In most universities you will be accommodated in university property during your first year, but in your second and third years you will need to rent accommodation on the open market. All university towns will have a thriving student flat system, so it won’t be difficult to find somewhere, but virtually all students will be doing this for the first time, and there are many things you need to be aware of if you are to avoid unexpected bills.
When you go to look at possible rental properties for the first time you need to check a number of things. Look at the website Student Pad for a useful checklist. Also talk to the present tenants if you can. They will tell you about the pros and cons of the property and what the landlord is like, whether he responds to requests for repairs and so on.
Letting agency
If you go to a letting agency be careful of their fees. They can invent all sorts of exorbitant charges for minimal services, so ask for a list of fees before you go ahead with anything and complain to your university accommodation office if you believe you are being fleeced. They may be able to help. Rents are negotiable, like house prices, so don’t necessarily agree at once to the asking price.
You will have to sign a contract, so make sure everybody else in the house you choose signs too. In this way you will safeguard yourself against being solely responsible for covering costs, particularly if one of your fellow students disappears without paying the rent. The contract will probably last for 12 months, so it is sometimes worth going outside the recognised student rental areas where you might be able to negotiate a contract for a shorter period. You will have to pay a deposit, but the landlord must tell you within 14 days where he has banked your money, so you can know that it is safe.
Inventory
There will be an inventory to accept and sign. Check everything is as the landlord’s list says it is. Note the condition of things such as carpets and get the landlord to sign an agreement acknowledging this. Then you will have a sound basis for disputing any claims he has made that you have wrecked the place.
You will need a TV licence in the house, but only one, regardless of the number of sets. As full-time students, you will not need to pay council tax.
Make sure security is good. Check insurance against theft. Establish a budget for the house with everyone putting in an equal share for day-today expenses such as tea, coffee, milk, etc.
Be aware that complaints about noise or unreasonable behaviour can lead to you being evicted, and noise abatement regulations can land you with a fine of up to £5,000. So don’t play loud music after midnight!
Alternatively, if you have the money, you could get your parents to buy a house for you and your friends for three years!
