Questions? Don't worry, we've got you covered

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FAQs

Here are a few of things we get asked most frequently. Can’t find what you’re looking for? No worries, just send us a message, or pop in and ask!

Can I redecorate my room?

Of course you can to a degree! You’d need your landlord’s written permission for things like painting or re-carpeting, but things like posters are fine provided you use special adhesive tabs such as Command Strips that don’t leave marks on the walls. Items like ornaments, rugs and nice stationery can really make a difference.

Am I allowed to have pets in the house?

Unfortunately we can’t allow pets in our houses. We need to think about the other people living in your house and the people who may live in your house in the future, including any possible allergies.

Are the houses covered by safety certificates?

Yes, all our houses are covered by all regulatory certificates including, but not limited to, a Gas Safety Certificate, Electrical Certificate (valid for 5 years), and Fire Safety Certificate. These are always updated when they’re due.

Are there any fees to pay when I apply?

No, we do not collect any fees. You may be asked to pay advanced rent when you apply depending on the time of year, but there are no fees or deposits to pay.

Are we allowed to smoke in our rooms/houses?

All our houses are strictly no smoking inside, however you are welcome to smoke outside the house so long as you clean up after yourself, and it doesn’t cause any upset to your housemates or neighbours.

Are we allowed to use candles in the properties?

We recommend that you do not light any candles in your house, as these are a large common cause of dangerous house fires. You can get great replica candles from places like Amazon.

Are we liable to pay council tax?

If you are a student you don’t need to pay council tax. If you’re in a CSL managed house, you’ll need to bring us your Council Tax Exemption Certificate that you will receive once you have registered with the University. This is really important otherwise you may be charged by the council.

If you aren’t a student then you will be liable for council tax, unless this has been included in your rent.

Can I pay my rent monthly?

If you are a fully managed tenant, you can pay monthly so long as this payment is coming from your parent/ guardian or guarantors’ account. Please contact our accounts manager to let them know you would like to pay monthly or for more information about how to do this.

Can I put pictures on the walls?

Posters are fine provided you use special adhesive tabs such as Command Strips that don’t leave marks on the walls. Please don’t use BluTack or WhiteTack as these leave oily residue that require painting over, and you may be charged for this.

Can my friends/ partner stay over?

As much as we love having you with us, unfortunately, we can’t allow visitors to stay for more than one day per week. Our houses are built to have a specific number of occupants, anything more than that could have a direct impact on things like extractors and heating.

Do I have to pay during the holiday periods?

All of our contracts are generally 12 months long. We’ve found this works better as quite a lot of our students get part time work to help pay their bills. A 12 month contract means you don’t have to move out, and can continue working through the holidays or hanging out with your friends, and there’s no need to take all your belongings home.

Do I need to have a TV licence?

If your house is all inclusive of bills and a TV is included in your common area, you won’t need an additional licence. If your bills are paid separately then you will need one! Unfortunately, irrespective of whether you’re an all inclusive tenant or not, you all need individual licenses for any TVs or gadgets that stream live or catch-up TV in your rooms. You can find more information for students here directly from the TV licensing website.

Does the house have insurance?

Your landlord is responsible for insuring the building, but you are responsible for insuring your own belongings and any fixtures and fittings that are provided by your landlord. We recommend Endsleigh who specialise in student house insurance.

How do I collect my keys?

If you’re a CSL managed tenant, you will receive an email nearer to the time your contract starts with a full list of instructions about how to collect your keys and move into your new home.

How do I deal with my rubbish and recycling?

At the start of your tenancy you will receive a welcome email with all of this information and it is available to you on the app which you will be invited to download when your tenancy starts.

The information varies depending on the area of Chester that you live. But the council have created some really helpful guides to let you know what they collect and when they collect it.

Usually at the start of term, you will receive some information through the post telling you everything you need to know too.

Make sure you do follow the instructions both we and the council gives you regarding waste, as tenants have been known to get fined.

How do I pay my rent?

All rent is to be paid by direct debit. If you need to pay by any other method please contact our accounts manager.

How do I return my keys during coronavirus (Covid-19)?

Once your belongings have been cleared from your house and you have left it clean and tidy you have 2 options:

  • You can put your keys in an envelope with your name on and post them through the door of our office (we’re the one with a yellow door)

OR

  • You can post your keys by special delivery.
    • The address to send them to is Chester Student Lets, 89 Garden Lane, Chester, Cheshire, CH1 4EW. When sending your keys please make sure they have your name inside the envelope with no reference to the address they belong to, and are securely sealed inside a food bag or similar to stop them cutting through the envelope during transit and handling. It is important you send these via special delivery so they can be tracked.

Whichever way you get them to us you need to ensure we receive them no later than 9:30am on the last day of your tenancy. Any failure to return keys before the end of your tenancy will be subject to lost key charges as per your tenancy agreement.

How do we pay our gas and electricity bills?

If your house is not all-inclusive, then bills are paid on top of your monthly rent. These bills are split equally between the number of tenants living in the house. If a tenant leaves at any time to go home for holidays etc. they are still liable for those payments as per the Tenancy Agreement. Depending on the supplier, the bills may be monthly or quarterly and will be sent directly to your house for payment.

How much is my monthly rent?

Your monthly rent is stated on the front page of your tenancy agreement.

I've got black mould in my room, what do I do?

Unfortunately due to the style of the houses in the student area of Chester and the large number of people in a house, this can be a common occurrence if the right precautions are not taken. If you’re a CSL managed tenant, when you received your welcome email, you also received a house handbook. There are step-by-step instructions in this booklet that will tell you how to avoid black mould, and also how to treat it should it occur.

I've remarketed my room, when will I receive a refund?

If your room has been successfully re-marketed and a new tenant has been found, once the landlord has accepted the tenant and all their fees/ rent have been received, you will receive a refund of any rent that is owed to you. Our property management team will be in touch to let you know once this can be processed if there are any refunds due back to you.

Is the house cleaned before I move in?

Yes, all of our houses are cleaned before you move in. This includes window cleaning, general cleaning and carpet cleaning where needed. Bear in mind that our cleaners will only be able to cover general cleaning – this relates to the cleaning agreement you signed when you signed for your tenancy.

Is the house furnished, if so what furniture is there and what should I bring?

All of our fully managed bedrooms tend to have a single or queen/ double bed, a wardrobe, chest of drawers, desk, mirror, notice board, desk chair, carpet, curtains, shelves, and a bedroom door lock. The living rooms have TVs, sofa, table and chairs (where they can be accommodated – unless they are in the kitchen). The Kitchens have fridge/freezers, cupboards, washing machines, tumble dryers (where they can be accommodated), table and chairs (where they can be accommodated) and microwaves.

You will need to bring: Bedding, pots, pans, crockery and cutlery. You will also likely need to provide internal bins toasters and kettles, though most people like to buy these items as a group.

What if I want to move out early?

The ‘legally binding’ nature of the assured shorthold tenancy agreement means that by law, you are contractually bound pay your rent until the end of the ‘fixed term’ and cannot be released before this date. Should you wish to leave before the end of the period stated in the agreement, put it in writing for us, and we’ll let you know what options are available to you.

What should I do if I have a problem or repair?

It’s really important that you communicate with us, and that we have a written history of any issues in case we need to come back again! Logging a repair is really simple – when your tenancy started you will have been invited to download an app, just find the most appropriate related task on the app and follow the instructions. Should an emergency occur, call us on 01244 374650 and follow the instructions for emergency repairs. Non-emergency repairs will be addressed during office hours, which are Monday – Friday, 9am to 5pm. We aim to get all urgent repairs completed within 48 hours, and non-urgent repairs completed within 14 days.

What should I do if I'm having problems paying my rent?

If you’re a fully managed tenant, you need to let us know as soon as possible if you are unable to pay your rent. Paying rent on time and in full protects you from the potential of a bad credit history. You should always speak to your guarantor if you are unable to make payments, as they are equally liable for your rent.

What times are you open?

Due to Covid-19 our office hours might be slightly different to below but we are still working, please contact us online via the normal channels or by clicking here.

Our office in Chester is normally open between 9am – 5pm between Monday and Friday.

We try to encourage you to send through any queries via our website, or using the app if you are a current tenant, as these are the quickest ways for our team to help to you.

There are days when we’re out on viewings or in meetings, so if you know you’ll need us on a specific day or time, please do get in touch in advance so we can try and book you an appointment.

When are my rental payments due?

Everyone who applies for a house with CSL is due to pay 1 full months’ advanced rent to CSL via direct debit before their tenancy starts. This is deducted from the total rent due for their contract.

  • If you are a tenant living in a house managed by your landlord you will pay all future rent payments directly to your landlord once your tenancy begins.
  • If you’re a CSL managed tenant, we will collect your remaining rent in 3 equal termly instalments (unless you have a parent or guardian paying your rent, in which case you can pay monthly).
    • Your termly rental dates will correspond with the most common student loan date.
      • If your student loan date differs from the standard loan date please contact us to let us know.
When will I receive my deposit back?

CSL do not collect deposits. We have put together a process to ensure that we don’t need to get a hefty deposit from our tenants at the start of their tenancy. Instead, we will ask for a guarantor and you will secure your room by paying 1 full months’ advanced rent prior to the start of your tenancy.

When will I receive my tenancy agreement?

As soon as your tenancy agreement is signed by your landlord both you and your guarantor receive a completed copy by email.

Please keep this email safe as we aren’t always able to reissue another copy upon request.

Why haven't I received your emails?

Occasionally our emails may go into your Spam or Junk folders, or Promotions folder if you use Gmail. Please make sure you check these places, and also add the domain @chesterstudentlets.co.uk onto your safe senders list.

Why is my monthly rent different from what I'm expecting?

Your monthly rent is calculated by multiplying your weekly rent by 52, and diving this by 12. As there aren’t always an equal number of weeks in a month, this ensures that all months cost the same amount.

Will I receive an inventory?

Yes, you will receive a general inventory by email. If there are any issues with your house, it’s recommended that you return your inventory to us (you’ll need to do this within 7 days of moving in) otherwise we’ll assume everything is as it should be.

The purpose of the inventory is to ensure that any wear and tear is reported so that you’re not charged at the end of the tenancy. You’ll still need to log any repairs separately.