We understand that sometimes things change and you may wish to leave your accommodation and be released early from your contract.
Your agreement with us is a legally binding contract which covers a set period of time so we have set criteria of exceptional circumstances which will need to be met before we agree to releasing you from your contract. If you have been severely affected by a life event or a similar exceptional circumstance, you can submit a release request to the Release Review Panel.
Contract release process
There are certain grounds that we may consider releasing you early from your contract. We have a Release Review Panel who meet on the last working day of every month and review all open requests. All requests must be supplemented with relevant evidence which must be with the panel for review five working days before to the review meeting.
Special circumstances
The Release Review Panel will only consider releasing you from your contract under special circumstances which include:
- Death of a tenant/licensee. The contract would cease on the date of death. A death certificate would be needed to grant the deed of release. Next of Kin are able to sign any relevant paperwork.
- Tenant/licensee involved in a serious incident which results in the tenant/licensee being seriously ill. Proof would be required in the form of a doctor’s letter or accredited medical practitioner. Next of Kin would be allowed to sign any relevant paperwork.
- Illness of a tenant/licensee, or those presenting with a disability, which necessitates the tenant/licensee leaving their University course and leaving their accommodation to undergo a course of treatment. Proof needs to be provided by a doctor that confirms details of illness, disability or condition. Confirmation from the institution regarding the tenant/licensee leaving their course is also required.
- Illness/death of immediate next of kin, where there is no-one else in the family able to look after that family member or other dependants (with siblings needing to be under 18 years of age) and which results in the tenant/licensee having to leave their course. Proof would be provided by a doctor’s letter which provides details of illness. Confirmation from the institution regarding the tenant/licensee leaving their course is also needed. In the case of death, a death certificate would be required.
- A genuinely exceptional circumstance has occurred.
Gathering your evidence
Each request will require sufficient evidence and must contain:
- Your full name
- Full student accommodation address at which you are the tenant/licensee
- A correspondence address if different from the contracted address
- Contact telephone number
- University, university course and year of study
- Reasons for wanting to be released from the contract, taking into consideration the criteria explained above
- Any supporting evidence from doctors, the University or other professional parties able to verify your case
- Any further information including for example if their room is being advertised to reletting on a website, if they are still living in the accommodation, if they have removed their belongings, returned their keys.
- The evidence must be submitted to the property mailbox.
Release Review Panel
The Release Review Panel ensures a consistent approach to contract release requests and consists of:
- A Regional Manager
- relevant Operations/City Manager (chairing on rotation)
- a Finance representative
- an independent Business Attendee.
You will be notified of the panel’s decision within five working days of the Release Review Panel meeting. The panel’s decision is final and there is no process for appeal.
University partners
We manage some of our properties in partnership with Universities. We will work with the relevant partner if we receive a contract release from a nomination property.