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General information |
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The Icelandic Student Services (Félagsstofnun Stúdenta, short FS) is in charge of Student Housing (Stúdentagarðar). Its role is to offer students at the University of Iceland convenient and well-placed housing at a fair price. The housing comes in all sizes. There are one person rooms/apartments and then there are apartments for two individuals, apartments for couples, and family apartments with one, two or three bedrooms. The student residences are: Gamli Garður, Hjónagarðar, Vetrargarðar, Skerjagarður and Ásgarðar are all on campus. Hjónagarðar, Vetrargarðar and Ásgarðar are in Eggertsgata 2-34. Skerjagarður is at Suðurgata 121 and Gamli Garður is by Hringbraut. Then there are Skuggargarðar, located down town in Lindargata 42, 44, 46 and 46A. All rooms/apartments have internet connection via the University ethernet, HInet. |
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Applications |
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All applications for Student Housing are made on line, on our website www.studenthousing.is . The application form is under “Application” on the left margin. Students can apply all year around, except new students can´t apply until the 1st of June each year. By sending in their application, students allow Student Housing to gather information about them. That is if they own housing in the capital area, that their family size is according to application, if they are a registered students at the University of Iceland and their study progress.
Applicants get a reference number when the application has been made. With the reference number applicants can monitor there status on the waiting lists. Between the 1st and the 5th of each month applicants must confirm that they want to stay on the waiting lists. When housing is allocated e-mails are sent to applicants wich have three days to respond to it, otherwise the appartment will be allocated to the next applicant on the waiting list. |
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Housing allocation |
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Housing allocations are for one year at a time, except for Gamli Garður and half of Skerjagarður; in these cases, the lease is from 28th of August until 26th of May. The apartments at Hjónagarðar, Vetrargarður, and the family apartments at Ásgarðar are leased from 1st of September until 31st of August. The lease for the rooms,studio apartments and the apartments for couples at Ásgarðar and the other half of Skerjagarður apartments, is from 1st of September until 31st of August the following year. The studio apartments in Skuggagarðar are rented out from 16th of August to 15th of August. Allocations are made according to the Student Housing Allocation Rules. |
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Lease/Rental Agreement/Fees |
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Having been issued housing; the applicant must sign a lease before moving in. Contracts are made for one rental period at time and are then renewed if all requirements are fulfilled. In July each year new contracts are made, if not signed within time limits, the room/apartment will be given to a new tenant.
For an extra copy of the contract, tenant pays 500 ISK.
Processing fee for each contractperiod is 4000 ISK
Transfer fee between apartments is 10.000 ISK
Deposit for foreign citizens is 50.000 ISK
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Furniture |
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The rooms at Gamli Garður (type 1-2), the two person shared apartments (type 5-5) in Ásgarðar, Eggertsgata 18 and 22, plus the studioapartments (type 1-7) in Skerjagarður that are only leased for 9 months come equipped with furniture. Types 1-2 and 1-7 are only rented out during the winter, 28th of August to 26th of May each year. |
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Moving in |
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Before moving in, the tenant contacts the housing supervisor (Umsjónarmaður fasteigna) (or the resident in charge at Gamli Garður) for information about when the apartment/room is ready. To get the key to the room/apartment, the tenant must show his contract. The supervisor notes the condition of the apartment/room before the tenant signs the appropriate appraisal forms. The tenant then gets 7 days to fill out a complaint regarding condition of the room/apartment. If no complaint is made within 7 days, we consider that tenant agrees with the appraisal of the supervisor. |
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Moving out |
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The lease automatically expires at the end of the given period as stated in the contract. Those who intend to stay longer must sign a new contract with Student Housing in the beginning of July each year. If the tenant intends to give notice before the lease expires he must do so using the proper termination form, which is available at the Student Housing website. Student Housing reserves the right to a three months term of notice from the end of the month. The term of notice can be shortened if the Student Housing offices can find a new tenant within that time. Still, the term of notice can never be shorter than one month. The housing supervisor does an appraisal of the housing after it has been vacated and cleaned. The tenant then signs the appraisal forms and the supervisor returns the originals during the final settlement at the Student Housing offices. The settlement can not be concluded unless the appraisal form and a receipt for the last month's rent are at hand. |
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Liability |
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If tenant is a foreign citizen, a deposit must be paid as soon as housing has been reserved to confirm the reservation. Deposit is now 50.000 ISK and is refunded on departure after room/apartment has been checked for damage and all bills are paid. With the first months rent a processing fee is charged, the fee is 4000 ISK and is also charged annually at the start of a new contract and is not refundable.
Further information about rental obligations is available at the office of Student Housing. |
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Rent benefits |
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Who is entitled to rent benefit?
Foreign nationals who are resident in Iceland (for 6 months or more), have the same entitlement to rent benefit as Icelandic citizens. Tenants in all Student Housing can apply for rent benefit if their contract is for 6 months or more.
The Rent Benefit Act.
The aim of the Rent Benefit Act is to bring down the cost of accommodation for lower income tenant’s and reduce inequality on the rented property market. The local authorise administer the rent benefit system, which is financed by them and the Local Authorities Equalisation Fund. Rent benefit entitlements are calculated on the basis of rent, income, net assets and the number of dependent children. Awards and payments under the rent benefit scheme are handled by the local authorities and applications should be submitted to the local authority in the area of the applicant’s legal domicile.
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