At OpenArch we aim to be as helpful and transparent as possible and we welcome the opportunity to provide helpful advice and guidance. The following links to associated websites may also provide helpful information.
Council tax is not included in your rent but, provided you are a full time student for the duration of your tenancy term, you will be exempt from council tax. However, if your course dates differ from your tenancy dates then you would be responsible for council tax for those days that your course dates do not cover. This will be calculated on a daily basis and we will advise you of this charge during your tenancy. Please see the following link for the definition of a student for council tax rules:
https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/discounts-for-students-and-school-leavers
It is a legal requirement for landlords and letting agents to protect tenants’ deposits with a government scheme. Here at OpenArch, we use ‘MyDeposits’:
https://www.mydeposits.co.uk/
We must provide each new tenant with the current ‘How to Rent’ guide, published by the government. This guide is for tenants and landlords, to help them understand their rights and responsibilities. Although we will provide this information should you choose to rent from us, you can also find a copy here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-rent
Before the start of a new tenancy we are obliged by law to check that all tenants aged 18 or over can legally rent a residential property. This means we will need to see, and take copies of, any relevant documents. Full guidance on which documents are acceptable can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/right-to-rent-document-checks-a-user-guide
By law, all letting agents must join an authorised consumer redress scheme. OpenArch are members of the Property Redress Scheme:
http://www.theprs.co.uk/
All our student tenants are required to have guarantor with a UK bank account and we appreciate that sometimes this may not be possible. There are companies that will provide a guarantor service for you, one of whom is ‘Housing Hand’:
https://www.housinghand.co.uk/
Other useful links:
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/
http://www.arla.co.uk/
https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/
https://eastcambs.gov.uk/
https://www.peterborough.gov.uk/
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/
http://www.studentpad.co.uk/
https://www.anglia.ac.uk/