The Spireworks

Cancellation Policy England: 2022-23

We understand that booking a room in student accommodation can be a big decision. We also know that bookings are often made before you know your exam results, or your personal circumstances may change unexpectedly prior to you moving in. This policy sets out the process for requesting a cancellation and the fees involved.

Our aparto assurance to all our Students

Due to the Coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic, we recognise there is a lot of uncertainty for students. At aparto we are committed to being as flexible as possible.

Cancellation before you move in:

To confirm your application and booking, you need to read and sign the Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement (the “AST”)

An advanced rent payment of up to one week’s rent is required when booking. When you move in, this money will transfer to your rent account, provided that you have met the terms in the Agreement. 

Once you have signed your AST and paid your advanced rent payment online you are agreeing to take up your place within the accommodation and are bound to pay the AST fee in its entirety. Any subsequent request to cancel will require you to find a student to replace you, who is approved by aparto. This carries an administration fee of £100. For guidance on cancelling your booking due to travel and visa restrictions see below.

Travel

Due to the changing nature of of travel bans and lockdowns, aparto will review these on an individual basis. Travel for education is considered essential; It is the tenant’s responsibility to organise travel and aparto will not be liable for travel disruption.

Visas

If you are denied a visa, please let us know as soon as possible. We can cancel your booking if you have applied for a visa and it has been refused. Please let us know, with evidence within 5 days of your visa being refused.

If you are due to travel and experience issues obtaining a Visa we will try to hold your room for you while your Visa is being processed. Please ensure that you have the correct visa and college/university place before you arrive where necessary.  It is the student’s responsibility to maintain Visa status. If your Visa is delayed you may be responsible for the terms and conditions of the tenancy/licence.

The following is applicable to first-year undergraduate and pre sessional post graduate intakes only:

If you are not successful in obtaining your place at your chosen university/college then don’t worry.  We will release from your tenancy and refund of any advanced rent payment where you can provide proof that you did not obtain a place at a university/college which is within a reasonable distance from accommodation booked. You will need to submit your request to cancel by email along with proof within five working days of the confirmation that you have received your place.

If you change your mind

After signing your agreement, the terms and conditions of the agreement, including all payments, are legally enforceable against the tenant. Once you have signed the tenancy agreement you must complete the advanced rent payment set forth in the rent schedule of the agreement. From signing the agreement you have 7 days to complete the guarantor information. In the event that the guarantor does not sign the agreement, the agreement will remain enforceable against the tenant.

If you sign your agreement before 1st May 2022, aparto will allow you to cancel your agreement before this date without penalty. If you sign your agreement after 2nd May 2022 aparto will allow a period of 48 hours for you to change your mind. You must let us know in writing by email to the residence inbox if you wish to cancel your tenancy in this timeframe.  

For any refunds via international bank transfers a fee of £12 will be applied.

Failure to Check In

If you fail to check-in you will remain liable to pay any rent, or other fees associated with the original agreement, and we reserve the right to pursue for any sums outstanding in respect of the same.

Where possible, we may remarket your room. Until a new occupant has taken over the agreement and moved in, the tenant will be liable for the terms and conditions of the agreement.

Cancellation after you have moved in:

Once you have moved into the residence, you will only be considered for a tenancy release in exceptional circumstances.

You must have withdrawn from your University or College and provided proof in the form of a withdrawal letter, signed on headed paper from the institution. You must also have a suitable letter from the doctor or medical institution detailing the issue of why you have withdrawn from University.

Tenancy Releases for exceptional circumstances will not be granted where:

• You are still at University and have not withdrawn from your course
• You have chosen to defer for a year for any reason other than above
• You have left University of your own volition for any other reason, including not attaining correct funding or loan, or suitable grades during the year
• The University has removed the tenant from your course for , including disciplinary

Once a tenancy release decision has been made, this decision is final and any appeal of this decision will be undertaken using the framework of the aparto complaints policy.

Tenancy Takeover

You may be able to arrange a release by finding someone else to take over your tenancy. Please get in touch and we will provide details of this process. The new tenant must be a student and aparto must approve the new tenant for the tenancy takeover to be valid. 

Summer Bookings

Cancellation before you move in:

You are required to pay the full licence/tenancy fee before the commencement date of the contract – Rooms are not secured or guaranteed until a full payment has been made. Summer and Short Stay bookings require a minimum of 5 working days’ notice from the commencement date to be valid.

Bookings made before 1st June 2022

• Summer or Short stay bookings made before 1st June 2022 can be cancelled before this date with no penalty and a full refund will be given. If a booking is cancelled after this date no refund will be given. If a booking is made after this date there will be a 7 day cooling off period in which the booking can be cancelled without penalty.
• If a student fails to arrive for their tenancy without written notice in the required time frame, and has paid the tenancy/licence fee, then the full fee will still be charged.

Cancellation Policy Scotland: 2022-23

Cancellation Policy Scotland 

We understand that choosing where to live can be a big decision. Your circumstances may be subject to an entry visa or exam results. This policy sets out the process for requesting a cancellation and the fees involved.

Cooling-off Period 

Provided you have not collected your keys, you can cancel your booking in writing or by sending an email to the residence inbox within 7 days of accepting your agreement. You will receive a full refund of all fees paid to aparto. If you book your accommodation on or after 1 August 2022, your cooling-off period will reduce to 48 hours. 

Booking Terms 

Once you have signed the agreement to confirm your booking, the agreement's terms and conditions, including all payments, are legally enforceable. 

• For the Combworks in Aberdeen, a booking fee of £100 is required to confirm your booking. £100 will be retained for any successful cancellation for any reason outside of the Cooling-off Period.  
• For the Glasgow West End residence, a booking fee of £300 is required to confirm your booking. £100 will be retained for any successful cancellation for any reason outside of the Cooling-off Period. 

Reasons You Can Cancel

Suppose you are refused a study visa or are unsuccessful in obtaining entry to your chosen university/college. In that case, you can cancel your booking, and you will receive a full refund of rent and deposit minus the retained fee. You must contact the residence team within 72 hours of receiving suitable confirmation (e.g. UCAS portal, visa letter) and evidence in both these circumstances. 

Tenancy Takeover Process 

If you no longer wish to live with aparto and the above circumstances do not apply, you will need to find another tenant to take over your tenancy. Please note that you will remain liable for all accommodation fees until a replacement person is found and their tenancy starts.

You must email the residence inbox, and our team will provide details of this process. The new tenant must be a student, and aparto must approve the new tenant for the tenancy takeover to be valid. A fee also is retained for successful requests.  

The tenancy takeover process applies to the following circumstances:

• Any travel disruption for any reason. 
• Any government and or institution restrictions because of the pandemic.
• Distance learning where classes are moved online.
• Your university or college changes course dates.
• Change your mind for any other reason. 

This list is not exhaustive and is subject to change or addition at the discretion of the on site team. Tenancy takeovers will only be allowed during certain periods of the year. Speak to your site reception for more details.

Cancellation after you have moved in

To avoid any doubt, once your tenancy reaches it start date, you are no longer eligible to cancel and must find a replacement student.

Cancellation Policy Ireland: 2022-23

We understand that booking a room in student accommodation can be a big decision. We also know that bookings are often made before you know your exam results, or your personal circumstances may change unexpectedly prior to you moving in. This policy sets out the process for requesting a cancellation and the fees involved.

Our aparto assurance to all our Students

Due to the Coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic, we recognise there is a lot of uncertainty for students. At aparto we are committed to being as flexible as possible. If you book your September 2022 accommodation now, we will allow you to cancel your booking before 1st May 2022 without penalty.

Cancellation before you move in:

To confirm your application and booking, you need to read and sign the Advanced License Agreement (the “ALA”)

An advanced rent payment of up to one week’s rent is required when booking. When you move in, this money will transfer to your rent account, provided that you have met the terms in the Agreement. 

Once you have signed your ALA and paid your advanced rent payment online you are agreeing to take up your place within the accommodation and are bound to pay the ALA fee in its entirety. Any subsequent request to cancel will require you to find a student to replace you, who is approved by aparto. This carries an administration fee of €100. For guidance on cancelling your booking due to travel and visa restrictions see below.

Travel

Due to the changing nature of travel bans and lockdowns, aparto will review these on an individual basis. Travel for education is considered essential (by the Irish Government).  It is the tenant’s responsibility to organise travel and aparto will not be liable for travel disruption.

Visas

If you are denied a visa, please let us know as soon as possible. We can cancel your booking if you have applied for a visa and it has been refused. Please let us know, with evidence within 5 days of your visa being refused.

If you are due to travel and experience issues obtaining a Visa we will try to hold your room for you while your Visa is being processed. Please ensure that you have the correct visa and college/university place before you arrive where necessary.  It is the student’s responsibility to maintain Visa status. If your Visa is delayed you may be responsible for the terms and conditions of the tenancy/licence.

The following is applicable to first-year undergraduate and pre sessional post graduate intakes only

If you are not successful in obtaining your place at your chosen university/college then don’t worry.  We will release you from your tenancy and refund any advanced rent payment where you can provide proof that you did not obtain a place at a university/college which is within a reasonable distance from accommodation booked. You will need to submit your request to cancel by email along with proof within five working days of the confirmation that you have received your place.

If you were unsuccessful in obtaining a college place in Dublin through the CAO system, aparto will refund the Advanced Rental Fee.

If you change your mind

After signing your agreement, the terms and conditions of the agreement, including all payments, are legally enforceable. Once you have signed the tenancy agreement you must complete the advanced rent payment set forth in the rent schedule of the agreement. From signing the agreement you have 7 days to complete the guarantor information. In the event that the guarantor does not sign the agreement, the agreement will remain enforceable against the tenant.

If you sign your agreement before 1st May 2022, aparto will allow you to cancel your agreement before this date without penalty. If you sign your agreement after 2nd May 2022 aparto will allow a period of 48 hours for you to change your mind. You must let us know in writing by email to the residence inbox if you wish to cancel your tenancy in this timeframe.  

For any refunds via international bank transfers a fee of €12 will be applied.

Failure to Check In

 If you fail to check-in you will remain liable to pay any rent, or other fees associated with the original agreement, and we reserve the right to pursue for any sums outstanding in respect of the same.

Where possible, we may remarket your room. Until a new occupant has taken over the agreement and moved in, the tenant will be liable for the terms and conditions of the agreement.

Cancellation after you have moved in:

Once you have moved into the residence, you will only be considered for a tenancy release in exceptional circumstances.

You must have withdrawn from your University or College and provided proof in the form of a withdrawal letter, signed on headed paper from the institution. You must also have a suitable letter from the doctor or medical institution detailing the issue of why you have withdrawn from University.

Tenancy Releases for exceptional circumstances will not be granted where:

• You are still at University and have not withdrawn from your course.
• You have chosen to defer for a year for any reason other than above.
• You have left University of your own volition for any other reason, including not attaining correct funding or loan, or suitable grades during the year.
• The University has removed the tenant from your course for , including disciplinary.

Once a tenancy release decision has been made, this decision is final and any appeal of this decision will be undertaken using the framework of the aparto complaints policy.

Tenancy

You may be able to arrange a release by finding someone else to take over your tenancy. Please get in touch and we will provide details of this process. The new tenant must be a student and aparto must approve the new tenant for the tenancy takeover to be valid. 

Summer Bookings

Cancellation before you move in:

You are required to pay the full licence/tenancy fee before the commencement date of the contract – Rooms are not secured or guaranteed until a full payment has been made. Summer and Short Stay bookings require a minimum of 5 working days’ notice from the commencement date to be valid.

Bookings made before 1st June 2022

• Summer or Short stay bookings made before 1st June 2022 can be cancelled before this date with no penalty and a full refund will be given. If a booking is cancelled after this date no refund will be given. If a booking is made after this date there will be a 7 day cooling off period in which the booking can be cancelled without penalty.
• If a student fails to arrive for their tenancy without written notice in the required time frame, and has paid the tenancy/licence fee, then the full fee will still be charged.