Only students who are currently a student at the University of Sunderland or those with a conditional or unconditional place at the University of Sunderland may reserve a room at
The Forge – U Student Village.

Rent can be paid:-

	In full by the 1st September 2010.
	In three equal payments on the 1st October 2010, 1st January 2011 and 1st April 2011 by standing order.
	Or in 8 monthly payments in advance by standing order commencing on the 1st October 2010, last payment being the 1st May 2011.

IF YOU HAVE A UK GUARANTOR YOU MAY PAY YOUR RENT IN INSTALLMENTS. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A UK GUARANTOR WE REQUIRE PAYMENT OF YOUR RENT FOR THE WHOLE TENANCY IN FULL NO LATER THAN THE 1ST SEPTEMBER 2010

Only the following forms of payment can be accepted by UK residents:-

	Standing Order
	Cheque
	Bankers Draft, CHAPS (UK Students)
	Online Payments through Paypal (Only accepted for the payment of the £300.00 reservation fee).

Only the following forms of payment can be accepted from EU/International students:-

	SWIFT/IBAN – (if any charges are by incurred by u-student.com when receiving a payment of this type, they will be charged to the student)
	Online Payments through Paypal (Only accepted for the payment of the £300.00 reservation fee.)

GUARANTOR

For all tenants (unless paying their rent in full in advance) a Guarantor Form must be completed by a Parent/Guardian and returned at the time of reservation, the Guarantor must be a UK Resident. Please note that credit references will be taken. If rent payments are late or if standing orders/cheques are not honoured interest charges will be added at a rate of 3 % above Bank of England Base Rate per day along with any charges that u-student.com might incur from their own bank.

CANCELLATION – PLEASE REFER TO “YOUR STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO BOOKING YOUR ACCOMMODATION” FOR FURTHER DETAILS

Please note that any cancellations must be received in Writing.

Subject to the cancellation rights set out in the “Step by Step Guide to Booking Your Accommodation”, in the event of you having to cancel your reservation with u-student.com the following applies:-

	The £300.00 reservation fee is non-refundable in all cases other than where the reservation is made at the time of having a conditional offer from the University and that offer does not progress to a full unconditional offer due to the students results. In this instance alone 50% of the reservation fee will be refunded.
	If you are in credit with your rent payments and you have to cancel for any reason, your rent is still payable up to the end of the tenancy agreement period or until such time that your room is let again and in that instance any unallocated portion of your rent received will be returned to you.
	If you have not paid your rent but have completed and returned all relevant paperwork, you must understand you remain responsible for rental payments even if you do not take up your room, up to the end of your tenancy agreement period or until such time that your room is let again.

YOUR STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO
BOOKING YOUR ACCOMMODATION

Thank you for considering u-student.com for your student accommodation.
We recognise you have a “choice”.
We aim to ensure we are your first “choice”.

Step 1 You have chosen the University of Sunderland for your studies and need somewhere to live. All university accommodation can be viewed Here. If you wish to live with us at The Forge – U Student Village your next step is to reserve your room.

Step 2 To reserve your room at The Forge – U Student Village simply click on 'apply now' to complete the form online and submit to us with your reservation fee payment of £300.00 payable through PayPal. Please ensure that you complete all the profile, guarantor and student details sections when booking.

Should you not be able to make your reservation online please email us or telephone us on Tel: 0844 5560668

Step 3 We will reserve your room for you and send you an email confirming receipt of your application

Step 4 We will then carry out the necessary student verification and credit checks

Step 5 You will then receive by email your Tenancy Pack (consisting of Tenancy Agreement, Accommodation Handbook, Parent/Guardian Guarantor Form, Standing Order, Wireless Internet Connection Booklet/Form) which you should read and check carefully before completing fully, including signing where required. If you have an UNCONDITIONAL OFFER or are a RETURNING STUDENT please ensure the completed Tenancy Pack with damages deposit (£317.50) is returned to us within 7 days of receipt; or, if you have a CONDITIONAL OFFER no later than 7 days after publication of A Level results. Please understand we can do nothing further until we receive a complete and correct Tenancy Pack and damages deposit payment from you.

Step 6 Upon receipt from you we carefully check and approve (or return to you if incorrect/incomplete) your Tenancy Pack, we will send you a confirmation email.

Step 7 Approximately 2 weeks prior to your arrival date we will email confirmation of your arrival arrangements

Step 8 Upon arrival you will receive your copy of your completed Tenancy Pack, sign in, receive your keys (and any pre-booked Essential Packs) and settle in to your student life at The Forge – U Student Village

Distance Selling Information

Under the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000, we are required to provide you with certain information as we have not met with you face to face before entering into a contract (Tenancy Agreement) with you.

The name of the supplier of your accommodation is U Student (Sunderland) Limited and its contact details are:
Address:
The Forge – U Student Village
Neville Road
Sunderland
SR4 6PL
Telephone: 0844 5560 668
Email: admin@u-student.com

The service which we will be supplying to you is a furnished study bedroom on a self catering basis. Details of the contract period, together with details of the utilities and services included, are set out in the Tenancy Pack.

The price of the accommodation and arrangements for payment are set out in the guide entitled “What does it Cost? – How do I Pay?” which is enclosed in your Tenancy Pack, but in summary, you make a legally binding commitment to pay rent for the full period of your contract. This rent price includes all charges for utilities (gas, electricity and water) and restricted broadband access, but not telephone services.

If we have not met with you prior to you entering into the contract, you have the right to cancel your contract by giving us written (by e-mail, fax or recorded post) notice within 7 working days, beginning on the day after the date the contract becomes binding. Once the Tenancy Pack (including the signed Tenancy Agreement) is received and checked by us, you will receive a dated email of confirmation, which will be considered as the date at which the contract becomes binding.

You cannot cancel once we have started to provide the accommodation to you, even if this is within 7 days of our confirmation email. After you collect the keys and/or place belongings in the accommodation and/or move in, it is too late to cancel.

There is no extra charge for booking your accommodation by post or other means of distance communication.

The offer of accommodation and the price remain valid until the deadline stated in Step 5 above. After that date the offer will automatically lapse if you have not accepted it.

Subject the above provisions regarding your cancellation rights, in the event of you having to cancel your reservation with us the following applies:-

	The £300.00 reservation fee is non-refundable in all cases other than where the reservation is made at the time of having a conditional offer from the University and that offer does not progress to a full unconditional offer due to the students results. In this instance alone 50% of the reservation fee will be refunded.
	If you are in credit with your rent payments and you have to cancel for any reason, your rent is still payable up to the end of the tenancy agreement period or until such time that your room is let again and in that instance any unallocated portion of your rent received will be returned to you.
	If you have not paid your rent but have completed and returned all relevant paperwork, you must understand you remain responsible for rental payments even if you do not take up your room, up to the end of your tenancy agreement period or until such time that your room is let again.

Data Protection Act

U Student (Sunderland) Limited is a data collector and is registered with the Office of the Information Commissioner as required under the Data Protection Act 1998. We require certain information from you to enable us to manage the accommodation and will only process your personal data in accordance with our registration and current data protection legislation. For further details on how we deal with your personal information please go to our Privacy Policy

We hope you find the Frequently Asked Questions below useful. Should you have a question which we have not covered, please first refer to the Accommodation Handbook before asking your Halls Manager

ACCOMMODATION

What types of accommodation does u-student.com provide?
The Forge – U Student Village provides newly refurbished, quality shared flats which are modern, secure, warm and clean. Each shared flat comprises of a fully equipped fitted kitchen, lounge/dining area, separate shower rooms and WCs and 4 to 9 study bedrooms.

Each study bedroom comprises of a single bed with storage underneath, wardrobe, work station, bedside table, vanity unit with wash hand basin. There are onsite coin operated laundry facilities, common room with access to PCs, car parking, bike storage, a number of accessible en-suite study rooms as well as 2 standard en-suite rooms

Can I be on the same floor as a friend?
We will do all we can to place friends as close as possible though we cannot guarantee this.

Is the accommodation just for 1st year students?
No, u-student.com accommodation is available to university students of all years providing that they are over 18.

Can I view the accommodation?
Yes, but only by prior arrangement with u-student.com. See the floor plans by clicking below:

Marr House:

Click HERE to view the floor plans

What sizes are the study bedrooms?
Approximately 10m sq

I am going to be studying at university for 3 or 4 years, am I able to live at The Forge – U Student Village for the duration of my course?
Yes, accommodation is available for a minimum of a 40 week tenancy per annum, for students wanting to secure their accommodation in advance for more than this, we can offer tailor made packages, please contact u-student.com.

Can I request to move into a flat, which is single sex only?
We will do our best to accommodation people in single sex flats if they request this but we can not make any guarantees

Is smoking allowed in the accommodation?
No, smoking is NOT allowed in the accommodation.  Smoking is only permitted in certain areas. Please see the Accommodation Handbook for further information.

Are there laundry facilities?
Yes, full coin operated laundry facilities are available on site

RENT

How many weeks is the tenancy?
The tenancy is a minimum of 40 weeks.

Can I have a short term contract?
Please contact u-student.com.

How much is the reservation fee?
How much is the damages deposit?

Reservation fee is £300.00.

Damages deposit is £300.00 this will be refunded at the end of the tenancy after any deduction has been made for any repairs, vandalism, cleaning, renewal costs that may have occurred during the tenancy.

A £17.50 payment is also required to cover the costs of the Tenancy Deposit Scheme. This will not be refunded at the end of the tenancy.

What is the Tenancy Deposit Scheme?
The Tenancy Deposit Scheme was introduced in April 2007. The aim of the legislation is to ensure that a tenant paying a deposit, and who is entitled to get all or part back at the end of the tenancy, does so. If a Landlord is not part of the Scheme they are breaking the law. For further information please go to www.mydeposits.co.uk

How much is the rent?
Please see “What does it cost? – How do I pay?”

How is the rent to be paid?
Please see “What does it cost? – How do I pay?”

Can I stay in my accommodation over the holidays?
Yes you can stay in your accommodation for the full tenancy period, if you plan to leave your accommodation for more than 3 consecutive days you must notify your Halls Manager of your plans

If I go home during the holidays do I have to move my personal belongings out of my room?
No, the only time you are required to move your belongings out of your room is at the end of the tenancy period

What does the rent include?
Rent includes:-
Shared Internet access
Electricity
Heating
Water
General cleaning
Personal belongings insurance

MISCELLANEOUS QUESTIONS

Are my own personal goods insured whilst I live at The Forge – U Student Village?
Yes, personal belongings insurance is included in the rental price.

What do I need to bring with me?
All your personal belongings including bed linen and towels. Please remember that heaters of any kind are not permitted anywhere within the accommodation.
u-student.com provides fully equipped kitchens including all crockery, utensils, pots, pans & a dishwasher. Please remember that no cooking or naked flames are permitted within the bedrooms.

What do I need to do if I bring my own television with me?
If you are bringing your own TV to The Forge – U Student Village you will need to organise your own TV Licence, this also applies if you watch TV programmes on your laptop or mobile phone.

For further information please go to TV Licencing website

Is there a telephone provided in each flat?
No, u-student.com does not provide phones at The Forge – U Student Village

Is there an internet connection?
Yes, students can connect their own pc to wireless internet connection available in each flat. The ISP provided is the only ISP that you are able to use from the wireless connection. For further information please refer to the Wireless Internet Connection Booklet.

Am I able to subscribe to Sky Television?
No, you are unable to subscribe to Sky Television.

Do you have any car parking facilities?
Yes there are car parking spaces available at no charge. If you require a parking space please make sure you book it at the same time you reserve your accommodation as they are allocated on a first come first served basis.

Do you have storage facilities for bicycles?
Yes, there is secure bicycle storage at The Forge – U Student Village, please ensure that if you are bringing a bicycle with you that you book at space at the same time as reserving your accommodation. Further information is available in our Accommodation Handbook.

Will I have to pay Council Tax?
In England we pay a tax to the local authorities for the services they provide such as rubbish collection, police and fire brigade etc. This tax is known as Council Tax, it is based on the value of each house, flat or other type of dwelling in which we live.

As a full-time student you may be exempt from Council Tax following verification from the University of Sunderland and Sunderland City Council. In the event that any such need arises it is your responsibility to provide u-student.com with written proof as such may be required that you are a full-time student. If you are not a full-time student you will be liable for payment of all of the council tax for the flat in which you are a resident.