Before you check in questions
Can I have post delivered to the property even though I am not there yet?
We can keep post for up to 14 days, as long as it is in the name of someone who lives in our building. If you are due to move in and need to get something delivered, please make sure this is within 14 days of the start of your tenancy.
Can you store my luggage if I get it delivered to site before I arrive?
As we will be preparing the room for your arrival, we will not be able to store any luggage for you before you arrive.
Do I need to buy contents insurance for my room?
When you book with us the personal items inside your room are automatically insured against fire, flood, theft and accidental damage by our partners Endsleigh.
I haven't paid rent yet, can I still move in?
It's really important that your rent is paid on time. Your first instalment before moving in covers the first part of your tenancy.
Can I move in early?
Our standard tenancies have fixed dates and cannot be changed. However, if you are looking to move in earlier it may be possible to book an additional short stay tenancy and you will be charged for any additional nights.
Moving in day questions
What happens if I arrive and no one is there (out of hours and in office hours)?
Once you arrive at the property, you can call our Emergency Control Centre on 0300 303 1611 and a member of our team will come to help you move in to your new home!
How can I get directions to the property?
The easiest way to get directions to your property is to search for the postcode on Google maps and find the directions there. You can find your property's address on your property's page within the Welcome section. Find your property here.
I have been given a time slot but I might miss it.
That's fine, you can arrive at any time that is best for you. If this is going to be out of hours and there is nobody at reception to let you in, once you arrive at the property, you can call our Emergency Control Centre on 0300 303 1611 and a member of our team will come to help you move in to your new home!
Can my family or friends stay for a few nights after dropping me off?
It is best to speak with the staff at the property to find out if this is ok. If it is only for an evening or two, that is usually fine.
Common questions about your booking
What is advance rent?
Advance rent is our new upfront payment type. It is a payment of a set amount (usually £250) towards your first rent instalment and is required at the point of booking. Advance rent will be exempt from anyone booking in Scotland, paying in full, rebooking or booking after the due date of the first instalment.
What is an instalment schedule?
Your instalment schedule outlines how much, how often and when you need to pay your rent. You choose the number of instalments during the booking process. If you are a student with a permanent UK home address then you will usually have the option of paying in one, four or eight instalments. If your permanent home address is outside the UK then you have the option of one or two instalments.
You can find your instalment schedule for each booking in the My Booking section of My Account.
What is a charge?
A charge is an amount owed on your statement in your account. In most cases the charge is a rent instalment and will still appear if the amount has been paid. Any payments will appear as a separate line on your statement. Other charges that can appear on your statement include any other products you have purchased or any damage charges following your check out inspection.
Common questions about payments
What happens if I can't make a payment?
Your instalment due dates are outlined in your tenancy agreement and by accepting the terms and conditions of your contract, both customer and guarantor are accepting responsibility for payment on the dates provided. If you are unable to make payment for your rent, please speak to your property team. They will be able to discuss with you your payment options and advise you of any future implications dependant on how late the payment will be.
What happens if I can't pay because I haven't received my loan yet?
We work in partnership with over 100 Universities who provide their loans and grants at different times of the year. We always try to align our payment dates with the receipt of student loans but this may not always be possible.
If you have not yet moved in, please bring proof of your student loan dates with you upon arrival. You will still be able to move in and you will not receive any charges for non-payment before your check in date. However, we cannot guarantee that further charges will not be applied to your account after your check in date if payment is not received.
If you already live with us and have not yet received your loan. Please speak to your property team today and they will be able to advise you of your payment options.
What methods can I use to pay?
You can pay by credit/debit card or direct debit. You select your payment method when booking. If you need to add your rent payment details you can do so here.
If you are a customer looking to make a payment, you can do this in My Account on the payment tab.
If you are making a payment on behalf of a customer, you can also do this through our website on the make a payment screen. Please ensure you have the customers' full name and booking code available when making a payment so that we can allocate this to the correct account.
If you are unable to pay by these methods, on exception we allow customers to pay via bank transfer. Please speak to your property team for further information.
What should I do if my Direct Debit fails?
When a payment is due, we will send the payment instruction to your bank 10 working days before its due date. At the point of the instruction being sent, we will not be able to supress the automatic payment so we will require more than 10 working days notice if your payment is not going to be successful.
If we have already attempted to take payment for your instalment or you have notified us with less than 10 working days notice, please wait 3 working days from the instalment due date for the automatic payment to fail. You will then be able to make a payment manually here. You will not receive any charges for a failed payment from Unite but please check with your bank as they may charge you a fee.
We will not re-attempt to take an automatic payment after it has failed and payment for this instalment will be required to be made manually.
Information on parcels
What happens to my mail if I'm not there to pick it up?
We'll take in parcels or mail for you during our opening hours. We'll sign, let you know something has arrived and store it safely until you get back. To pick up your mail you'll need to bring along some photo ID when we're open, and sign for it. We can only hold parcels and mail for a week as we have limited space. To be notified of new parcels on your mobile device, check out the MyUnite app.
If you can't make it in person within a week, someone else can pick it up for you – they'll need the confirmation of delivery that we've sent to you and your photo ID. If you haven't arranged collection within a week we will not be able to hold your parcel for much longer, as we will need to free up the space for other people's parcels.
We won't accept anything we think may contain offensive, dangerous, illegal or illicit material and/or anything that's too big or heavy for us to store. We can take anything up to 15kg in weight and 30cm x 40cm x 50cm in size. We'll do our best to look after parcels safely but, in the unlikely event of something going wrong, we won't be liable for any damage to, or loss from, any parcel that you've authorised us to accept on your behalf.
Having trouble with flatmates?
There is loud music playing above me, how do I make a complaint?
First, speak to a member of staff at reception or, if it is out of office hours, contact our Emergency Control Centre on 0300 303 1611. They will ask a member of our Service and Safety Team to come to help you. Alternatively, you can report a noise issue quickly and easily on the MyUnite app.
My flatmates never clean our communal area. What can I do?
All flatmates are responsible for keeping the communal areas clean and tidy. If you cannot reason with your flatmates after speaking to them then please report it to a member of staff at reception and we will try to help.
I am not getting on with my flatmates, how do I complain?
Where possible our city teams will try to help you resolve your issues – when a group of new people live together for the first time disputes can happen, so a bit of time can help to sort the problems out. If the problems are more serious then we will always try to move you to another flat if there is room available. We take any form of anti-social behaviour, such as drugs or bullying, very seriously and investigate any complaints.
Common questions before you move out
My flatmate didn't help to clean the kitchen. What do I do?
We recommend you first discuss the cleaning with your flatmates and work out an agreed time for cleaning before you all check out so that the work is divided fairly between you. Once you have moved out, we complete the check-out inspection. We will make any appropriate charges, which will apply to everyone in the flat, if the flat hasn't been cleaned to a certain standard.
My flatmate has left food in the freezer. What do I do?
Speak with your flatmates in advance to make sure all cupboards and the fridge/freezer will be left empty. Double check before you leave as anything that is left once the whole flat has checked out may incur a charge to remove.
The microwave has been broken; will we be charged for it?
We do charge for damages, however, if the person responsible for causing the damage is willing to take full responsibility then we will only charge that person. If no one accepts the responsibility for damages in a communal area then the charge will be split between everyone in the flat. If this happens, you can discuss this further with a member of our reception team.
I forgot to put on the inventory that there was some damage when I moved in. Will I be charged?
Possibly yes, this is to be fair and consistent with our approach. We encourage you to complete the inventory thoroughly when you first move in. We also document any damage on our own inspections so you may find that we have a record of this damage, please speak to your reception team for more information.
Can I make repairs myself?
No, for health and safety reasons all repairs must be carried out by the property maintenance team. Please let us know about any maintenance issues by logging a maintenance request through the MyUnite app.
My Blu-Tack won't come off the wall, what can I do?
Please speak to your reception team as they may be able to offer advice on products that can help to remove it.
Can I leave things in my room if I've rebooked for next year?
If you have a valid tenancy covering the time period, then yes you can. We just ask you to label any items in shared areas to confirm that they belong to you and not to someone else who has already checked out. This will help our cleaners.
If your booking finishes in June or July and your next tenancy starts in September, you will need to arrange a Summer Short Stay tenancy to bridge the gap. Summer tenancies are usually available at a discounted rate and allow you to leave your things in your summer room (depending on availability).
Extending you're stay?
Whether you want to extend your stay through the summer period or your looking to stay for a couple of extra weeks, you can get in touch with us and we will check the availability of your room and property.
Rebook with us
We would love you to stay with us for another year, you can check in My Account if your room is available to book, speak to your property team or check what is available in your city.
Common questions for checking out
What’s the latest time I can check out?
This varies depending on your property so check with a team member at reception well in advance of your check-out date. It is likely that the latest time will be 12:00pm on the last day of your tenancy.
What happens if I check out and nobody is at reception?
If reception is not open, look for a fast check out key drop box where you can leave your check out envelope.
Where can I park to load up the car?
During our check in and check out periods, where available, we allow access to our car parks for short periods of time so you can load up/unload the car. If there is not a car park at the property then you may be able to park just outside for a while. In most cases, there are also public car parks nearby. Please speak to your reception team for advice specific to your property.
Will you give me a landlord reference?
Yes, we will be happy to do so. Please contact your property reception team and they can provide a reference for you.
What happens after I check out?
Shortly after you leave, we'll conduct a room inspection. We'll inspect your room and the communal areas against your check-in inspection report to make sure the room is clean and there isn't any damage. If there are any issues with your room, we'll get in touch with you via email with more information relating to any charges.
Other questions after checking out
When will I get my deposit back?
Most of our bookings do not require a deposit, but if you did pay a deposit to secure your booking, it will be returned to the bank account which made the initial payment within 14 days after your tenancy end date.
Will I get my advance rent back?
If you paid advance rent to secure your booking it will have been credited to your account and deducted from your first rent instalment payment.
I left something in my room – can I come and pick it up?
As we need to get rooms ready for our next tenants, we cannot allow things to be left in your room after your tenancy end date. You must clear all your belongings from your room, and from any common areas. If you don't do this then we will dispose of your belongings without any liability, so please ensure you take everything with you.