FAQs

Normally 11 months plus the retainer, but this depends on the property.

Normally this is not necessary, we have the facility to do credit checks if necessary. We also require every tenant to have a guarantor and it needs to be someone that is a UK resident, a homeowner and fully employed.

Yes, all properties come furnished including kitchen appliances.

No, the price is per person in relation to the number of bedrooms in the house.

Unfortunately not.

For all tenancies there is an administration fee of £50 per tenant payable on the day of contract signing.

Yes - all properties require a deposit of £200 per person. However some properties may require a larger deposit.

All-inc tenancies: the rent includes gas, electricity, water rates, broadband and contents insurance, however these are subject to fair usage and any excess will be charged to the tenants. Non-inc tenancies: no bills are included in the rent. The bills are the tenant's responsibility.

Yes we have individual rooms to let within shared student houses - you will have your own room, but will share communal facilities.

Please enquire.

Our properties are fully furnished, but we do not provide items such as kitchen utensils and bedding, therefore you will need to bring these with you when you move in.

All-inc tenancies: broadband is installed and supplied by a third party. If there are any problems with the broadband it is the tenants responsibility to liaise with the supplier direct. Shields Student Homes cannot be held responsible for any loss of service.  Non-inc tenancies: broadband is not included in the rent.

Yes we are open for viewings on Saturdays from 10am to 3pm.

We need 24 hours to inform current tenants of viewings on properties. To arrange a viewing either call into the office, phone us on 0115 9411177 or email us at .

Ask the lettings officer where to meet your viewing rep – it could be either of the above.

All properties have a summer discount for the month of August. Please speak to a member of staff for more information.

Yes - however please ensure it complies with up-to-date fire and safety regulations. Please make sure you arrange your own storage for SSH furniture and remove any personal items before you leave. (Please don’t store furniture in the cellar).

Although the majority of our lets are to students we are a private company with no official affiliation to the SLC.

The rent is paid in 6 installments throughout the year as per your tenancy agreement.

Rent is paid by Direct Debit. Your rent will be paid automatically once this has been set up.

Anyone can pay your rent on your behalf, however the legal responsibility lies with you.

The Deposit is safeguarded by the Deposit Protection Service which is administered by: The Deposit Protection Service, The Pavilions, Bridgwater Road, Bristol, BS99 6AA. Email enquiries@depositprotection.com or call the help line on 0844 4727 000.

We appreciate that sometimes things can get tight however rental payments must be paid on time. If you fall in to arrears you will be charged and all guarantors and other tenants will be informed of the debt. Please refer to your tenancy agreement for details on charges that could be applied. The sooner you let us know of any extenuating circumstances the quicker we can try and work with you.

You can do, however you and the other tenants will need to find someone to assign over your tenancy. Once a suitable tenant is found they would need to fulfill all the necessary requirements and we would then need to add the new tenant to the contract. The cost of this procedure is 1 months rent and is payable by the outgoing tenant.

You can advertise your property for free by using websites such as Gumtree, Facebook and Myspace. If you would like Shields Student Homes to re-advertise your room on your behalf the cost is £100 + VAT.

Small repairs (i.e. changing of light bulbs etc) and the day to day running of the property are the tenant’s responsibility, however in certain circumstances you may not be able to solve the problem and therefore we would ask you to report this to us via the ‘Report a Fault’ form on the website.  We will be in touch to arrange any repairs necessary.  Please note, you will be charged for any call outs made which fall under the tenants responsibility or which are deemed unnecessary.

In properties owned by Shields Student Homes you may be able to decorate, providing you obtain authorisation from the office first.

We understand the need for privacy however locks on doors can create a number of issues. They can be a potential fire hazard and if Shields Student Homes needs to do any maintenance work inside the room we would not have access.  In some cases a call out charge will still be charged to the tenant and an additional charge may occur for removing the lock.  Another issue is with TV licensing as a locked door creates a separate dwelling which means another TV licence may be required. This can also apply to the Council Tax banding. We may allow an internal lock to be attached (with prior approval from Shields Student Homes) which gives the tenant privacy once in the room.

For Shields Student Homes to process your bond we need proof of payment of you final bills for Water, Gas, Electric and Council Tax. This proof can come in either the form of either a letter from your supplier explaining that your account is clear or your final bill and a stamp from the post office stating the amount that has been paid. If you are a student then we would need a Council Tax exemption form which can be obtained from Nottingham City Council.

Your deposit can take up to 14 days to process once we have received proof of payment for your final bills. Once the deposit has been processed it will be returned to you.