FAQs

In order to secure a property and take it off the market you will be asked to sign a tenancy agreement. All documents are sent via email in order to limit the traffic into our office. You will also be required to pay your deposit once the contract has been signed.

You can either telephone us on 0113 2936080, e-mail us at info@astonproperties.co.uk Virtual viewings will be offered where possible.

All one and two bed properties require a deposit equal to one month’s rent. For large, shared properties of three or more bedrooms, you are required to pay a deposit of £300 per person. All deposits will be registered with The Tenancy Deposit Scheme (see below for further details).


You do not need to pay any rent at the time of signing but we will require you to complete a direct debit mandate to authorise the rental payments to be collected when they become due.

Rent schedules will be available in the tenancy agreement.

Yes we can arrange this for you.

As of April 2007 the Government introduced deposit protection schemes to prevent landlords making unwarranted deductions from your deposit. Any landlords holding money as a deposit on behalf of their tenants have a legal obligation to protect it. We are happy to oblige with this and we use the The Dispute Service (TDS) to protect your deposit. More information about them is available from our office or by visiting their website: www.thedisputeservice.co.uk

You will be asked to sign an Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement which will run for an agreed fixed term. This is a joint and several liability agreement which means you are all jointly responsible for the payment of rent for the property. To alleviate some of this responsibility from you and your housemates, we require each of you to have a guarantor.

A guarantor is usually a parent or guardian that is in a position to pay your rent if you fail to do so. We understand that finances can sometimes be tight as a student and will offer flexibility wherever possible if you contact us in advance about any difficulties you may have with regards to rent payment. However, there may be an occasion where you are simply not able to pay and it is for this reason that you are required to have a guarantor. We will discuss this with you in more detail at the time of signing and send your nominated person all the information needed. Copies of all relevant guarantor information, including the forms they will be asked to sign are located in the ‘Download’ section of our website.

A house manager is usually the most responsible tenant in the house. Their job is to be our single point of contact during the tenancy for any maintenance issues, problems in the house and at the end of the tenancy the deposit is returned to that person. It is their responsibility to divide this sum as you all see fair. We will ask you to nominate your house manager or ‘responsible person’ at the time of signing your tenancy agreement.

When you move in to a property you must take meter readings for gas, electricity and water (where applicable). You then have to register all utilities in your name and that of your fellow housemates, and give the companies the readings you have taken. Further information detailing what to do and who to contact will be given to you at the time of moving in.

Yes, you will need contents insurance for your own personal possessions. Many personal policies cover landlord’s property to a value of £5,000 which should be sufficient in the event of any accidental damage. The building is insured by the landlord.

Providing we have received all previously requested documentation and rent for your group, keys for your property will be available from 1pm on the date your tenancy begins. For many of our properties, this will be the 1st July and inevitably it will be busy. With this in mind it may be easier to collect your keys on another day if that suits you. Alternatively, you may wish to collect all the keys for your group at one time as they can be released to just one tenant. This may be useful if you have housemates wanting to move in on a weekend when we may not be open.

Yes. We provide you with a welcome pack via email before your tenancy starts. This contains a copy of the gas, electricity and EPC certificates for the house and the inventory. We also include detailed information about your tenancy and how to report maintenance. 

An inventory is a list of all the fixtures and fittings in your house and their current condition. Your inventory forms part of your tenancy agreement and as such, we ask you to complete this and return a copy to us within 48 hours of keys being received. This is beneficial to both you and us as your inventory details the condition of the property at the time of you moving in. It will be referred to at the time of your deposit being returned so please take care when completing it.

Unfortunately not. We find that pets cause unnecessary damage to the property whether it be from animal hair, odour or worse.

Please contact the office to discuss your requirements directly. Written permission needs to be obtained before you begin decorating. Please be advised that we do not allow any colours other  than magnoliaor white.  

Please use FixFlo to report any maintenance and we will arrange for the relevant contractor to contact you to organise the repairs.

Yes it can. We understand that times might be tight so we want to accommodate you as best we can. We will need to know your circumstances 3 working days prior to the direct debit being collected so we can amend the payment date to the middle of the month. 

Unfortunately not. Although we understand your desire for increased security, putting locks on internal doors is not something we can allow. Not only does it compromise your safety by affecting the fire retardant capabilities of the doors, it also creates licensing complications by creating a separate dwelling within the property. It is a clear condition of your tenancy that any internal locks are not permitted and will be removed by us.

All keys for the property need to be returned to Aston Properties by 11am on the last day of your tenancy. 

To get your deposit back you need to provide Aston Properties with proof of payment of your final utility bills including gas, electric and water. We also cannot repay a deposit when the tenancy is in rent arrears so please ensure everyone in your house has paid their rent. 

Technically yes but that depends on the house manager also. We will repay the deposit to the house manager who will have a breakdown of the charges. It is up to them to divide the amount depending on who occupied which room. Essentially the decision is down to the tenants.

It can take up to 10 working days after receiving proof of your final bills being paid, however we endeavour to return them as quickly as possible.

You can email Aston Properties stating what you disagree with and submit any evidence you may hold, we will then review any charges. We ensure the charges are fair are fair and justified and will have evidence to support anything deducted. If there is still a dispute then you can contact the TDS using the information on your certificate.

Customer Complaints Handling Procedure

Aston Properties are committed to providing a professional service to all our  tenants.  When something goes wrong, we need you to tell us about it.  This will help us to improve our standards.

If you believe you have a grievance please write in the first instance to the office manager at the address below;

Aston Properties

10 Ash Road

Headingley

Leeds

LS6 3JF

or

Email - info@astonproperties.co.uk

If you have a complaint, please put it in writing, including as much detail as possible. We will then respond in line with the timeframes set out below (if you feel we have not sought to address your complaints within eight weeks, you may be able to refer your complaint to the Property Ombudsman to consider without our final viewpoint on the matter).

What will happen next?

•  We will send you written acknowledgment of the receipt of your complaint within three working days of receiving it, enclosing a copy of this procedure.
• We will then investigate your complaint. This will normally be dealt with by the office manager who will review your file and speak to the member of staff who dealt with you.  A formal written outcome of our investigation will be sent to you within 15 working days of receipt of the original complaint.
•  If, at this stage, you are still not satisfied, you should contact us again and we will arrange for a separate review to take place by a senior member of staff.
• We will write to you within 15 working days of receiving your request for a review, confirming our final viewpoint on the matter.
• If you are still not satisfied with our final viewpoint (or more than 8 weeks has elapsed since the complaint was first made) you can request an independent review from The Property Ombudsman without charge.

The Property Ombudsman
Milford House
43-55 Milford Street
Salisbury
Wiltshire
SP1 2BP
01722 333 306
admin@tpos.co.uk
www.tpos.co.uk