Tenancy agreement The type of agreement we use between the landlord and tenant is called an Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement (AST) under Part 1 of the Housing Act 1988. This is a legally binding document between the landlord and tenant outlining specific terms and conditions they must both adhere. Our AST come with an explanatory note explaining how to fill out the tenancy agreement as this may help tenants from abroad that may not be familiar with the agreement. We also provide a ‘household guide’ providing useful information for emergencies and utilities services to help you during your stay. All our tenancies agreement are either a 6 or 12 months contracts. We do not do short lets. We offer two versions of this Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement: (1) The Tenancy Agreement (House) to let a whole flat or house to a single tenant or joint tenants. In this case the tenants have joint responsibility for bills etc. This is generally easier to manage than (2). (2) The Tenancy Agreement (Room) to let a room within a flat or house to a tenant. If the property has several such tenants, each tenant is responsible for their share of bills etc. This is useful in situations where it is easier to find single tenants for rooms within a property who may wish to stay for different terms Deposit The deposit we charge each tenant is £200, which is paid on signing of the agreement unless otherwise stated. Please click on deposit to find out more about this. Utilities Tenants are responsible for the electricity, gas, water, and telephone bills, unless otherwise stated. Students are exempt from Council Tax. Please click on council tax to find out more about this. Saftey concerns All our properties comply with current gas and fire safety regulations. All gas appliances are checked annually by a CORGI registered engineer and a Landlords Gas Safety Certificate is then issued. A copy is usually left at the property for the tenants All soft furnishings supplied by the Landlord conform to the Furniture and Furnishings (FIRE) (SAFETY) Regulations 1998. We require that every property be supplied with a fire blanket and a minimum 1 kg dry powder extinguisher to be fitted in the kitchen area. A 9-litre water extinguisher should also be included. Smoke alarms are provided in all properties Smoke alarms need to be checked regularly and you should identify a means of escape in case of emergency.  Never disconnect smoke alarms and if yours are battery-operated, remember to check the batteries regularly.