What ae the rules about tenancy start date?
I put a holding deposit on the 2nd of August.
Referencing was complete by the 16th (had to change guarantor in the middle). Then Landlady needed to complete some electrical certification in the flat requested by Open Rent and another week went by.
Contract was sent to me on the 22nd.
Now: the contract states the 5th of August as the starting date and therefore the “Rent payment day”. Surely that can’t be correct? Shouldn’t the tenancy start date be the same as (or at least closer to) the day I sign and pay the first month’s rent and deposit?
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The tenancy start date should be the day you get the keys. This might be an admin error by the Landlird not correcting the tenancy start date. They will need to amend & re-issue the contract
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The tenancy start date is what the contract reads. It does not necessarily have to be the date you get the keys.
Student contracts work on cycles but key handouts vary.
Your situation is different . You should speak to your landlord and ask her to change the date, which is complicated, because the deposit will need to be changed too or adjust your rent for the day you got your keys , since your delay was not all your fault.
You may need to meet halfway as your guarantor was an issue in addition to her EICR.
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Thank you for your replies. Meeting halfway sounds fair. The contract also includes the first guarantor (not suitable), so I’m pretty sure it will need to be re-issued anyway.
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The fact she has to rewrite a contract because of the guarantor means she is well within her right to charge you a fee
Unless granted by a deed, (very unusual), a tenancy begins on the day you take possession and it would be illegal for a landlord to charge rent or a fee for a period before the tenancy begins.
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That becomes a problem for the whole student market……
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If all parties havnt yet signed the Openrent contract, it is easy for the Landlord to change & re-issue. This is what I had assumed.
If all parties have signed & you have since realised the error, then it will be more complicated. Never had to do, so can’t advise.
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I use my own contract so I don’t know how the open rent portal works for such a situation
Its amongst many problems for the student market caused by Gov’t policy changes.
Thank you, all sorted now. Landlord was very kind to change the date to the 26th, I’ve signed and will arrange the keys handouts for the 26th. No fees charged.
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