Booking Cancellation & Tenancy Termination Policy  

This policy explains how Flow Studen manages requests to cancel a booking or terminate a Tenancy Agreement.

Where accommodation is provided through a university nomination agreement or partnership lease, the cancellation policy of the relevant university will take precedence over this document.

Your Tenancy Agreement is a legally binding contract between you (the tenant) and the landlord, with Flow Student acting as the landlord’s managing agent. The tenancy is granted for a fixed term, and tenants remain liable for rent for the duration of that term unless released in accordance with this policy.

‍1. Making a Booking

When you submit an application for accommodation, Flow Student will review your request and normally confirm whether a room can be offered within two working days.

If a room is available, you will receive a room offer. The offer must be accepted and the required advance rent paid within the specified period:

– 7 calendar days during standard booking periods
– 24 hours during the peak results and clearing period (1^st August– 1^st September)

If the offer is not accepted within the stated timeframe, it will expire and the room may be offered to another applicant.

Once the offer has been accepted (Accepting means the date you formally accept the Tenancy Agreement online) and advance rent payment has been made, the booking becomes a legally binding tenancy agreement. You should therefore ensure you understand the terms before confirming the booking.

2. Cooling-Off Period

‍You can cancel your tenancy agreement for up to 7 calendar days after the date of the booking, which is known as the Initial Cancellation Period, or ‘Cooling Off Period’.

Providing your booking is cancelled within this Initial Cancellation Period, we will refund your full advance rent.

‍3. Cancellation After the Cooling-Off Period

If you request cancellation after the Cooling-Off Period has ended, you will remain responsible for the rent due under the Tenancy Agreement until a replacement tenant is found and a new tenancy agreement has been completed.

Flow Student may assist in advertising the room; however, the landlord and Flow Student are not obliged to secure a replacement tenant.

Any replacement tenant must be approved by the landlord, and the room may be re-let at the current market rate.

Once a suitable replacement tenant has signed a new tenancy agreement and the booking is confirmed:

– You will be released from the tenancy obligations
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– Your security deposit will be returned, subject to standard deductions
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– A £50 administration fee will be deducted to cover the cost of amending the tenancy agreement
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– Where advance rents are returned to non-UK bank accounts, a £20 international banking charge may apply

Advance rent payments cannot be transferred to another tenant or another academic year. You remain responsible for the tenancy until:

– The replacement tenant’s Cooling-Off Period has expired, or
– The replacement tenant has taken occupation of the accommodation

If the replacement tenant cancels during their Cooling-Off Period, your liability will continue until another suitable tenant is secured.

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4. Cancellation After Occupation Has Begun

‍If you have collected your keys or moved into the accommodation, the tenancy cannot normally be cancelled.

You will remain responsible for rent payments until either:

– The tenancy reaches its contractual end date

– The expiry of any statutory notice period that applies under law

– A replacement tenant is found and the room is re-let

If you leave the accommodation early:

– The room must be kept clean, undamaged, and available for viewings

– Your deposit will be held until the tenancy end date or until a replacement tenancy begins

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‍5. Failure to Achieve Required Academic Grades

First-Year Undergraduate and Postgraduate Students

If you are a prospective first-year student and your university withdraws your offer because you did not achieve the required entry grades, you may request release from the Tenancy Agreement.

To do so, you must provide:

– Written confirmation requesting cancellation

– Evidence from UCAS or your university confirming that you did not obtain a place

This information must be provided within three calendar days of your results being released and no later than 1 September.
If approved, your Tenancy Agreement will be cancelled and your advance rent refunded within 30 days.
‍Students who exceed their expected grades and accept a place at another university may also request cancellation under this provision.

Returning Students

Students who have already completed at least one year of study may request cancellation if their place at university is withdrawn due to academic results.

Supporting evidence from the university must be provided within three calendar days of receiving confirmation.

If accepted, the Tenancy Agreement will be cancelled and the advance rent refunded. If the tenancy has already started, you will remain liable for rent until a replacement tenant is found.

‍6. Visa Refusal (International Students)

If you require a UK student visa and your application is refused before the tenancy start date, you may request cancellation by submitting:

– Written confirmation of cancellation

– Official documentation from UK Visas & Immigration confirming the refusal

These documents must be provided within three calendar days of receiving the decision and before 20 September.

If the documentation is accepted, your Tenancy Agreement will be cancelled and the advance rent refunded.

If your visa is refused after the tenancy has started, you will normally be required to leave the accommodation but will remain responsible for rent payments until a replacement tenant is found or any applicable statutory notice period ends.

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‍7. Exceptional or Compassionate Circumstances

Where a tenant experiences serious personal circumstances, such as significant medical or welfare issues, they may request consideration under Flow Student’s Special Circumstances Review Process.

Requests must be submitted in writing with appropriate supporting evidence, such as:

– Medical documentation

– Evidence from the student’s university or support services

Cases will be reviewed by the Special Conditions Panel, and both the tenant and guarantor will be notified of the outcome.

Where a request is approved, the tenant may still be responsible for a minimum of four weeks’ rent or the remainder of the current rent period, whichever is longer.

Decisions made by the panel are final.

‍8. Returning Keys and Vacating the Property

here a tenancy ends early due to cancellation, replacement tenancy, or statutory notice, the tenant must:

– Vacate the accommodation

– Return all keys to the property office within five working days

– Provide updated contact details for deposit return and correspondence

‍9. Complaints

If you believe Flow Student has not applied this policy correctly, you may raise a complaint through the Flow Student Complaints Procedure, which explains how concerns are submitted and investigated.