RENTING ACCOMMODATION - ADVICE TO STUDENTS (Private accommodation in general)

Member Name: charis18uk

Product:	Private accommodation in general
Date:	18/07/01 (1779 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: n/a

Disadvantages: n/a

How To Avoid Some Of the Pitfalls When Renting As A Student…

Having spent far too much of my adult life living in student accommodation & shared houses with wannabe students I thought there must be something useful I can pass on to all you students out there embarking on their first tentative steps into the unknown.

I’m not promising that this opinion will have you laughing or contain a multitude of witty stories, but what I hope it will provide you with are some interesting and useful points to consider when renting for the first time. Although this opinion is mainly aimed at students it will also contain information that is relevant to anyone who rents their accommodation &/or in shared accommodation.

STUDENT HALLS

I thought I’d get this section out the way first, because there are a lot less pitfalls with renting accommodation from the university you study at. Generally you can pay for your ‘University Owned’ accommodation in one of two ways. You can either pay monthly or termly. It may seem like a huge amount of money to pay out straight away but I would strongly advise paying termly. The obvious reason being that its something you have to pay regardless over what payment method & if the money isn’t sitting in your bank account teasing you, then you can’t spend it.

One big advantage of renting a place in halls is that you don’t generally have to pay any bills except your rent. This makes it a lot easier to budget (especially if you pay your rent termly). No nasty surprises!! This is particularly true if you are fortunate to rent a halls space that also provides you with meals which are included in your rent. Another advantage is that you only pay rent for the weeks you actually occupy the accommodation, and no rent is payable during the summer.

Some of the disadvantages of living in halls can include:

 Having to share with loads of inconsider
ate people who keep you awake half the night.
 Living in a room the size of a shoe box
 Sharing a room the size of a shoe box
 Trying to cook your tea on the only cooker while 7 other students attempt the same
 People pinching your food

There is an ickle not so nice trick to play on the persistent offender who keeps pinching your milk or favourite chocolate bar. Use your own conscience when deciding whether it’s a good idea!!! I have known of someone who put laxatives in the milk and left it to be stolen!!! Chocolate laxative bars are also just as amusing. Seriously though, if this is a big problem you can always invest in a mini fridge you keep in your room and store stuff in there instead.

SHARED ACCOMMODATION

If you think you have problems living in halls of residence – shared houses & the private rented sector are well and truly ‘Welcome To The Real World’.

Firstly before you even attempt to go looking for accommodation your going to need some cash & plenty of it. For example if you intend to rent a property in the region of £600 pcm & share with friends you are going to need the following as a MINIMUM.

 One months rent = £600
 The equivalent of one months rent as a deposit = £600
 Contract fees (average) = £117

TOTAL = £1317

The deposit will be kept by the letting agent/private landlord until you move out & any damages will be deducted from it. The contract fees are non-refundable & are a fee you are charged by the agent for setting up a contract. Below are a couple of words of advice regarding the above.

Some landlords will find any number of faults with accommodation you have rented from them when deciding what are damages & what are not. Basically as a rule damages should not include anything that is considered normal wear and tear. To safeguard yourself against landlords who try and
rip you off you can do two things:

 Make a list of all items in the property & their condition, including specific information on stains, tears etc. Get this signed by the landlord when paying the deposit.
 Instead of paying your last months rent, use the deposit instead. Some landlords will get a little annoyed at this, but in my opinion it’s a lot less hassle than trying to claim £600 back through the small claims court if you get ripped off!!!

Beware of excess contract fees. They are unavoidable. However some letting agencies have begun to offer contracts on a fixed period such as 6 months. At the end of the 6 months they get you to sign a new contract & charge you the fee again. This is highly unethical. Best check with individual letting agencies before signing a contract.

One of the big disadvantages financially with living in private rented accommodation is that you have to pay all year round which will include during the summer holidays when you may not even be there. Some landlords may offer you rent at half the monthly rate but this is rare. You can of course remain in your accommodation and try to find work locally during the summer, it is really up to the individual.

GENERAL ADVICE

Living in shared accommodation, even with friends you think you can trust can have many pitfalls. As a rule I have listed some of the things that will safeguard you against being ripped of by housemates & being left with huge bills to pay:

 When signing the contract make sure EVERYONES names are on the contract. That way you are all liable for the rent. Be aware though that by having a joint contract for a property that if one of the students does not pay their rent then you are legally liable to pay it if they leave. The best type of contract if you can get one is one that says you are only responsible for your proportion of the rent.
 Take meter readings when you move in. Als
o check these meter readings everytime you get a bill. Do not depend on estimated readings because I know of many students who have been hit with a massive bill due to totally inaccurate estimate readings or debts from previous tenants. If someone moves out and someone new moves in take a meter reading on the day so that each person pays the correct amount for what they owe.
 Be aware that if you rent with just one non-student that the property and everyone living in it becomes liable for paying council tax. As students you are meant to be exempt from paying this. However a loophole in the law means that if a non-student who lives with you does not pay the council tax they owe, every other person living in the house can be legally bound to pay the outstanding amount.
 When deciding whose name goes on the utility bills I strongly advise EVERYONES names are included. Never volunteer to have just your name listed because you become solely responsible for making sure the bill is paid and any arrears will have to be paid for by you
 Phone bills – hmm!! Probably the worst area for arguments really. One option is to set up an account whereby you can only have incoming calls. A second option is having the phone in your name & asking the phone company to provide you with outgoing calls barred unless you enter a pin number. You can then make calls & be responsible for all outgoing call charges. The rest of your flatmates can still receive incoming calls. Of course you could all just have your separate mobiles which would make life a lot easier.
 Generally, try and sort out some basic ground rules BEFORE you move in. This should include all the above points as well as day to day stuff like cleaning, cooking etc. It may sound boring but rota’s for cleaning & cooking can sometimes be the only way of keeping the house relatively clean. Cooking as a group can save you money.

FINAL POINT – GAS SAFETY
<
br><br>Over recent years you may have heard of students dying due to ‘carbon monoxide poisoning’. Although fatalities are rare there are plenty of cases of students suffering long term health problems due to this problem. There are a couple of things you can do to safeguard yourself against becoming a victim to this:
 Firstly, when you rent a property the landlord is legally required to organise a yearly ‘Gas Safety Inspection’ of all gas appliance/flues/vents etc. This must be carried out by a registered service person. If this safety inspection has been carried out the landlord will be able to provide you with a ‘Gas Safety Certificate’. It is your right to ask and be given this certificate. It is also your right to demand that this inspection is carried out at least yearly. If you have problems with this I strongly advise you to contact your Student Union or university Student Support.
 Any fires in the house should be free of staining & you should query any that is present
 Fires should burn with a blue not a yellow flame
 Carbon monoxide detectors can be purchased from most DIY stores. They should not however be used in place of an up to date ‘Gas Safety Certificate’.
 Remember that you cannot smell, taste or see carbon monoxide. However you can be aware of the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning which include: headaches, tiredness, lethargy & sickness

For further advice contact your Student Union or University Student Support officers who will no doubt be able to provide you with leaflets on the subject. You may also be able to purchase carbon monoxide detectors from them at a reduced rate.

Well you have finally reached the end of the opinion!!! I hear you sigh with relief!!! It is my intention to keep updating this opinion so feel free to comment & offer suggestions on how to improve it.

Summary: