Student Homes - FAQs

Our Student homes, ranging in size from 1 bedroom studio apartments to 10 bedroom shared houses, are located in the popular S10 and S11 areas of Sheffield:-

Botanical Gardens
Brocco Bank
Broomhall
Broomhill
Crookes
Crookesmoor
Ecclesall
Hunters Bar

We formally commence viewings from the 1st of November.

We can arrange viewings Monday to Friday between 11am & 5pm, or Saturday between 1pm & 3.30pm.

All viewing will be accompanied by a PC Properties member of staff.

During the viewing, feel free to ask as many questions as you like, e.g, cost of utility bills, what's the neighbourhood like, are there any maintenance issues, etc.

We would also encourage you to ask the current tenants any relevant questions, particularly with regard to the quality of service provided by PC Properties.

Please bear in mind that we always like to give current tenants at least 24 hours notice of any viewing.

A small number of our properties can be provided on a rent only basis, although the majority are let with the utilies package provided on a seperate contract between the tenants and Unihomes who will supply gas, electric, water & T.V licence services to the property.

Each tenant is billed monthly by Unihomes by Direct Debit.

Our web site states the rent-only rate per person, and also the rate including the above Unihomes package.

Broadband/WIFI is provided free of charge by PC Properties.

Before committing to any property, please do carefully consider the cost of renting and plan your budget for the year ahead, taking into account not only the rent, but also utility bills, food and other day-to-day living expenses.

Free Broadband/WIFI is provided to all of our student properties.
The WIFI service provider is Plusnet.
The WIFI is based on an unlimited managed broadband service.
The WIFI service is maintained and supported by a Sheffield based IT company - Gemfish Ltd.
In the event of any problem with the WIFI service, you contact Gemfish directly. They will undertake to resolve any issues usually within a 24 hour period.
Gemfish provide an excellent support service, and should you have any problem with your WIFI service, you will not be faced with the frustration many of us have when contacting the support desk of some of the larger internet service providers!

The refundable deposit is £150.00 per person.

Please note that you don't have to pay your deposit until the formal start date of your tenancy, normally 1st of July

Once you have paid your deposit, it is then transferred to a Government approved deposit protection scheme within 30 days of receipt in cleared funds.

PC Properties use the Deposit Protection Service (DPS).

On payment of your deposit, we then register it with the DPS, and you will then automatically receive e-mail confirmation from the DPS confirming registration. You will be provided with a link to the DPSweb site which allow you to access your individual account and set up a password.

Following registration of your deposit, it's then bank transferred to the DPS. On receipt, the DPS will e-mail you confirming they are holding your deposit.

Details of the DPS Custodial Deposit Scheme are as follows.

The DPS
The Pavillions
Bridgwater Road
Bristol
BS99 6AA

www. depositprotection.com
t: 0330-303-0030
e: contactus@depositprotection.com

As a full time student, you are exempt from council tax. PC Properties inform the council and register your exemption. However, the council may also contact you and request proof of your student status.

If Sheffield City Council contact you, it's important to respond immediately. They may ask you to provide proof of your student status. In which case, you can complete a student certification form on-line.

Copy and post the link below in to your web browser. Alternatively, your personal University account should provide a council tax exemption certificate for you to complete.

https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/council-tax/council-tax-discounts/discounts-full-time-students

Please note that if you were to cease to become a student during your tenancy, you may then be liable to pay council tax.

We recommend that you take out personal insurance to cover theft, loss or damage of your personal belongings.

Our insurance policy only provides cover for the building and our contents, it does not provide insurance cover for theft, loss or damage of your personal belongings.

Where the property does not have off road parking facilities and is in a parking zone, you will we be required to apply for a residents parking permit from Sheffield City Council

Copy and paste the following link into your web browser for more details.

https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/home/parking/apply-parking-permit/resident-parking-permits

Please note that you may only apply for a maximum of 2 permits per household.

The costs to apply for a permit are:

standard first permit £55.80
standard second permit £111.60

Locks are provided to all bedroom doors. You will be provided with two keys, one for the communal entrance door and one for your bedroom door. Please note that the door locks are compliant with fire regulations which enables the door to be unlocked from the inside without the use of a key.

The fixtures and fittings for each property may vary, but in general, a typical house will include;

Bedroom:
Double or 3/4 Bed
Wardrobe
Chest of Drawers
Desk
Chair
Cat. 5 Internet and T.V aerial points

Lounge:
Sofas
Dining Table & Chairs
42" HD T.V
T.V Table
Internet and T.V aerial points

Kitchen:
Electric Oven & Hob
Fridge/Freezer
Washer/Dryer
Microwave Oven
Chair
Internet and T.V aerial points

Please Note:
Tenant's own fridges or fridge freezers cannot be brought in to the property
Cooking utensils, cutlery, crockery, toaster, kettle, waste bins, mops, buckets, cleaning materials, iron/ironing board, and bedding are not provided by the Landlord.

Please refer to the relevant property for details of contents.

All properties are tested for the following;

Gas Safety (Annually)
Fire Alarm (At start of Tenancy & Periodic Testing)
Emergency Lighting (Annually)
Electrical Inspection (every 5 years)
Fire Extinguisher (Annually)
Energy Performance (every 10 years)

In compliance with Government legislation, any property which is let to 5 tenants or more, occupying 2 habitable stories or more, must be licensed with Sheffield City Council, and as such are subject to fire, safety, and health regulations. A copy of the relevant licence is available on request. Alternatively, you can visit Sheffield City Council's Private Housing Standards web site to confirm a current HMO licence is in place - copy and paste the following link into your web browser

https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/home/housing/licensing-houses-in-multiple-occupation

Alternatively, you may contact the above by e-mail to HMO@sheffield.gov.uk

In compliance with mandatory regulations, all required areas of the property have a mains wired interlinked fire alarm system, and as minimum include smoke detectors to communal areas.

Properties with 6 bedrooms or more also provide a smoke detector to each bedroom.

The kitchen will have a heat detector as well as a dry powder extinguisher and a fire blanket.

A carbon monoxide detector is also provided

Normally, a fire extinguisher is also usually situated in the hallway and on each landing.

All doors provide 30-minute fire protection

The tenancy is normally based on a 12 Month Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement, which usually commences on the 1st of July and terminates on the 30th June of the following year.

Where properties are under going a summer refurbishment, the tenancy may for example start in September.

Although some tenancy's are based on a 12 month contract, certain properties may offer a summer discount. Where this applies, confirmation is provided in the property details.

No, rent guarantors are not required.

Before taking up occupancy and In accordance with the Government's Section 22 of the 2014 Immigration Act, and Government legislation introduced on 1st February 2016, concerning "How to Rent a property in England", requires that all tenants must provide proof of identity.

If you are a U.K citizen, you must provide your passport, or any two of the following documents; a valid UK driving licence, birth certificate, or a letter from your University confirming your course acceptance.

We also require a copy of your Student University Identity Card.

Non-UK students must provide proof of their immigration status and right to study in the UK. a copy of their passport, study visa, University confirmation of acceptance, and Share Code issued by HM Government.

Documents will be photo copied, and in accordance with Data Protection legislation, copies will be held on file at the offices of PC Properties.

All of our properties are professionally cleaned, although this cannot be guaranteed from day one of your tenancy due to the short vacant period between the end of one tenancy and the start of the new tenancy, which is usuall just 24 hours!

Please rest assured that the property will be cleaned as quickly as possible and will be carried out to a high standard.

Houses left in poor condition by the outgoing tenants are of course prioritised.

If your house has not been cleaned at the point of moving in, please keep your belongings tidy until the cleaning is completed.

All properties are inspected at the end of each tenancy and we produce an Inventory & Schedule of Condition Report for our own internal use. Any repairs etc identified during our inspection will be dealt with as soon as possible.

We will provide and Inventory & Schedule of Condition Report for everyone to complete at the start of your Tenancy, and we would ask that it is returned by the 30th of September.

Most of our properties are rented on an all inclusive basis where gas, electric, water & T.V licence are provided by Unihomes (Broadband/WIFI is provided free of charge by PC Properties.

Where utilities are provided by Unihomes, the contract is directly between Uihomes and the tenant. Each tenant is billed individually on a monthly basis by Unihomes and payment is made by Direct Debit.

Where you have the choice to source your own suppliers, PC Properties will provide opening meter readings together with the name of the current supplier, should you wish to remain with them.
If you do source your own utility supplier, you should set up an account with your chosen Electric & Gas suppliers as soon as possible, usually within one week from the formal start date of your tenancy agreement. Please note that you are responsible for payment of utilities from the formal start date of your tenancy.
Water services are only supplied by Yorkshire Water
We recommend that any Gas, Electric or Water accounts are set up in your joint names. These are usually billed quarterly.

During normal office hours (Monday to Thursday 9.00am to 4.30pm & Friday 9.00am to 4.00pm), please contact our office at 398, Ecclesall Road, Sheffield S11 8PJ by telephone: 0114-267-6177 or by e-mail: info@pcproperties.co.uk

If the problem is a genuine Emergency, for example a water leak, and is outside of normal office hours, please contact our maintenance manager, Phil Darwent, on 07968-072610 or Peter Turkington (PC Properties Manager) on 07973-166691

There is an information board in every property (usually in the communal area, which provides the above number, other contact details and useful information.

Contact information is also contained in a welcome pack which is provided in hard copy and e-mail form.

We undertake to authorise the Deposit Protection Service (DPS) to release your deposits within 10 days from the formal end of your tenancy, providing that you have met the obligations of your tenancy agreement. Namely, that all rents have been paid in full and there are no deposit deductions such as cleaning and damages for which you maybe responsible.

Once we have authorised the DPS to release your deposit, we will send you an e-mail to confirm, and the DPS will also e-mail you to confirm that your deposit can be claimed. To do this, you simply log on to your account the DPS web site, enter your bank account details, and the DPS will repay your deposit, usually within 5 days.

We wish to emphasise that it is of course our objective to authorise the full and speedy refund of all deposits. But In the unlikely event there were to be any deductions for which we believe the tenant is responsible, we would provide details and costs and request agreement before submitting our deduction claim to the DPS. The DPS would then request the tenant's agreement for the deduction to be made. If at this point you disagree with the proposed deduction, you may decline the deduction. In which, case, your deposit would remain with the DPS. flagged as "In Dispute", until both parties have reached agreement.

It's very important to be aware that once you have signed the tenancy agreement, it then becomes a legally binding agreement in English law. Consequently, you cannot give notice to terminate the agreement before the formal end of the contract. However, we appreciate there may be circumstances where it may be necessary for a tenant to be released from the tenancy agreement. In which case, the tenant may be released from their tenancy agreement providing that they find a replacement to take over their tenancy, and where the tenancy is a joint one, this must be with the consent of all co-tenants. The tenant wishing to be released from their tenancy agreement would remain liable to meet all conditions of their contract, including payment of rent, up to the point the replacement tenant has formally accepted.

Once you have confirmed your interest in letting the property, we will provide a draft copy of the contract by e-mail for everyone to carefully read through.

Please don't hesitate to contact our office if you have any questions.

Before you enter into any contractual tenancy agreement, we would recommend that you make your parents of your intentions. If they have any queries regarding your proposed tenancy, then we would be pleased to answer any questions they may have.

Please be aware that once an Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement is signed and witnessed by all parties, it then becomes a legally binding contract in English law. In doing so, all parties will become liable to meet their obligations and conditions under the terms of the tenancy contract.

Please bear in mind that any shared house tenancy contract is a joint one. Consequently, all rent payments and any possible damages become the joint responsibility and liability of all tenants. Our tenancy agreement states; "The Tenant acknowledges that if more than one person is named on this agreement, the Tenant liability and obligations under the terms of the agreement shall be joint and several between those named".

The e-mail with the attached draft tenancy agreement will also include various information concerning your proposed tenancy tenancy, together with the U.K Government's How To Rent Guide, and also a Tenant Details Form for each person to complete.

In accordance with Government legislation introduced in February 2016, we will also require proof of identity, usually in the form of a scan or photo of your passport, together with your Student Uni. I.D Card. Alternative forms of proof of identity may in the form of a scan or photo of your birth certificate and drivers licence. Non U.K residents must provide a scan or photo of their passport, visa and a copy of their Universities acceptance.

Once you are happy to proceed, we would ask that you provide your confirmation no later than within 3 days from receipt of the draft agreement, together with above required documentation.

The finalised tenancy contract will be sent to you for e-signature via Docusign. We would ask that all parties sign the agreement within 5 working days from receipt. Once all parties have e-signed the tenancy agreement, each tenant named on the contract will automatically receive a signed copy for their records.