Information for landlords
The University of St Andrews has a direct leasing scheme which offers property owners the opportunity to lease their houses or flats to the University for subletting to groups of students.
The University is looking for furnished properties of a good standard which would be suitable for students. In return, the owner will receive:
- agreed rental payments (monthly in advance)
- a full management service during the tenancy
- the return of the property on the date at the end of the lease with reparation for any damage caused to the property by the tenants (fair wear and tear excepted).
There is a management charge of 15%, including VAT, for the direct leasing scheme.
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We are looking for self-contained accommodation in North East Fife for groups of up to five students. Although we would not exclude properties where two students would share a bedroom, we are seeking primarily those with single bedrooms.
The properties should be furnished to comply with the basic furniture requirement as detailed in the direct leasing scheme (Word).
We cannot accept properties where the landlord has already made an agreement with a group of students for the forthcoming session.
Where a property is rented to student residents or to a student couple or family, then the contracts are renewed annually as normal and these have a fixed start and end date each session. If rented to a staff member, however, then the property must now be let using a Private Residential Tenancy, which does not have a contract end date and also allows the occupants to end the contract early by providing 28 days’ notice of their intention to vacate.
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- Rental payable in full by automated bank transfer into a bank account for the first day of each month during the contract period.
- Elimination of rent arrears.
- Ready access during normal working hours to assistance, advice and information from staff at Property Services.
- Elimination of the time-consuming effort of contacting the various members of student groups since they and you will deal exclusively with staff from Property Services.
- Where a property is occupied by student residents, you are assured that because the property will be let by an Educational Institution to students of that institution that those students will not have security of tenure (Clause 2(1)(c) Rent (Scotland) Act 1984).
- At the end of the tenancy, the property will be returned to you in a state comparable to that in which it was handed over (fair wear and tear expected).
- No additional charges for drawing up a lease or inventory for property.
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Once an owner has indicated an interest in the direct leasing scheme, and the property appears to meet the University's general requirements, the Property Services team will inspect the property.
If suitable, then a reasonable rent would be offered and if accepted and agreed, Property Services will draw up a lease in a standard format provided by the University for an agreed period to a maximum of one year.
If the University is confident that tenants will be found readily, then the lease will be signed immediately. However, if the property is offered during the session for early occupation, the agreement may not be confirmed until tenants have been found and or secured.
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Property Services will compile an inventory of the contents of the property, which is checked with the owner at the beginning and end of the tenancy. Copies of this inventory are also given to the students for checking and will be used as the basis for assessing any reparation.
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During the tenancy, the property owner is responsible for all maintenance and repairs, and for keeping the property wind and watertight and maintaining all essential services. The property owner is not responsible for any maintenance and repairs occasioned by deliberate or negligent acts of the tenants or 'not occasioned' by fair wear and tear.
This includes responsibilities for any work which may fall under the Construction, Design and Management Regulations (CDM) 2015. As such, the University will no longer instruct work on behalf of our property owners except in an emergency, where the University will arrange for a competent contractor to make a property safe. Any work falling under the scope of the CDM Regulations will remain the property owner's responsibility and the University will accept no liability for any potential breach of the CDM Regulations.
Property Services will inform the property owner of any repair work that is required to their property, following our own visit and assessment. Property owners will then be responsible for engaging a suitably qualified contractor and we can provide a list of our University-approved contractors, whom we have used for many years, to assist with this. There is, of course, no requirement to use any of these contractors and a property owner can appoint and or instruct one of their own, should they wish to do so.
Property Services can continue to instruct contractors to carry out the required statutory safety compliance checks and letting certification for a property owner with their approval, and are happy to do this on their behalf. Accounts for the latter will be settled directly with the contractor on the owner's behalf by the University and the amount then deducted from the property owner’s forthcoming rental payment.
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Property Services staff will inspect the property at least three times a year, or more if necessary. If a property owner intends to let for several years in succession, then the owner is strongly advised to inspect the property annually to ensure that they have an accurate assessment of the condition of the property.
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The University will only lease properties where the owner has insured the building and contents against all normal risks and has advised their insurance company that the property is let.
Residents are responsible for insuring their own possessions.
Owners purchasing the property under a mortgage agreement should ensure that they are permitted to let the property under the terms of that agreement. A copy of the standard lease can be supplied for approval by bank or building society.
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The University is required to forward details of all rents paid during the financial year, on demand, to the Inland Revenue. The University may also be required to deduct a source income tax on rents of those properties where the owner is normally resident abroad.
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Before handing over the property to the University, the owner should finalise their utility accounts with their service provider and council tax responsibility with Fife Council. Property Services staff will ensure that the appropriate tenancy details and or information is provided to Fife Council.
The residents will be responsible for the transfer of the utility accounts into their names and for the payment of these during the tenancy period, directly to their preferred service provider. Responsibility for the utilities will revert to the property owners for the appropriate period should a property be vacant and unallocated for any reason.