Lettings Policy

BOSHA, which owns and runs Nansen Village, is a charitable housing association providing accommodation for postgraduate students and their spouse/partner and/or children from overseas and the UK while they study in the United Kingdom. It does not provide permanent accommodation. The Tenancy is not an Assured Tenancy because the Tenant is a person pursuing a course of study.

• Tenants must be full-time postgraduate students registered for a postgraduate degree in a recognised British higher education institution. Tenants must have a spouse/partner and/or children living with them. Only the people named in the tenancy agreement will be allowed to reside in the premises for the duration of the lease. Visitors are normally permitted to stay for a maximum of two weeks at a time and tenants must inform the office of their stay. BOSHA may permit longer stays in exceptional circumstances.
• BOSHA aims to house students who would find it difficult to afford private rented accommodation, so income will be considered when making allocations.
• Applicants must satisfy BOSHA that their visa status and that of all members of their family intending to live with them meet and continue to meet UK legal requirements throughout their stay.
• Leases will initially be for one year. Subsequently, up to three annual renewals will be granted subject to evidence from the tenant’s supervisor of satisfactory progress and continuing full time university enrolment. Tenants and their family members must vacate the property on termination of students’ university registration. PhD students must present official documentation of the date of the viva examination and vacate the property within one month after this date.
• No tenancy will continue beyond four years unless there are exceptional circumstances.
• The property is rented to students and their families while they are studying in London. The accommodation is not for single occupancy. The ethos of BOSHA is to keep families together. If the tenant or a member of their family intends to be absent from the property written notice must be given to the office. Tenants who leave London for periods of field work over six weeks are required to vacate the property and reapply to return.
• The maximum holiday period at any one time is six weeks.
• BOSHA aims to maintain a balanced community so usually no more than five leaseholders from any one country will be housed at any one time. We are unable to accept more than two lone parent families and do not accept lone parents with more than one child.
• Priority is given to applicants new to the UK and/or students at the beginning of their degree course.
• Preference is given to families with children under five years old. Applications from those with older children may be considered under exceptional circumstances. There is no housing suitable for families with three or more children.
• Applications are approved and signed by two members of the Tenancy Committee. Applications will be considered within four weeks of receipt, and applicants will be notified within six weeks if they have been approved for consideration when a suitable property becomes available. BOSHA will endeavour to respond sooner when possible. Offers are made to prospective tenants by office staff from the list of approved applicants.
• In urgent cases, accommodation may be offered by office staff to applicants not yet vetted by the Tenancy Committee, provided that signed approval is given by two Committee members within one month of the offer being made.
• The flats and bungalows are suitable for family sizes as follows:
  Studio flats for couples, lone parent families and lone parent families with parental support: Flats 2-33
  One-bedroom flats for couples or lone parent families and lone parent families with parental support with a baby less than two years old Flats 1, 34/35, 36C, 36D, 51-55 & 58-59
  Two-bedroom flats and bungalows for couples with two children or a child over three years of age at the time of arrival: Flats 36A, 36B, 36E, 46, 47, 56, 57 & 60
  Bungalows 37-45, 48-50, 23-25 WGR
  A one-bedroom flat cannot be guaranteed to tenants of studios expecting a baby; priority for a one-bedroom flat will be given to existing tenants with a baby.
• If a tenant is offered a unit of an inappropriate size on first arrival, they must agree in writing to move to a suitable unit when one becomes available. Tenants may be able to move to different accommodation within Nansen Village but will be charged an administration fee of £750 unless the Committee considers the move is justified.
• Tenants may only be moved to different accommodation within Nansen Village without charge when exceptional personal circumstances or change of policy takes place. In all other cases an administration fee of £750 will be made.
• Transfer of the tenancy to a spouse or partner may be considered but the total length of stay for a couple or family will be limited to four years.
• BOSHA will endeavour to ensure equality of treatment to all applicants. No-one will be treated less favourably than anyone else because of ethnic origin, gender, disability, religion, sexual orientation, age or family circumstances.
• Applicants may be contacted annually for two years after initial approval to see if they still wish to be considered for housing.
• BOSHA Ltd is a secular organisation and therefore acts of religious worship are not allowed in any of the communal areas of the Village.