Students4Houses Rental Application process

This page explains the process by which you can apply for tenancy of one of our properties. Please read this page carefully and in full to ensure that you understand how any tenancy will be agreed.

Disclaimer

  • We rent our properties on a ‘first come, first served’ basis, meaning that we usually agree to enter into the tenancy agreement with the group of applicants first to complete all of the documentation set out below and pay the deposit.
  • We may accept applications from more than one group of applicants at a time.
  • We have no obligation to rent any of our properties to you or any group of applicants.
  • We cannot enter into a Tenancy Agreement with persons who cannot show that they have the right to rent property in the UK.
  • In order to ensure smooth transition of properties at the end of each academic year, our tenancy agreement confirms that we reserve the right to use Ground 4A of Schedule 2 to the Housing Act 1988 (as amended by the Renters’ Rights Act 2025) to bring tenancies to an end. Our tenancies are monthly periodic tenancies; however, we do intend to serve the relevant notices to bring tenancies to an end on 30 June in each year, in line with standard practice and to allow properties to be prepared for incoming tenants ahead of the following academic year.

IMPORTANT NOTE: We are unable to accept guarantees from persons who reside outside the UK. If you are unable to provide details of a UK resident guarantor, please contact us to discuss our requirements in these circumstances. FAQ: what to do if I do not have a UK guarantor?

 

1. Read our tenancy agreement, guarantee and FAQs

  • We strongly recommend that all applicants and their guarantors read our tenancy agreement (assured periodic tenancy agreement) and guarantee before registering your interest. The terms and conditions of these documents will apply in respect of any tenancy you enter into with us. These documents can be found here: Lease Agreement.
  • Visit our FAQs page for common questions regarding our tenancy agreement, requirements for a guarantor, deposits, maintenance, etc.

 

2. View the property

  • We have walk through videos of each property on our website; please view these first.
  • Contact us to arrange a viewing of the property/properties you are thinking of renting.
  • We can also answer any questions you may have.

 

3.Register your interest in the chosen property

  • To register your interest in one of our properties, you must do the following:
    • one person in your group (on behalf of your group) must register for your chosen property by filling out the registration form on the property webpage (e.g., 1A Union Place) using the Durham University email address (@durham.ac.uk) for each of the applicants.
    • Each applicant in your group must then complete the online information form with all of the requested details, including the details required in respect of each applicant’s proposed guarantor,
  • Our automated system will then send out a link where each applicant in your group must fill in and submit their information (name, address, student ID number, contact number(s), guarantor details).
  • If you or one of your group do not receive an application within 30 minutes, please check your junk mail. If you still haven’t received a response from us, then please contact us.
  • We will check to see we have received all the information required.
  • We use an automated electronic application process. The information you enter must be correct with no errors as it will be used to generate your tenancy agreement and guarantor form.

FAQs: Why do you ask for a Parent/Guardian Guarantor?

FAQ: what to do if I do not have a UK guarantor?

FAQs: What is a joint and several Assured tenancy agreement

 

4. Sign the Tenancy agreement and Guarantor forms

Tenancy agreement

  • You will receive an email from us with your tenancy agreement for the property. This will be sent by email to each of the applicants in your group at the email address provided in the returned online information form. The email will contain a link to our online system for you to sign and submit the tenancy agreement.
  • Each applicant must electronically sign the tenancy agreement. The tenancy agreement must not be dated by any of the applicants.

FAQ: How to create an electronic signature

  • Each applicant must also provide proof of being a full time student. This can be an either an enrollment letter or a certificate of student status from Durham University.
  • The electronically signed (but undated) tenancy agreement must be submitted via our online system by each applicant.

Guarantee

FAQs: Why do you ask for a Parent/Guardian Guarantor?

FAQ: what to do if I do not have a UK guarantor?

  • The guarantor will receive an email from us with your guarantee. This will be sent by email sent to each of the persons named in the online information form, as returned by the applicant, as being willing to guarantee the rent for that property at the email address provided in the online information form, copied to the applicable applicant(s). The email will contain a link to our online system for the guarantor to sign and submit the guarantee.
  • Each guarantor must electronically sign the guarantee. Their signature must be electronically witnessed by an independent witness who physically watches the guarantor sign the guarantee. Please note that the witness must be an adult who is not related to either the guarantor or the applicant.
  • The electronically signed (but undated) guarantee must be submitted via our online system by each guarantor.

IMPORTANT NOTE: When any applicant sends the signed tenancy agreement to us, this does not mean we have accepted the application for tenancy of the relevant property. Our acceptance of the application for tenancy will take place only on completion of the steps set out in sections 5 to 9 below.

 

5. We review and sign the tenancy agreements and guarantor forms

  • We will check all signatures on the tenancy agreements and guarantor forms for your group of applicants have been uploaded correctly.
  • We will then sign the tenancy agreements and guarantor forms as the landlord and send them to all signatories.

 

6. Payment of deposits

  • Each applicant must transfer by bank transfer to our bank account (details of which are set out in our email to you, to which the tenancy agreement was attached) their share of the deposit (as set out in the tenancy agreement).
  • Please note that we only accept payment in pounds sterling and you must make sure we receive the full amount required by paying any bank charges that arise, whether charged to your account or our account.
  • We will register the deposit with our chosen deposit scheme within 30 days of receiving the deposit. We will then inform the tenant of the deposit scheme which is being used and give details of this as required under the membership rules of the deposit scheme.

FAQs: what happens to my deposit?

 

7. Acceptance of tenancy (subject to right to rent checks as set out in section 8 below)

  • When all the signed (but undated) tenancy agreements and guarantees have been returned to us and we have received all the required deposit from each applicant in cleared funds, we will check the tenancy agreements and guarantees to make sure they have been properly signed and witnessed.

 

8. Identity verification

  • We require all applicants to provide proof that they can legally rent a residential property in England. For further information on right to rent, and the proof you must provide, please see Right to rent document checks: a user guide – GOV.UK.
  • Proof must be provided in the twenty-eight (28) days before the tenancy commences and you should contact us at admin@students4houses.co.uk to make an appointment OR should be presented in person to Anthony Richardson at a location to be agreed between the hours of 9am and 5pm.
  • There are 2 options to enable us to carry out this right to rent check:
    • (Preferred) An online ID check through our service partner Trust ID who are on the list of approved UK Government Digital Identity Service Providers
    • (If the online check is not possible) In person face-to-face meeting (the applicant needs to bring proof of ID)
  • We will check and take copies of the proof provided.
  • We will contact you after completing the right to rent check to let you know whether your right to rent has been confirmed.

IMPORTANT NOTE: we will be unable to enter into a tenancy agreement if we have not received proof of the right to rent.

 

9. When the tenancy agreement becomes binding

  • The tenancy agreement will become binding on the applicants and us when we sign and date the tenancy agreement and guarantee.  We will confirm completion of the tenancy agreement in an email to each applicant at the email address provided in the online information form returned by you, attaching a copy (in .pdf format) of the binding tenancy agreement.

 

10.Return of deposits

  • If we are unable to enter into a tenancy agreement with the applicants, we will confirm this in an email to the addresses provided in the online information form and we will immediately return the deposits paid by each applicant to each of them by bank transfer to the bank account from which we received it or as otherwise agreed in writing by them and us.

Students4houses Ltd

1 May 2026