Student house features

All our student houses are furnished and have gas central heating. For safety reasons, often modern purpose-built flats have electric heating which heat the accommodation to the same standard. Almost all of our student houses are double glazed. Very occasionally there may be one or two windows in smaller rooms that are not double glazed (eg a separate toilet room). The front and rear entrance doors may not be UPVC double glazed.

  1. Rent
  2. Bills – all included
  3. Bills – not included
  4. Distances
  5. Baths/showers
  6. EPC (Energy Performance Certificates)

For the above reasons we do not include basic furnishings, central heating or double glazing in our property descriptions. Instead, we concentrate on the features particular to the relevant property or the extra or enhanced facilities.

Rent

In many cases the same rent applies for all the rooms. Where different rates are quoted, the different rates will be explained.

Usually student rents are paid quarterly, with the last three quarters timed to match the receipt of student loan payments. Where the tenancy starts in early summer there is an option to pay the first quarter in smaller instalments.

Bills – all included

The majority of our properties are bills included. Where we specify that all bills are included, unless otherwise stated, this covers the cost of:

  • gas
  • electricity
  • water and sewerage
  • internet

The figure is based on a genuine estimate of the expected cost of the services, based on historic use for the actual house, or a similar property, and assuming sensible use of heating through winter. As a rule of thumb the cost will be greater for properties with fewer bedrooms as the fixed elements are shared by fewer tenants.

Bills – not included

Some landlords are not willing to include bills, in some cases because they do not want the hassle of paying the bills, or they fear the possibility of the facility being abused and being left with excessive payments. If you are interested in a property where we indicate bills are not available but would prefer a bills inclusive option it is worth asking, as a landlord might be persuaded to take the leap!

Distances

The distances we give are approximate, being the shortest walking route. For the University of York we will use the JB Morell Library as our base point. For York St John we will use the Fountains leaning centre. It is worth thinking about where you will be commenting to based on your course. We recommend you also look at the map provided with each property description to compare the position with landmarks you are aware of.

Baths/showers

Here we indicate the number of separate rooms, not literally the number of facilities. Therefore, if the main bathroom has a bath and a separate shower cubicle and there is a second shower room, this would be described as two, as there are two rooms with washing facilities. Incidentally, it is very rare for a bath not to include a shower over it. Therefore, if the floor plans show a bathroom and shower room, in the vast majority of cases you can assume that this means two shower facilities. If this is important to you, in most cases the pictures and VRT should confirm the facilities.

EPC (Energy Performance Certificates)

Energy Performance Certificates illustrate the energy efficiency of dwellings on a scale of A-G. The most efficient homes, which should have the lowest fuel bills, are in band A. The certificate uses the same scale to define the impact a home has on the environment. Better-rated homes should have less impact through carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The average property in the UK is in bands D-E for both ratings.

Please call 01904 411111 if you have any questions, or would simply like more information, alternatively contact us now.