| Product: |
Private accommodation in general |
| Date: |
21/02/02 (146 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Private accomodation is often better than University Halls - a lot less noisy.
Disadvantages: Landlords, Tenancy Agreements
Well as you probably will have noticed Im a student at the University of Ulster in Coleraine, Northern Ireland. And boy have I had my fare share of accomodation problems...
To all students embarking on private rented accomodation take note of the following. ALWAYS ensure you read any tenancy agreements carefully. INSIST on getting a rent book - its a legal right and is a record of the rent you have paid. If you pay cash always get a receipt - its how many landlords avoid paying tax.
Landlords have a habit of being really friendly at first and being incredibly awkward and nasty when you get on their case. At least in my experiences anyway. Always ensure when you move in that they give you an inventory - they have a habit of forgeting those too - and check it off against what is in the place when you move in. Remember to highlight any damages because they may accuse you of them when it comes to move out. And its from your deposit they will take it!
Finally if all else fails and you do get into problems know your legal rights. Any tenancy agreement is legally binding and is a contract. If the landlord fails to carry out repairs within a reasonable time then you can sue. But only in extreme cases.
Sadly for students the legal redress can end up costing more than the value of things and there is no guarantee of success. This especially concerns deposits where landlords frequently withold them on tenants vacating properties.
Summary:
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Last comments:
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- 28/06/02 The scene is heaven, with three men standing at the Pearly Gates. Saint Peter says to the first man, "Let's see, you're Mr. Jones, the engineer. We've been expecting you. Please follow me." Saint Peter leads him down a hall to a door marked #101. "This is where you'll be staying Mr. Jones," says Saint Peter as he opens the door. Inside is a dark, dank, cold, musty room. Water is dripping from the rocklike walls where torture equipment is hanging. Chained to the center of the floor is a growling, fierce-looking dog.
Mr. Jones steps in and a loud voice cries out from above, "Mr.Jones! You have sinned!" Saint Peter closes the door and returns to the remaining two men waiting at the entrance gate. "And you are Mr. Smith, the doctor", Saint Peters addresses the second man. "You are in room 102. Please follow me." Once again when the door is opened this room is dark and dank, water dripping down the walls with horrible torture equipment hanging everywhere, and a growling, snarling dog chained to the center of the floor.
As Mr. Smith steps in, a voice from above cries, "Mr. Smith! You have sinned!" Saint Peter closes the door and returns to the last man waiting at the entrance gate. "And you must be Mr. Brown, the landlord. We have been waiting for you. You are in room number 103. Please follow me." When they get to room #103, Saint Peter opens the door to reveal another dark, musty, gloomy room with torture equipment hanging from the water dripping walls.
But in the center of the room stands Bo Derek. As the landlord steps in the room the voice cries out, "Bo Derek! You have sinned!" |
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- 26/06/02 All good common sense that applies to all rented accommodation. As a Landlord (our son now occupies a flat bought 6 years' ago for our daughter when she was a student), we let out two rooms to students. For the past 2 years we have had the same excellent tenants during term time, but we have to be very careful over the summer letting. Being a decent landlord we do not charge a retainer over the summer for those who want to return the following year.
Some miscreants let down all the decent guys and gals. For example, a student in a neighbouring flat has trashed the front door to the block. Total cost to repair the vandalism... £1084, divided between the owners of 9 flats. |
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- 07/06/02 I've never been a student, but I have lived in rented accomodation quite a few times.
I don't think I have met a decent landlord yet. |
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