Frequently Asked Questions

FAQs

Paying your rent and other fees

Living with us

Features at our Properties

Contacting us

Legal Stuff

Paying your rent and other fees

How do I book?

It’s easy. There are 3 ways to do it:

• Register on this site and follow the booking steps starting with ‘View our properties’.
• Call the number of the property you wish to stay at.
• Or if you’re passing the property, you can just pop in.

How do I pay?

You need to pay your refundable deposit at the time you sign your tenancy. You can pay in cash or by cheque or debit/credit card. You can pay your rent in any of the following ways:

• Upfront in one go by credit/debit card, cash or cheque.
• Termly by direct debit (3 or 4 payments throughout the year).
• 8 or 10 instalments by direct debit. Please note that paying by credit card incurs a 1.5% surcharge

What happens if I don't pay?

For more information on payments click here

Any other fees?

Well, apart from your rent and deposit, you’ll need to pay:

• £99 instalment charge if you take out the 8 or 10 month payment plan.

And that’s it, unless you want the optional extras that we offer at certain properties, like car parking, highspeed broadband (in most cases where U-Want Internet is available, the basic “Lite” service internet is included in your weekly rent). Check your property details or speak to the Hospitality Team for more information.

What does the weekly rent cover?

This is for your room and the shared facilities of the property. It also includes U-Want Internet (Lite Service) and basic contents insurance. Ask your Hospitality Team for details.

What’s the instalment plan charge for?

This covers our admin costs if you want to split your payment over 8 or 10 months. This is spread over the instalments and paid at the same time as your rent.

When do I get my refundable deposit back?

When you book with us, you need to pay a £250 deposit. If you cancel before you move in, we keep some of it (see our cancellation policy for full details). We keep the deposit while you live with us and at the end of your tenancy, assuming the room and its belongings (including the shared kitchen and lounge areas) are in the same condition as when you moved in, and you’ve paid all your rent, you’ll get it right back.

What about the Tenancy Deposit Protection Scheme? What does this mean for me?*

Tenancy Deposit Protection (TDPS) is a new piece of legislation introduced by the Government in April 2006, for landlords in England and Wales. The purpose of the scheme is to protect tenants from unscrupulous landlords, who have been accused in the past of taking amounts from deposits unfairly. The legislation ultimately protects you, the customer, but also allows UNITE to follow a very streamlined process for disputes after check out .This also ensures that any disputes are dealt with by a third party who’ll make a decision based on information provided by UNITE and Customers.

For more information about TDPS, you can visit the following website : www.direct.gov.uk/en/TenancyDeposit

Is insurance included with my room?

Endsleigh Insurance Ltd, the UK's No.1 Student Insurer, is pleased to confirm that UNITE has arranged core contents insurance for their student accommodation. Once you have booked you can review your cover, insure additional items such as your laptop, mobile phone and pedal cycle and get your insurance certificate please log on to www.studentroomcover.co.uk

Is there a connection fee for U-Want Internet?

There used to be. However, we have since removed this, so there is no longer a connection fee.

Do I need to buy a TV Licence?

All homes in the UK require a TV licence. For more information on TV licensing visit http://www.tvlicencing.co.uk Please note that UNITE are not held responsible for ensuring you have a valid television license.

Do I need to pay council tax?

If you are living with UNITE then you will not need to pay council tax.

Can I pay my rent online?

Yes. Just log on to your personal homepage by clicking here and then click on the ‘My Statements’ link.

Why do I have to pay a surcharge if I pay you by Credit Card?

The Credit Card companies charge us for taking your payment, most companies increase the cost of their products to cover the cost. We don’t want to increase the rent for everyone so, instead charge a surcharge of 1.5%.

What’s the cost of the onsite Laundry?

The charge for a standard wash is £2.00, a super cycle wash is £2.50 and the dryer is £1.00 (prices correct 1st December 2007). For up-to-date information on the laundry facility click http://www.u-want.com/laundry

How can I change my instalment plan?

Before you move in you can make changes to your instalment plan. If you have signed your documents there will be a £50 administration charge (as we’ll need to process them again).

Are utilities covered?

All utility bills have been taken care of, as the first £350 you pay for your rent goes towards covering utility costs. So you don't have to worry about being lumbered with any electricity bills.

I don’t live in the UK and don’t have a bank account can I pay by card?

You pay your first instalment by card, though we do advise that you open a bank account and make any future payments by Direct Debit as it’s much more secure.

Living with us

Which cities are you located in?

We’re spread across the UK from Aberdeen to Plymouth. Check out our homepage for all of our UK properties.

Is there a curfew?

No. At UNITE we believe in independent living.

Can we have a party?

We don’t want to stop you from having a good time and want you to enjoy living with us, so yes, you can have a party but we do ask that you keep the noise down and think about your neighbours.

Can I have guests staying?

It’s your home so you can have guests staying over. We do not allow sub-letting (where you rent your room out to another person) but are not going to stop you from having a friend over from time to time.

Can I move in early?

Yes, we have a summer offer, where you can stay in your property at discounted rates. This offer is subject to availability. Please contact your local Hospitality Manager to see whether this offer is taking place in your property.

How do you decide who I will live with?

We allocate rooms based on your preferences. The preferences we have are: smoking, vegetarian, year of study and mixed or same sex. If you book online we’ll ask you a bit about yourself and a bit about who you want to share with, we’ll then search for rooms that match your preferences. We never allocate rooms based on age, nationality, religion, race, or sexuality.

How can I find out who I’m living with?

Obviously we can’t give you their names and personal details (they can do that when you meet them) but you can find the attributes and preferences of your new flatmates by logging on to your personal homepage (from www.unite-students.com) and clicking on the ‘My Flatmates’ link.

How do I decide which property is right for me?

Firstly, work out what you want from your new home. Most of our customers make their decision based on location, property features and local amenities. You can get to all of this information through the property info page. If you still can’t decide, why not contact a member of our team in the local area who can advise you on the best option for you.

Can I live with my friends?

Yes, you can book as a group (click here to access Group Bookings). You’ll need to process a booking for yourself first then we’ll send an email to your friends who can then come online and book in the same flat as you.

Can I recommend a friend to live with UNITE?

Yes you can, by logging on to your personal homepage (from www.unite-students.com) and clicking on the ‘Recommend a friend’ link.

Can I move rooms?

If you move in and you don’t like the room or you have friends in another UNITE flat you’d like to live with, then we will, wherever possible, try and move you if there is space available. Please note there is a £50 administration charge to cover the cost of preparing new documents and getting your new room ready.

I’m a part-time student, can I live with UNITE?

The indicator we use is whether you are exempt from council tax. If this is the case then you are able to live with us (check with your University for details on council tax exemption).

I’m not a student, can I still live with UNITE?

UNITE provides accommodation for students and can therefore only accommodate students; we do however recommend www.livocity.co.uk who are a new concept in rented accommodation for graduates, founded on a single and simple idea: create a place that makes living really easy.

I don’t live in the UK and don’t have a bank account can I pay by card?

You pay your first instalment by card, though we do advise that you open a bank account and make any future payments by Direct Debit as it’s much more secure.

Features at our Properties

Do you provide TV?

U-Want Internet TV provides television content over your computer network in your UNITE property. You have access from your PC or Laptop to a number of digital channels through the network. All you need to do is ensure your computer meets with the minimum requirements. Once you have registered visit http://www.tv.u-want.com/ to start viewing. Alternatively you will be able to register for U-Want Internet TV at any time by visiting www.support.u-want.com and choosing the upgrade tab.

If your property has a common room then, in most cases, there will be a large TV.

What TV channels can I get?

Some of the channels currently available are: BBC1, BBC2, BBC3, ITV1, ITV2, ITV News, Channel 4, E4, TMF, The Hits and BBC News 24.

Do I need to buy a TV Licence?

All homes in the UK require a TV licence. You will need to buy a TV licence for your room and if you live in a shared flat and have a TV in the common area you are also required to purchase a shared licence. For more information on TV licensing visit www.tvlicencing.co.uk.. Please note that UNITE are not held responsible for ensuring you have a valid television license.

What Internet service do you have?

We currently have U-Want Internet. The Lite Service, which is included with your rent, has a maximum connection speed of 512kbps. You can upgrade to the Super Service, which is up to 40x faster than a dial up connection and has a connection speed up to 2mb (speak to your Hospitality Team when you move in to upgrade or visit www.u-want.com.)

Is there a connection fee for U-Want Internet?

There used to be. However, we have since removed this, so there is no longer a connection fee.

Can I have car parking?

If your property has a car park there will be an additional charge if you wish to book a parking space. However, there is no guarantee that spaces will be available. Some disabled spaces are free of charge- check with your Hospitality Team for details.

Contacting us

How do I report a problem with my room?

We have a maintenance team on hand in every property. To report an issue please fill out a Maintenance Report Form, these are usually located near to reception. When filling out the form, make sure you provide us with as much information as possible to help us fit the fault quickly for you. Once the form has been completed, post it into one of our maintenance report form boxes, again these are usually located near to reception.

If you live in a London property, you can complete an online Maintenance Report Form from your personal homepage. We’ll provide you with a reference number in order to track the progress of your fault.

How do I make a complaint to UNITE?

We hope you’ll never need to make a complaint to UNITE, but we want to make sure it’s as simple as possible if you do.  It would be great to deal with your concerns straight away, but we recognise that sometimes we won’t be able to and we may need to consult with someone who can help or someone who is specialist in an area. Don’t worry; in these cases we have our own internal process to help us escalate your complaint.
In the first Instance you should have a chat with a member of the Hospitality Team. They’ll log your complaint and take some details to ensure we have a record of the complaint should we ever need to refer back to it. We’ll then arrange for the problem to be looked into and resolved as quickly as possible. If at any point you’re unhappy with the response to a complaint or wish to have your complaint escalated you should place your complaint in writing for the attention of the Hospitality Manager.

You can provide us with feedback about how we’re doing at any point, through the following ways:

• Face to face at your property with the local Hospitality Team
• Online by sending an email to CityName-sales@unite-group.co.uk, eg London-sales@unite-group.co.uk
• In writing to your Hospitality Team at your property.

How do I find out more information on UNITE?

If you want more information on who we are you can visit www.unite-group.co.uk

How can I contact UNITE?

There are many ways that you can contact us, each property has an email address (you’ll find this on the property info page), by telephone, by mail or face to face. Our head office address is: UNITE, The Core, 40 St Thomas Street, Bristol, BS1 6JX.

Legal Stuff

What are the Terms and Conditions of your tenancy agreement?

Click here to see our Tenancy Terms and Conditions.

Can I change my mind?

Before signing your documents you can cancel your booking. There will be no charge for doing this. If you’ve signed please refer to our Cancellation Policy.

How do I get a statement?

You can get a copy of your statement by logging on to your personal homepage and clicking on the ‘My Statements’ link.

How do I re-print my documents?

You can re-print your documents by logging on to your personal homepage (from www.unite-students.com) and clicking on the ‘Re-print my documents’ link.