Terms and Conditions

LIV Student Terms and Conditions – Version [2.5] June 2019

International Student Offer – Standard terms and conditions apply, plus those specifically listed.

COVID-19 CN International Student Offer (TC’s) V4[1].pdf

1. Booking a Room

An AST is a legally binding document, and tenants and Guarantors (if applicable, see 3. Guarantor Service for further information on requirements) should read this document carefully before agreeing to the terms of the agreement.

Our tenancy platform is via TenancySign powered by StuRents. LIV STUDENT will create an account for you on TenancySign. By sending us your booking, or booking via our website, you confirm agreement with TenancySign’s website terms, privacy policy and acceptable use policy.

1.1 Booking Options
There are three options for booking accommodation with LIV STUDENT:

1.1.1 Web Direct
To make a booking online, you will need to select the property and room type you wish to book and follow the on-screen instructions to complete your booking. You will be completing an electronic Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement (AST), and during this process you will need to supply all relevant documentation. Your window of time when booking online will be limited to four (4) hours from the start of the booking process to complete the AST; this applies to you and your Guarantor (if applicable). If you do not complete the AST in this time, it will be deleted and you will need to restart the booking process.

1.1.2 Via Accommodation Team
To make a booking, you are required to select your room type via our accommodation page. Once we have received your enquiry, you will be invited to complete an electronic AST, which will be issued to the email address you have provided. You will be required to provide all the relevant information requested during your online tenancy application. You will have up to 7 calendar days, or 2 calendar days during peak times, to complete your AST (the expiry date will be shown on your application). If you or your Guarantor (if applicable) have not signed and provided the requested documents, your AST will be cancelled.

1.1.3 Third Party Agent
To make a booking via a third party agent, you will need to follow their booking process. When the third party agent has processed your booking, you and your Guarantor (if applicable) will be required to complete an AST, which will be issued to the email address provided during the agent booking process. You will be required to provide all the relevant information requested during your online tenancy application. You will have up to 7 calendar days to complete your AST (the expiry date will be shown on your application). If you or your Guarantor (if applicable) have not signed and provided the requested documents, your AST may be cancelled.

Please note that third party agents may require you to pay booking/application fees direct to them, as well as subscribe to their own terms and conditions and LIV STUDENT shall have no liability for refunds of application fees paid to third party agents. Check with the agent you are booking with for this information. LIV STUDENT shall have no liability for the conduct of any of the third party agents you have chosen to book through.

1.2 Acceptable documents during Tenancy Application:

Tenant

  • Identification: passport, driving licence or photographic national identity card
  • Student status: valid student identity card or offer/acceptance letter from university/college

Guarantor

  • Identification: passport, driving licence or photographic national identity card
  • Proof of income: pay slip or bank statement (showing incoming salary)
  • Proof of address: mortgage statement or utility bill

All acceptable documents must be in English. LIV STUDENT reserves the right to reject any documentation that is not in English, or that is unclear.

All booking applications are subject to passing Right to Rent Checks. For more information, see www.gov.uk/landlord-immigration-check.

LIV STUDENT will review your signed AST and email you a countersigned AST confirming your booking. A member of the accommodation team will contact you if we are unable to countersign the AST, and they will inform you of the reason(s) why.

1.3 Booking Fee

To confirm your booking with LIV STUDENT, you will be asked to agree to an AST provided by “StuRents” and you will pay on or before Friday 7th August 2020: LIV STUDENT Sheffield: £200.00. The £200.00 is converted to your refundable deposit after your AST has been countersigned by LIV STUDENT, and this is protected with “MyDeposits” (an independent Government-approved tenancy deposit protection scheme). LIV STUDENT Dublin: €250.00, €50 of which is a non-refundable administration fee. On the commencement of your tenancy and receipt of cleared funds for your first rent instalment, your booking fee of €200.00 converts to a refundable deposit. Your deposit will be refunded to you at the end of your tenancy if there are no outstanding arrears and no damage to your room and/or communal areas.

Our payment system charges a flat payment processing fee of £1.50 to all tenants when the tenant pays booking fees, deposits or non-automated rent instalments via our online portal provider (StuRents) . For payments where the Payment Service Provider is outside of the EEA our online portal provider (StuRents) will continue to charge a card fee (up to 2%) on top of the £1.50 payment processing fee.

Please note that for the Guarantor signature, a non-refundable £/€1.00 fee is taken to verify the signatory as the payee.

Signing an AST and making a payment of the booking fee ensures your selected room type is held for you. Once your tenancy is signed by all parties – Tenant, Guarantor (if applicable) and LIV STUDENT – your booking will be confirmed.

Once LIV STUDENT has signed your AST, you will be sent a rent payment schedule and instructions on making your rental payment(s); see “Payment Methods”. You will not be able to move into the property if you do not pay the rent specified on your rent payment schedule.

2. Payment Methods

You have two payment options:
1. Pay in full
2. Instalments

Direct Debit For all our properties, we request you set up a Direct Debit from a UK bank account or Irish bank account for LIV STUDENT Dublin. A Direct Debit mandate will be sent with your AST and rent payment schedule. There is no charge for this service.

Credit or Debit Card Our payment system charges a flat payment processing fee of £1.50 to all tenants when the tenant pays booking fees, deposits or non-automated rent instalments via our online portal provider (StuRents) . For payments where the Payment Service Provider is outside of the EEA our online portal provider (StuRents) will continue to charge a card fee (up to 2%) on top of the £1.50 payment processing fee.

LIV STUDENT does not accept cash payments or cheques. Credit/debit card payments cannot be taken over the phone, or at the accommodation reception.

It is the tenant’s responsibility to ensure funds are available to cover rental amount(s) in line with published payment terms (see 2.1 Instalment Schedules); we strongly recommend that you apply for Student Finance well in advance if you are relying on this to cover rental amount(s). Non-payment will be treated in line with the LIV STUDENT debt collection procedure (details of which are available on request).

2.1 Instalment Schedules

Payment in Full

This will be taken in August, or if booked in or after August, prior to the AST start date.

Payment in Instalments (requires a Guarantor)

4 Instalment Option:
August:            10% of total rent (or before AST start date)
September:     34% of total rent
January:           34% of total rent
April:                22% of total rent

Payment in Advance of Check In

Best suited for international students. “No Monthly Guarantor” instalment plan requires 30% of rent prior to arrival, then seven equal monthly Payments until March. This option does not require a Guarantor.

The payment dates outlined in your contract are fixed and cannot be changed, so please ensure you will have the necessary funds in your account on the date rent is due for payment.

If you fail to make your first instalment/full payment on time, LIV STUDENT reserves the right to cancel your booking 14 calendar days after the date on which the payment was due. Your booking fee and deposit will be forfeited.

3. Guarantor Service

If you wish to secure your accommodation with us and you are planning to pay your rent in instalments, we ask that you provide a qualified UK Guarantor for LIV STUDENT Sheffield or qualified Irish Guarantor for LIV STUDENT Dublin. A Guarantor is a responsible person who agrees to pay any outstanding rent and associated rent recovery costs for the tenant for whom they are acting as Guarantor, should the tenant fail to keep up with the rent payments for the accommodation. The agreement is a legally binding document and should not be signed lightly.

Providing a Guarantor is common practice and provides LIV STUDENT with the security and knowledge that the rent will be paid in full.

LIV STUDENT will carry out all necessary credit checks as prescribed by law and will reserve the right to reject nominated Guarantor applications if the requested information is not provided and the nominated Guarantor does not meet the minimum requirements. The minimum requirements for a Guarantor are:

LIV STUDENT Sheffield: UK resident for a minimum period of 3 years with permanent address in the UK. LIV STUDENT Dublin Irish resident for a minimum period of 3 years with permanent address in Ireland.
In full-time employment (earning a minimum of thirty [30] times the tenant’s monthly rent)

“Housing Hand” can act as your guarantor if you do not have a qualified Guarantor. The Housing Hand guarantor service can be selected during your tenancy application. For more information on Housing Hand, please visit www.housinghand.co.uk.

4. Cancellation Policy

4.1 Cancellation cooling off period(s)
If you choose to cancel your booking with LIV STUDENT, you will have 5 calendar days after signing your AST to do so.

If you made your booking fewer than 5 calendar days before your AST start date, you may cancel your booking until the earlier of (a) 5 calendar days after signing your AST, or (b) the date you actually check in.

You may request to cancel your booking by sending an email to bookwithme@livstudent.com

LIV STUDENT will refund your deposit (less a £/€50.00 administration fee) within 14 calendar days of accepting your cancellation. International bank transfers can take longer to process funds and incur a transfer fee.

4.2 Cancellations after the cooling off period(s)
You will not be able to cancel your booking after your cooling off period has ended. You and your Guarantor (if applicable) will be required to meet the obligations set out within your AST.

4.3 Cancellations after you have moved into the accommodation
We hope you speak to our local property manager if you are thinking about leaving your accommodation. If you do decide to leave your accommodation during your contracted term, the landlord may agree to release you from your contract, providing the conditions set out below are met:

  • You provide sufficient evidence to support your cancellation request • You find a suitable replacement (who must be enrolled as a full-time student at a local university or college) to take a new tenancy agreement for your room for the remaining period of your contract.
  • The incoming tenant must enter into an AST with LIV STUDENT, providing the relevant requested documents, and where relevant also providing a suitable Guarantor.
  • Refunds due will not be processed until the incoming tenant taking over the contract has signed the AST, paid and moved into the accommodation.

If you fail to find someone to take over your tenancy, you and your guarantor (if applicable) will be responsible for paying the full rent until the end of your contracted time at the accommodation. You will also remain liable for the rent payment until the new tenant’s AST start.

4.4 Cancellations by LIV STUDENT or the Landlord
Our terms and conditions require you to sign your AST within the period specified on your electronic AST. If you and your Guarantor (if applicable) fail to sign your AST within this timescale, your AST will be automatically cancelled.

LIV STUDENT retains its right to cancel your AST and retain your deposit should you fail to provide a suitable guarantor for your tenancy on more than 2 occasions.
If for any reason LIV STUDENT is not able to offer you accommodation once your AST is fully signed, we will contact you as soon as possible detailing the reasons why, or offering an alternative solution. If we cannot offer a suitable alternative, we will refund all monies paid to LIV STUDENT. Should you decline the alternative accommodation, you can find a suitable replacement tenant to take over your tenancy and you and your Guarantor (if applicable) will remain liable for the rent payment until such time.

4.5 “No Place, No Stay, No Stress’’ – Flexible Cancellation

This offer is applicable to full time student booking for the academic term from September.

If you are a prospective full-time student, and your offer of a place at your preferred university/higher education institution is withdrawn or your visa application is not accepted, you may be eligible to receive a refund of your deposit minus a £/€50 fee.

To cancel under “No Place, No Stay”, you must supply either (a) a copy of a written rejection letter from your chosen university/college; or (b) a copy of the acceptance letter from a new university/college (c) copy of written rejection letter from your visa application. This must be received by LIV Student (bookwithmwe@livstudent.com) within 5 calendar days of the date on which you have requested a cancellation. On receipt of the required documentation, provided it is satisfactory, the agreement will be cancelled with a refund of your deposit, minus a £/€50 fee.

Delayed University Start? Stay Your Way!… flexible arrival date

This offer is applicable to full time student booking for the academic term from September.

If you are a prospective full-time student, and your offer of a place at your preferred university/college is delayed or moved to online lectures due to the COVID-19 pandemic during semester 1, you may be eligible to change the start date of your accommodation.

Students at Universities who have either delayed the start date of their courses or are delivering off campus (online) teaching in semester 1, can apply to delay their accommodation start date by up to 60 days – this will be split into two sections; a first offer of 30 calendar days, followed by and if necessary a secondary offer of an additional 30 days. During the agreed delayed period you will not be obligated to pay any accommodation fees.

To delay your start day under “Delayed University Start? Stay Your Way!”, you must supply (a) a copy of a written letter from your chosen university/college stipulating you course start date is delayed or reduced to off campus learning.  This must be received by LIV Student (bookwithmwe@livstudent.com) within 5 calendar days of the date on which you have requested to defer your start date or by 1 July 2020, whichever is earliest. On receipt of the required documentation, provided it is satisfactory, your tenancy start date and rental obligations will be void for a period of up to 60 calendar days.

Checking into your accommodation within the agreed delayed start date will void the “Delayed University Start? Stay Your Way!” policy.  Accommodation fees will be charged from for the day of check in.

4.6 Room Moves
We do not offer room moves once you have checked in. Nevertheless, in very limited circumstances and depending on availability, we may allow a room move. If you wish to change rooms, please contact the on-property team to discuss your requirements. If you are upgrading to a higher standard of room, you will have to agree to any uplift in rent. There is a £/€50 administration fee for changing rooms.

5 General Terms

This website is owned by LIV STUDENT which is the trading name of Valeo USL Limited, a company registered in England and Wales, with company no: 10947713, whose registered address is 71-75 Shelton Street, London, WC2H 9JQ. Our operations office is located at the following address: 28 Bolton Street London W1J 8BP

5.1 Please read these terms carefully before you start using our website, as these will apply to the use of the website. 5.2 Except where expressly indicated, nothing on this website constitutes an offer to enter into legal relations, including but not limited to contractual obligations and warranties.

5.3 While LIV STUDENT takes care and every precaution to ensure that the information contained on this website is accurate and up-to-date at the time of updating, which will be carried out from time to time as LIV STUDENT sees fit, the information on this website is disclosed “as is” and without any warranty of any kind. LIV STUDENT accepts no responsibility or liability for any loss or damage whatsoever caused as a result of any information contained on this website.

5.4 LIV STUDENT is not responsible for and makes no endorsement or certification as to the integrity or accuracy of the contents of any third party information included on this website. LIV STUDENT recommends that you verify such information with these parties directly.

5.5 LIV STUDENT is not responsible for the content of any external sites. Any links to external sites from this one are undertaken at your own risk and without reliance upon any information, representation or certification from LIV STUDENT, its employees or agents.

5.6 References to any product or service that has been or may be provided by LIV STUDENT or any third party company will not constitute promises as to the availability of such products or services at any time. LIV STUDENT reserves the right to make any improvements in and/or changes to products and services described on this website at any time without notice.

5.7 Please note that any personal information you provide may be used by LIV STUDENT or our agents for the purpose of customer/client administration as allowed by the General Data Protection Regulation and DPA 2018. If you do not wish your personal information to be used for this purpose, please indicate this by ticking the appropriate box when submitting your details.

5.8 Except as indicated, LIV STUDENT or its subsidiaries own the copyright to or valid licence in the contents of this website. All rights are reserved in respect of all trademarks, trade or brand names registered or otherwise, owned or held by LIV STUDENT.

5.9 This site is operated and controlled in the United Kingdom and is governed by English law. Those who choose to access this site from other locations do so on their own initiative and are responsible for compliance with local laws, if and to the extent local laws are applicable.

6. Legal Disclaimer

By using this website, you confirm that you accept these terms and that you agree to comply with them. If you don’t agree with them, you must not use our website.

6.1 The entire contents of any and all information published on the world wide web by or on behalf of LIV STUDENT is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind. Notwithstanding the above, and to the fullest extent allowed by law, LIV STUDENT hereby disclaims all warranties and conditions with regard to the contents of this information, including all implied warranties and conditions of merchantability, satisfactory quality, fitness for a particular purpose, title and non-infringement, except where such disclaimers are held to be legally invalid.

6.2 In no event will LIV STUDENT be liable for any special, indirect, incidental, punitive or consequential damages or any other damages whatsoever, howsoever arising in connection with any of the information disclosed or available on its world wide website from time to time, even if LIV STUDENT has been advised of the possibility of such damages.

6.3 The information may contain technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. Changes are made periodically to the information and LIV STUDENT reserves the right to make any improvements and/or changes to the contents of this site or to any of its products or services described on its web pages at any time and without notice.

6.4 Reproduction, transfer, distribution or storage of part or all of the contents of the LIV STUDENT web pages in any form without the prior written consent of LIV STUDENT is strictly prohibited. Individual documents in our web pages may be subject to additional terms as indicated in those documents.

6.5 The contents of this site are protected by copyright and other proprietary rights, which are the property of LIV STUDENT as owner or authorised licensee, and are subject to the following copyright notice.

6.6 All images and floor plans are indicative, and actual rooms, unless specified, may vary in layout.

LIV STUDENT. All rights reserved.

Equality and Diversity Policy

1. Our Commitment
LIV STUDENT is committed to creating an inclusive environment that values diversity, fairness and mutual respect in its employment practices and activities. We appreciate the differences and similarities between people and strive to meet their individual needs in a variety of ways. Our goals are to:

  • recruit people from backgrounds representative of our local communities and our students (referred to below as guests), and provide equal opportunities in employment;
  • welcome guests from all backgrounds and cultures and make them feel supported and included by the community in which they live and study;
  • provide fair access and treatment to suppliers and partners delivering our services and products; and
  • support and develop our relationships with diverse local organisations. LIV STUDENT actively opposes and is fully committed to the elimination of unlawful and unfair discrimination in its employment and business practices. All employees are responsible for the promotion and advancement of this policy. Behaviour, actions or words that transgress this policy will not be tolerated and will be dealt with in accordance with LIV STUDENT’s disciplinary policy. These commitments are underpinned by LIV STUDENT’s core values and strategic goals and are embedded into every aspect of its business.

This policy is not contractual.

2. Policy Aims
This policy is intended to assist LIV STUDENT put in into practice the commitments outlined above and to ensure that employees do not commit unlawful acts of discrimination.

3. Scope
This policy applies to all employees, contractors, consultants, casual workers and agency staff. It also applies to all processes relating to employment and training and to any dealings with our guests, clients, suppliers and business partners. All employees are required to become familiar with and observe the spirit and letter of this policy together with LIV STUDENT’s Equal Opportunities and Dignity at Work Policy.

4. The law
LIV STUDENT will comply with the law and will not discriminate because of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race (which includes colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins), religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation (“Protected Characteristics”) It will not discriminate because of any other irrelevant factor and will build a culture that values meritocracy, openness, fairness and transparency.

5. Definitions
Direct discrimination occurs when a person treats another less favourably than they treat or would treat others because of a protected characteristic.
Less favourable treatment occurs if you put someone at a clear disadvantage compared with others; for example, being deprived of a choice or excluded from an opportunity.
Associative discrimination occurs where an individual is directly discriminated against or harassed for association with another individual who has a protected characteristic (subject to some exceptions).
Perceptive discrimination is where an individual is directly discriminated against or harassed based on a perception that he/she has a particular protected characteristic when he/she does not, in fact, have that protected characteristic (other than marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity).
Indirect discrimination occurs when a provision, criterion or practice is applied universally, but its effect disadvantages people who share a protected characteristic (although it does not explicitly include pregnancy and maternity, which is covered by indirect sex discrimination).
Harassment is where there is unwanted conduct, related to one of the protected characteristics (other than marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity which are covered by direct discrimination provisions in the Equality Act 2010) that has the purpose or effect of violating a person’s dignity; or is reasonably considered by that person to create an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment.
Victimisation occurs where someone is subjected to a detriment, such as being denied a training opportunity or a promotion because he/she made or supported a complaint or raised a grievance under the Equality Act 2010, or because he/she is suspected of doing so.
Failure to make reasonable adjustments is where a physical feature or a provision, criterion or practice puts a disabled person at a substantial disadvantage compared with someone who does not have that disability and no reasonable adjustments were made to enable the disabled person to overcome the disadvantage.

6. Promoting equal opportunities and diversity
LIV STUDENT will avoid unlawful discrimination in all aspects of employment including recruitment, promotion, opportunities for training and development, pay and benefits, discipline and selection for redundancy. LIV STUDENT will not discriminate unlawfully against guests using or seeking to use the services provided by LIV STUDENT. LIV STUDENT will make decisions relating to guests, clients, suppliers and business partners based on business related criteria only and any irrelevant information will not form part of the process.

7. Promoting an inclusive guest environment
LIV STUDENT will make every effort to meet the needs of its guests regardless of their backgrounds and will foster good relations with them and between them.

8. What we will do to achieve this

  • Make equality and diversity the responsibility of everyone working for and partnering LIV STUDENT.
  • Set equality and diversity objectives that have the support of the board.
  • Develop an inclusive culture with effective communication and codes of behaviour.
  • Work towards the elimination of unlawful discrimination, harassment, and victimization based on a protected characteristic, whether actual, perceptive, or associative.
  • Ensure our values, policies and day to day activities are consistent with this policy. ➢ Make our buildings and services accessible to all guests.
  • Make it clear that everyone has a personal responsibility to identify and challenge unacceptable behaviour at work and report any form of discrimination, bullying, unfair treatment or harassment.
  • Continue to enforce procedures that deal with all forms of discrimination, harassment, bullying and intimidating behaviour.
  • Integrate equality and diversity into training and development programmes and incorporate behavioural competencies into assessment and selection processes.
  • Establish education programmes for all staff (including programmes that move from awareness to behavioural change).
  • Provide additional training for line management to help them comply with this policy and deal effectively with complaints of bullying and harassment.
  • Establish effective links with appropriate local community groups for the benefit of our guests.
  • Build professional relationships with educational establishments and other organisations to develop a positive external image and to position LIV STUDENT as the partner of choice.
  • Regularly audit, review and evaluate progress and address any shortcomings.

9. If things go wrong
Please report any concerns you have to either your line manager, the HR Manager or the Operations Manager who can be contacted at:

p.brook@livstudent.com

LIV STUDENT will treat complaints sensitively and maintain confidentiality to the maximum extent possible.

10. Data protection
LIV STUDENT processes personal data collected in connection with this policy in accordance with its Data Protection Policy. Information about how data is used and the basis for processing the data is provided in the LIV STUDENT’s Team Member and Job Applicant Privacy Notices.

11. Review
LIV STUDENT reserves the right to amend this policy at its discretion.

12. Student Generator

T&C’s apply. Subject to availability at time of booking. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Valeo USL Ltd reserves the right to withdraw or extend the promotion at any time.