make sure ALL of you know where it is. If in any doubt, TURN IT OFF – but see note 3 also
• The cold water tank is nearly always installed in the roof space. This – being the coldest part of the house – means that the water in the tank or the ball valve easily freezes in very cold weather. Try to prevent this by opening the trap door and allowing heat to get into the roof space
• The hot water tap is fed from the cold tank. Thus, if the cold tank freezes or empties you will not get any hot water either. In this case you MUST turn off the immersion heater and the central heating system
• The cold tap will stop working (or should do) immediately when the stopcock is turned off. The hot taps will work for a little while afterwards
• Waste pipes – in cold weather the water from sinks and basins may freeze and eventually block the waste pipe. This applies particularly when there is a constantly dripping tap and a small flow of water down the pipes. Prevent this by keeping the plug in the waste outlet and let the waste out in large warm quantities

Should your pipes freeze despite these precautions try to unfreeze them GENTLY by wrapping them with hot towels or by directing a hair dryer on to them. If this does not work and your pipe bursts, turn the water off at the stop cock immediately the burst is discovered and notify the housing office or Progress Plus.

Cellar

The cellars of most houses are often damp. The cellar must not be used as a rubbish dump or to store furniture/belongings. If items are found to be stored in the cellar without agreement, you will be asked to remove them. If they are left at the end of your tenancy, you may be charged for removal of any belongings/objects that you have left in the cellar.

Garden

This remains the responsibility of the property owner.

Refuse

Your welcome pack provides all the information you need with regards to your bin collection days and the City’s recycling processes.

Condensation

Where heating is provided in the house it should be used effectively. If the heating provided is not used correctly you will be responsible for making good any areas affected by condensation damage.

Understanding condensation

Condensation is an extremely underestimated cause of damage to your home. It is responsible for rot and can cause mould and fungal growth on walls and ceilings and, if not dealt with, can damage your health.

All air contains water vapour. The quantity contained depends on the temperature of the air. Hot air is able to carry more moisture than cold air so as the temperature of air rises it is able to hold a greater volume of vapour.

As soon as warm air containing vapour hits a cooler surface it will condense. This is most obvious on windows and wall tiles but it is also happening on the walls and ceilings. Unfortunately it is not enough to just warm the house thoroughly as air temperature will rise until it finds a surface cooler unless you let some of the warm air out and cooler air in. Moisture soaks into the walls, invites fungicidal spores, which develop into mould. This can cause breathing problems if not checked and sometimes irreparable damage to walls and furniture.

Ventilation therefore is the answer to condensation. There are many ways to deal with the effects of condensation, but only one way to deal with the cause – you must ensure the house is adequately ventilated.

Heating systems

Do not report appliances as ‘broken’ because no one knows how to turn on the system. Where there is uncertainty as to how you heating system works contact the housing office for advice.

Electric storage heaters should be self explanatory but tenants should note that clothes should not be hung over these appliances to dry as this constitutes a significant fire risk.

Pest control

It is generally your responsibility to deal with pests.

Due to the damp climate slugs are the most common pests you might experience while living off campus. Slugs can become a common problem. They feed mainly at night and leave silvery trails to indicate their presence. As a temporary solution talcum powder or flour can be put down to provide a barrier. Slug pellets can also be obtained from most hardware shops and local supermarkets.

Guests

The tenants are entitled to use the property only as a private dwelling house to be occupied by no more than the number of students specified on the Lease Agreement. Tenants may allow guests to stay on an ad hoc basis as long as no such guests stay for more than three consecutive nights.

Noise, nuisance and neighbour disputes

One of the advantages of living independently off campus is that you can entertain your friends and throw the occasional party. However noise can be a cause of major upset between students and neighbours and if someone complains about your behaviour, you be fined by your college, investigated by Environmental Health or charged of a criminal offence by Lancashire Police.

When you are living as part of a community, you need to be aware that your neighbours may be elderly, they may work shifts or they might have young children, thus these few simple rules should be followed:

• Keep the volume of your music down, particularly after 11.00pm in the evening. Tell your neighbours that you don’t mind turning the volume down if they ask.
• Arrange any party for a Friday or Saturday evening, when neighbours are less likely to have to get up early
• Don’t invite more guests than you can cope with, issue invitations only and don’t make it an ‘Open House’
• Do not encourage guests to go into the garden and do not allow them to stand around in the street
• Should your party get out of hand, do not be afraid to call the police yourself and remember that any damage resulting from a party will have to be paid for by your group

Parking

Some areas of Lancaster are residents parking only. If your rent a property in such an area you will need to apply for a parking permit from Lancaster City Council. Permits cost £20 per annum or £1 for a visitors permit. Usually the City Council will require a copy of your tenancy agreement to confirm residential status.

Repairs

If you need to report any repairs please do so by contacting the housing office by email: lusu.housing@lancaster.ac.uk or by telephoning: 01524 594003. Out of hour emergency repairs should be report to Security or Progress Plus depending on the problem.

Do not, except in an emergency, contact the property owner. If repairs are reported to a third party the university is unable to ensure they are completed on time.

Who is responsible for what repairs?

You are responsible for:

• Replacing light bulbs (except for fluorescent tubes or sealed lights)
• Unblocking sinks, drains (food debris)
• Putting right any damages caused to the property/furniture -over and about standard wear and tear
• Replacing vacuum cleaner bags and unblocking hoses as necessary
• If you have outside drains with an exposed drain cover (which can get blocked with leaves), it is your responsibility to make sure the grill is cleaned regularly so that waste water does not overflow into the yard/garden

LUSU Housing or the property owner will be generally be responsible for arranging any other repairs, but if you or your household are unsure you should seek clarification from the housing office.

Provided there is no evidence of misuse by you the tenants, the property owner/LUSU are responsible for all repairs, including repairs concerning plumbing, electrical and gas fittings – all of which are covered by LUSU Housing maintenance arrangement with Progress Plus.

Emergency Repairs

These are repairs that require immediate attention to avoid danger to health, are a risk to safety and may cause serious damage to buildings. Emergency works include:-

1. Securing the property e.g. doors, windows after a burglary
2. Leaks on gas appliances (covered by maintenance contract see above)
3. Burst pipes
4. Blocked WC’s where premises contain only 1 toilet
5. Serious electrical faults (total loss of power)
6. Serious heating problems (total loss of heat)
7. Serious storm, accident or flood damage to the building

In the case of an emergency arising out of office hours, you should telephone University Security on 01524 594541 or Progress Plus 0845 389 9519, who will be able to provide assistance

Access to Your LUSU Lets Property for Repairs

In reporting a problem that needs repair, you are giving your consent to a contractor entering your property to carry out the necessary work (they will be provided with a key by the housing office). Please note that repair jobs often involve disruption to a house and tenants are expected to assist those undertaking work, including the moving of personal belongings out of the affected area and undertaking light cleaning after work has taken place.

Cleaning

As a tenant you are required and expected to treat the property properly. In order to prevent damage a property must be cleaned regularly. Cleaning should include:

• Hoover – you must vacuum on a regular basis.
• Cooker – you must clean the cooker after use as a build-up of grease can presents a fire risk.
• Fridge or fridge freezer – must be checked regularly for our of date foods etc
• Bathrooms – you must make sure that bathroom areas are kept clea.n Shower curtains should be washed to prevent growth of mould
• Carpets and upholstery – should have stains removed immediately to prevent permanent damage
• Paintwork – you must wipe all paintwork down, if not during your tenancy then certainly at the end of it
• Drains and sinks – these often become blocked because grease, food scraps or other solid waste has been poured down them. Pouring a cupful of washing soda followed by boiling water down drains/sinks should help, but you may have to repeat for severe blockages.

Decorating

No redecoration of the property or structural alteration may be made without consent, in writing from the property owner, obtained through LUSU Housing.

LUSU Lets Home Visits

All houses our LUSUS Let properties are visited at least once a term to ensure they are being looked after, whether there are any outstanding repairs and if further cleaning is required. Any problems identified will be brought to your attention and a further inspection will be carried out if necessary. If there is no improvement on the second visit each tenant will be fined £10 and contract cleaners will be called in with the group or individual invoiced for the cost.

A minimum of 24 hours notice should be given prior to a Home Visit and we do ask that a member of the household be available so that any problems may be discussed.
Smoking

All our LUSU Let properties are non-smoking.

Moving out of Your LUSU Let property

Key Return

You should return your keys in person to the housing office before or on the last day of your tenancy. Failure to return your keys by this date may incur an additional rent charge in addition to the cost of key cutting.
Post

Tenants are advised to redirect their mail prior to vacating their house as LUSU Housing can in no way be responsible for collecting and forwarding mail.

The Post Office operate a very useful scheme for redirecting mail at a low cost: www.postoffice.co.uk Tenants wishing to have mail redirected should use this scheme and are advised to inform the Post Office as early as possible of your new address.

End of Tenancy

In order to avoid incurring charges after you reach the end of your tenancy, please ensure that:

1. All keys are returned to the housing office upon vacating the property
2. The house is clean throughout as advised to you in the End of Tenancy Notes
3. You have fully paid your rent account final
4. The property is left in a good clean condition with no deterioration of the house beyond ‘fair wear and tear’.

You will be given a copy of our end of tenancy notes towards the end of your tenancy. Please read these carefully as many points will be covered.

If a tenant feels that a charge has been made unfairly they should write to the housing office within 14 days of receiving any invoice. Please note LUSU Housing will only respond to formal representations unless there are exceptional circumstances

Contract Renewals of a Further Year

Existing LUSU Let tenants are given first option on renewing their tenancy agreement for their current property or prioritized in the allocation of properties should they require an alternative house. The renewal of lease agreements is normally arranged at the beginning of November with leases needing to be returned by the 3rd Monday in November.