FAQs (FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS)

Transcription

1 FAQs (FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS) We often receive inquiries both from housing applicants and tenants. Here we have tried to summarize some of those questions. - Questions from housing applicants - Questions from tenants - Questions upon moving out We hope you ll find the answers here. In case you don t, please feel free to contact us. QUESTIONS FROM HOUSING APPLICANTS: 1. How do I search for an apartment? Go to our website click on the link Apply for housing, register yourself and send an application online. 2. Who can apply? Students and apprentices at schools in Oslo are eligible to apply. It is a condition that you are a full time student and that you must be between 18 to 36 years of age upon moving in. 3. How many choices can I have in my housing application? You can apply for up to three (3) different housing types. 4. Is there a deadline for housing applications? Rental of apartments is done continuously. Applying ahead of time increases the chances to get housing and to get your first priority apartment type. 5. Can I apply for housing even if I do not know if I get admitted in school in Oslo? Yes, you can. But you must be able to prove that you have applied for admission in Oslo. You must present a proof of admission upon moving in for your tenancy agreement to be valid. 6. Is it possible to rent a room in the summer before the school starts? Yes, if you plan to have a summer job in Oslo, you can already start moving in as early as May or June. 7. Can I apply for a housing in the midle of the semester? Yes. We continuously rent out apartments whenever there is available. 8. When can I expect answer to my housing application? For acceptance in August, we start the distribution of housing in May / June. There is a waiting time if you applied in February for housing from August. Otherwise you can expect a reply from us within three (3) days if there is available apartment. 9. Why have I not received any answer to my application? Unfortunately, we do not have the capacity to reply to all our housing applicants. We only reply those who are offered housing. In case you don t get a housing offer, you will be placed on a waiting list. The application will remain active for one (1) month from the time you wish to move in. After that, the application must be renewed if you still wish to remain in the waiting list.

2 10. I am a new student. Does it mean that I am last in the queue? No. It does not matter. 11. I have a home address in Oslo or Akershus. Do I have a lesser chance in getting an apartment? No. It does not matter. 12. Is there an age limit to get an apartment? Yes. You must be between 18 to 36 years of age in order to rent an apartment with us. 13. Where do I get more information about the different types of apartments? You will the information on our website What apartment types have internet connections? All our apartments have internet connections from Canal Digital. 15. What is included in the house rent? The house rent includes electricity, heat and hot water. Internet and cable TV is also included. As a tenant at Anker Studentbolig you have access to our maintenance and security services. 16. How much is the deposit? The deposit is approximately twice the house rent. The amount must be paid before the apartment can be acquired and the keys handed over. Deposit invoice is attached when you received the rental contract. 17. For how long can I rent the apartment? The apartment can normally be used for up to four (4) years. During a study leave due to illness, maternity, military service or student positions, the rental contract can be extended by up to a year. In special cases, the property can be retained beyond this period, provided that the tenant is still in training/study. Maximum length of stay is six (6) years. 18. The contract lasts only a year, but my studies last three (3) years. Why can t I get a rental contract for the entire study period? The contracts are time limited. Every spring, we have a process where we extend the contracts of our tenants who are still eligible for student housing. The deadline for signing the renewed contract is on the 31 st of May. You will receive information about this in April/May every year. 19. I have received the rental contract. What do I do? Sign the contract digitally using Bank ID. If you do not have bank ID, print the contract, sign and return it by studentbolig@anker.oslo.no, or to fax number: I am away and can`t reply within the deadline. Can someone else sign my rental contract and pay my deposit? You must sign the tenancy agreement yourself. If you do not have the opportunity to sign and return the tenancy agreement by the deadline, please contact us to make an agreement. The deposit can be paid by others as long as the payment is indicated by the information contained in the sent invoice. 21. Do I have to pay a deposit? Yes, the deposit must be paid within the contract start. If you pay directly via the "Din side", you do not need to bring a receipt. If you pay via bank or internet bank, you must provide a valid receipt when getting the keys.

3 22. Does Anker Studentbolig/Student Housing accept Social guarantee? No. We do not accept social guarantee. We must have the deposit paid to our deposit account. 23. Should I pay the rent in advance before I move in? No. You will receive the first house rent a few days after you have moved inn. All invoices from Anker Student Housing will be sent to "Din side" on Contact us if you have not received the first house rent within 2 weeks after moving in. 24. When and where can I get the keys? Keys are available at Anker Student Housing Reception in Storgata 95 (entrance from Torggata - opposite Jacobs Church), Mon-Fri from to If your contract starts on a public holiday or a weekend, you will get specific information about when you can get the key. If this is problem, contact us by phone and we will try to find a solution. 25. Can someone else get the keys for me? If a third party is to get the keys, he or she must present an authorization from you as a tenant. This authorization must include information on the tenant's name and identity number as well as the name and identity number of the person to retrieve the keys on the tenant's behalf. The authorization must also include the tenant's signature. The third party must present an identification card upon handing out the keys. It is also essential that the tenancy agreement and deposit payment are in order and that the key collector brings evidence that the tenant is a student. 26. I have been assigned a room, but will not move in until a few days / weeks after the contract start. What do I do? Inform us if you do not plan to move in when the contract starts. This is to ensure that you still will have the apartment. The house rent runs from the contract start. 27. I have applied for an apartment, but I ve got another one. What do I do? If you have not yet signed a tenancy agreement, this is not a problem. Contact the Housing Reception either by phone or to inform us that you will cancel your application. If you have already signed a tenancy agreement and waive the apartment within two weeks before the contract starts, you must pay a cancellation fee of NOK1000,-. If you terminate the agreement later than this, the normal period of notice of 2 calendar months shall apply. 28. What happens if I refuse a housing offer? Nothing, but you will be last in the queue in case you reapply for housing. 29. What happens if I have accepted a housing, but do not get admission in school? If you have accepted a housing offer, you are bound by the contract you have signed. However, should you decide not to use the apartment, you have to inform us as soon as possible. If you inform us within two weeks before the contract starts, you must pay a cancellation fee of NOK 1000,-. In case you inform us after the contract has started, the normal notice period applies and you must pay two months house rent. 30. What equipment do I need to bring with me? You must bring your own cutlery and all cooking utensils, blankets, pillows, beddings and curtains. If you are renting an unfurnished apartment, you must have your own equipment and furniture with you. All our unfurnished apartments are equipped with fridge, cooking plates or stove (not dorm) and closets. 31. What furniture is in furnished units? Fully furnished units are comprised of bed, table, desk, chair, book shelf, wardrobe and fridge. Units with own kitchen are also equipped with cooking plates. 32. Can I have my own furniture? If you have space in the room to put your own furniture, you are free to do it. You can take out our furniture from the apartment, but you are responsible for keeping them in a suitable location and to put them back in the apartment upon moving out. We do not remove/store furniture on the tenant's behalf.

4 33. Can I have appliances in the dorm/apartment? No. We do not allow tenants to bring their own appliances in the units. 34. Are pets allowed? No. It is not allowed with any kind of pets in our apartments. 35. Is there a TV in the apartment? No, the TV should be brought by the tenant. Tenants are responsible for payment of NRK license. 36. Is there a telephone in the apartment? No. Questions from tenants: 1. Do I have to pay the TV license myself or does Anker pay for this? You are responsible for having a valid TV license for your TV set. 2. Am I insured? Anker Studentbolig has insurance that applies for the buildings. The tenant is responsible to ensure that their contents are insured - and we require that all tenants have their own insurance. 3. Where do I wash clothes? Does it cost anything to wash clothes? We have our own shared laundry in Storgata, Trondheimsveien and Wilsesgate. There are washing machines and dryers that can be used by the tenants. The tenant will be given a laundry card that can be used for laundry. See price list. Use is billed with the rent. 4. Are there any parking spaces for rent? We do not have our own parking spaces for students, but parking spaces can be rented in our parking garage on Storgata at regular prices. Contact Q-Park for more information. Tel: Defects and missing - I have a problem with my sink in my bathroom. Whom should I notify? All messages about things that are out of order must be reported to our Maintenance Department thru our website / If there are repairs that cannot wait until the next working day (e.g. water leaks), Norwegian Guard Service can be contacted outside of our working hours, tel: I have locked myself out. Who can unlock for me? During office hours, contact the Housing Reception. After office hours, you may contact the security service - Norsk Vektertjeneste, telephone You will be fined a fee in case you are responsible for emergency unlocking. See price list. 7. I've lost the key to the apartment. Where should I turn to get a new one? If you have lost a key, contact the Housing Reception during opening hours to get new keys. Identification card must be presented. Tenants are charged for lost keys, see price list. This is billed along with the subsequent rent. 8. Can I smoke in my room? It is NOT permitted to smoke in any of our apartments. This also applies to common kitchen and other indoor common areas. If the ban is not respected, it will result in warning and fees. See price list. 9. My neighbor plays loud music, what do I do?

5 Initially, try talking to your neighbor in a nice way. If this doesn t help, you can contact the security guard. If the problem remains, submit a written complaint to the Housing Reception. 10. Do I need to provide light bulbs myself? This should be in order when you move in. If the light bulbs must be replaced while you live in the apartment, you are responsible for purchase and replacement. 11. When is the rent due? The rent must be paid in advance on the 1 st of each month. If you do not received an invoice on DinSide", remember that you still are responsible for ensuring the rent is paid. Contact the Housing Reception for assistance. 12. When will I receive the invoice for the rent? The invoice is to be sent to Dinside" about the 20th of the month before maturity. 13. Can I have a deferred payment? Deferred payment is normally not given. In case you come into a situation where you need an extension, please contact the finance department ( ) to arrange this. 14. Can I pay the rent with the electronic invoice (e-invoice)? Yes. E-invoice is the easiest way to pay the rent. Log in to your online banking and select Anker Studentbolig among e- invoice providers. 15. Can I have overnight visitors / guests in my apartment? You can have guests staying for a maximum of 2 weeks. Guests who will be staying for more than a few days must be registered with us in Housing Reception. 16. Can I transfer apartment internally? It is possible to apply for internal transfer to another apartment at Anker Studentbolig. Send an application from "Din side" on boligtorget.no/asb. You may apply all year, but internal transfers are not given priority in the period 1 st of July to the 30th of September. Transfer fees will apply. 17. How can I extend my contract? When do I apply? Information about extending the contract will be sent to all our tenants in April/May every year. How to apply, the deadlines, etc. The applications are processed continuously as they arrive. The deadline for signing the new lease contract is the 31 st of May. Everyone gets further notice. Questions upon moving out 1. How long is the notice period? The notice period is two calendar months. If you want to move out on the 30 th of June, you must therefore send your termination before the 1 st of May. 2. How can I send a termination notice? The termination is sent via "DinSide" on / asb. Remember to write your new address and account number on the termination. We need this in order to repay the deposit. 3. Do I have to schedule a cleaning inspection upon moving out? Yes. Latest one week prior to moving out, you must contact the service office thru tel: or by servicekontoret@anker.oslo.no. Failure to schedule a cleaning inspection will result in a cleaning fee in addition to the hourly rate for any extra cleaning. See price list.

6 4. Must I be present during the cleaning inspection? Yes. It is important that you correct minor deviations before moving out. 5. When must I submit the keys upon moving out? The keys must be submitted within 11:00 on the day the contract expires. The apartment must then be vacated, the cleaning inspection done and approved. 6. I will not be able to submit the keys withn 11:00 on the moving out date. What happens then? Contact the Housing Reception as soon as possible. A fee for late delivery of keys will apply. See price list. 7. When do I get the deposit back? Refund of deposit occurs as soon as possible after the contract expires. It takes maximum 4 weeks to repay all the deposits, depending on the number of tenants moving out at the same time. 8. Do I get interest on the deposit? No interest is paid on the deposit.