The Priory Verified

CANCELLING A BOOKING 

If you accept an offer of accommodation online, or by signing a Tenancy Agreement, and then decide you wish to cancel the contract, there are some limited circumstances under which you can cancel the booking 

 

Cancelling within the Initial Cancellation Period (‘Cooling Off Period’) 

You can cancel your tenancy agreement for up to 7 calendar days after the booking date, which is known as the Initial Cancellation Period, or ‘Cooling Off Period’.  

If your booking is cancelled within this Initial Cancellation Period, the property manager will refund your full security deposit. 

Please note refunding the deposit after cancelling the booking may take a number of weeks, depending on where it is up to in the process of securing it with the tenancy deposit scheme. If it has already been issued to the tenancy deposit scheme at the point of cancellation, they work to their own timeline, and the property manager cannot influence the speed of the refund from them. 

Cancelling after the Initial Cancellation Period (‘Cooling Off Period’), OR after Collecting Keys and/or  Taking up Occupation 

If the keys have been collected and the tenanat wish to cancel the booking after the Initial Cancellation Period (‘Cooling Period’) has passed, then the tenant remains liable for the rent for the whole length of the contracted tenancy until another tenant that is acceptable to the landlord is found and the room is able to be re-let.

IMPORTANT: The property manager is under no obligation to enter into a Tenancy Agreement with any replacement tenant suggested by any existing tenant, or its representative or agent, under this provision. 

• While the property manager will always do what they can to assist, it is neither their obligation nor the landlord's to find a replacement tenant to take over the tenancy.  
• The tenant is responsible for ensuring the room is suitable for re-let, and it must be in the same clean and lettable condition as when the tenant took occupation, and it must be available for viewings to allow it to be re-let. 
• If a suitable tenant is found and the room is re-let, the property manager will refund the security deposit, less any appropriate charges, and deduct £50 for the variation of the contract. No £50 charge will be made for tenancies ending after any applicable legal notice period under current legislation, and the deposit will be refunded. Please note that £20 will be deducted from the refunded amount to cover international bank charges for deposit refunds made to non-UK banks. 
• The paid deposit is non-transferable and cannot be transferred to another tenant or to another year. 
• The ‘Cooling Off Period’ must have passed, or the new tenant has paid their rent and moved into the accommodation, before the original tenant is released from their contractual obligations under the tenancy agreement. If the new booking is cancelled by the replacement tenant during their 7-day Initial Cancellation  Period, the existing tenant remains liable for the rent until another replacement tenant is found. 

Please note, if the tenant moves out early, before the tenancy has ended, they will not be able to claim back the deposit until the tenancy end date.

 

NO PLACE, NO PAY: 

1ST YEAR APPLICANTS AND 1ST YEAR POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS 

If you are a potential first-year undergraduate or Postgraduate student and your offer of a place at your preferred University or Higher Education Institution is withdrawn by the University or Higher Education  Institution because you do not achieve the required entry grades, you will be eligible to be released from this agreement.  

You must provide written evidence from the University that you do not have a place within 3 calendar days of your results being published (and no later than 28th August, whichever date is sooner). The property manager will release you from the contract without penalty and refund your deposit. 

You may also be eligible for release from this agreement if you are a potential first-year undergraduate student and you choose to attend a different university because you have exceeded your expected grades. 

To apply to be released from this agreement in the circumstances referred to above, you must: 

• Send an email to the property manager stating that you wish to cancel your booking, with your full name and details of the property booked. 

• Send the written rejection letter from your chosen university/college or UCAS, a screenshot of your  UCAS status which confirms that the required results were not achieved, or a copy of the proof of acceptance of your new university by UCAS adjustment. 

These document(s) must be mailed to the property manager within 3 calendar days (and no later than 28th August, whichever date is sooner) from the date your results are published.  

Once the required documents are received and reviewed by the property manager, they will cancel your agreement and process a full refund of your deposit within 30 days.

If you fail to provide the information within 3 days, you will be required to provide 4 weeks’ notice and will remain liable for any rent due during this notice period.

 

2ND YEAR & SUBSEQUENT YEAR STUDENTS  

You can cancel your tenancy agreement for up to 7 calendar days after the booking date, known as the Initial Cancellation Period, or ‘Cooling Off Period’, by sending an email to the property manager or to your property email address if already in residence. 

Providing your booking is cancelled within this Initial Cancellation Period, the property manager will refund your full security deposit. 

Please note that refunding the deposit after cancelling the booking may take a number of weeks, depending on where it is up to in the process of securing it with the tenancy deposit scheme. If it has already been issued to the tenancy deposit scheme at the point of cancellation, they work to their own timeline, and the property manager cannot  influence the speed of the refund from them. 

Outside the Cooling Off Period, termination of your tenancy agreement will only be authorised if a suitable replacement tenant is found, if any applicable legal notice is issued under current legislation, or if your place at your University or Higher Education Institute is withdrawn. 

To apply to be released from this contract if you do not achieve the required grades or your place at  university is withdrawn, you must: 

• Send an email from the property manager   

or to your property email address if already in  residence, confirming that you wish to cancel your booking with your full name, and details of the  property booked; 

• Send a letter from your university/college which confirms that the required results were not achieved, or that your place has been withdrawn. 

These document(s) must be sent to the property manager within 3 calendar days from the date you receive this confirmation. 

Once the required documents are received and reviewed by the property manager, they will cancel your agreement and process a full refund of your deposit within 30 days. If it has already been issued to the tenancy deposit scheme at the point of cancellation, they work to their own timeline, and the property manager cannot  influence the speed of the refund from them. 

If you fail to provide the information within 3 days, you will be required to provide 4 weeks’ notice, and you will remain liable for any rent due during this notice period.

NO VISA, NO PAY: 

Before your tenancy period has commenced: 

If you failed to obtain  your Visa before the tenancy agreement commenced, you must: 

• Send an email to the property manager confirming that you have failed to obtain the required Visa and that you wish to cancel the tenancy agreement with your full name, details of the property booked, and 
• Send the official notification of Visa failure that you have received from UK Visas & Immigration. 

These document(s) must be mailed to the property manager within 3 calendar days from the date you receive this notification, and MUST be sent before 1st September for academic year bookings. 

If this confirmation is not received by this date and your tenancy has started, you will be required to give 4 weeks' notice and will be liable for rent from the start of the tenancy until the end of the notice period. 

If the property manager receives the correct documentation within the stated time period, you will be released from the tenancy agreement, and your deposit will be refunded. 

After your tenancy period has commenced: 

If your tenancy has already started and you have NOT collected your keys, you will be charged rent from the  Tenancy Start Date up to the date you provide evidence that your visa has been refused. This is subject to a  4-week notice period, during which you will remain liable for rent payments. 

If your Visa is revoked after collecting the keys, you must notify the property team immediately (within 48  hours of receiving official notification) by emailing the property manager.  

You will be required to provide written or email confirmation that the Visa has been revoked by providing official documentation from UK Visas & Immigration, and a letter from the University confirming your release. You will be unable to remain at the property.

CAN I CANCEL MY CONTRACT ONCE I HAVE MOVED INTO THE ACCOMMODATION?  

In very limited circumstances, you are eligible to cancel your tenancy agreement after you have moved in if your student status is suspended or withdrawn. You must provide satisfactory evidence to support this. Cancellations will not be accepted in any other circumstances.

CANCELLING DUE TO LOSS OR SUSPENSION OF STUDENT STATUS 

You may terminate your tenancy agreement if: 

• You have withdrawn from, been excluded from, or refused admission to your institution; or  

• You have been absent from your course for more than 60 days due to illness and have agreed with your institution to suspend your studies.  

In these circumstances, you must inform the property manager in writing of your intended departure date, providing at least 4  weeks’ notice, and submit satisfactory supporting evidence (normally, written confirmation from your university will suffice). 

• Send an email to the property manager or to your property email address (if already in residence), confirming that you wish to cancel your tenancy agreement.  
• Include your full name and details of the property booked.  
• Provide medical evidence (e.g. a letter from your doctor), if applicable;  
• Confirm intended departure date; 
• Provide a letter from your university or college confirming that your student status has been suspended or withdrawn. 

SENSITIVE OR EXCEPTIONAL SPECIAL CONDITIONS 

You can submit a request in writing or by email to the property manager with supporting evidence (including medical information or supporting information from your place of study, as appropriate) to the Special Conditions Panel for your case to be reviewed.  

The Panel will review your request and make consideration of your circumstances. Once the Panel has reached its decision, both you and your guarantor will be notified in writing. The Panel aims to confirm its decision within 10 working days*and it is final. 

*This can sometimes take longer due to additional Landlord approval requirements. 

REPLACEMENT TENANTS 

While the property manager will always do what they can to assist, it is neither their obligation nor the landlord's to find a replacement tenant to take over the tenancy. 

The tenant is responsible for ensuring the room is suitable for re-let, and it must be in the same clean and lettable condition as when the tenant took occupation, and it must be available for viewings to allow it to be re-let. 

If a suitable tenant is found and the room is re-let, the property manager will refund the security deposit, less any appropriate charges, and deduct £50 for the variation of the contract. No £50 charge will be made for tenancies ending after any applicable legal notice period under current legislation, and the deposit will be refunded. Please note that £20 will be deducted from the refunded amount to cover international bank charges for deposit refunds made to non-UK banks. 

The deposit paid is non-transferable and cannot be moved to another tenant or to another year. 

The ‘Cooling Off Period’ must have passed, or the new tenant has paid their rent and moved into the accommodation, before the original tenant is released from their contractual obligations under the tenancy agreement. If the new booking is cancelled by the replacement tenant during their 7-day Initial Cancellation  Period, you remain liable for the rent until another replacement tenant is found. 

Once the property manager accepts the replacement tenant, or the end of any legal notice period that applies under current legislation has passed, you must return the room key to the property office within 5 working days.  

You will need to confirm your contact details with the property team before moving out to ensure you can be notified. 

 

3-Instalment Plan: 51-Week Tenancy Instalment Plan (Approx. Weeks Paid)

• August: Payment for 17 weeks

• January: Payment for 17 weeks

• May: Payment for 17 weeks

3-Instalment Plan: 44-Week Tenancy Instalment Plan (Approx. Weeks Paid)

• August: Payment for 15 weeks

• January: Payment for 15 weeks

• May: Payment for 14 weeks

10-Instalment Plan: 51-Week Tenancy Instalment Plan (Approx. Weeks Paid)

• August: Payment for 5 weeks

• September: Payment for 5 weeks

• October: Payment for 5 weeks

• November: Payment for 5 weeks

• December: Payment for 5 weeks

• January: Payment for 5 weeks

• February: Payment for 5 weeks

• March: Payment for 5 weeks

• April: Payment for 5 weeks

• May: Payment for 5 weeks

10-Instalment Plan: 44-Week Tenancy Instalment Plan (Approx. Weeks Paid)

• August: Payment for 4 weeks

• September: Payment for 4 weeks

• October: Payment for 4 weeks

• November: Payment for 4 weeks

• December: Payment for 4 weeks

• January: Payment for 4 weeks

• February: Payment for 4 weeks

• March: Payment for 4 weeks

• April: Payment for 4 weeks

• May: Payment for 4 weeks