5 steps to better communication with your student tenants

With the end of term approaching, it won’t be long until students leave their rented accommodation, hopeful that their deposits will be repaid in full.

Good communication with your students at this time is essential for the end of tenancy to be as smooth as possible.

1) Get in touch with your students sooner rather than later

Don’t leave anything to the last minute: encourage students to bring up any problems as they arise to avoid surprises further down the line. A quick phone call or visit before they move out can help start a conversation, but remember everything you discuss should always be confirmed in writing.

2) Make sure they know their deposit and repayment IDs

At the end of the tenancy, your students will need their deposit and repayment IDs to get their money back.

We’ll send these to them at the beginning of the tenancy, as soon as we receive the deposit from you. We also include their ID in the repayment notification your students receive when you start the claim process.

If they have lost their repayment ID, they can request a new one by SMS or email using an online form. The deposit ID is universal, which means you can provide it to them. Alternatively, they can contact our customer service team on 0330 303 0030.

3) Invite students to the check-out in writing

If possible, all the students should attend the check-out process. It will be easier to discuss the condition of the property and eventual repairs or deposit deduction. Make sure to take notes of any admissions or agreements from the students, and ask them to date and sign the notes.

Check out our infographic for more useful check-out tips.

4) Managing multiple deposit repayments

With thousands of students around the country moving out of rented accommodation over a short period of time, deposits repayment can be a long and tedious process for some of you.

Our simple multiple repayment function is available when you need to repay 2 or more deposits. All you need to do is log in to your account, then under “Custodial” select “Bulk Repayments”.

More information on how to repay deposits.

5) Dispute resolution

It’s not always possible for landlords and tenants to agree how much of the deposit should be paid to each party, which is why we offer a free dispute resolution process. The process can begin once both parties have completed a Joint Deposit Repayment form, and or when a Statutory Declaration for a single claim is disputed by the respondent.

Our guide to the Dispute Resolution process.

Our top tips for managing disputes.