SUBU | Your guide to finding a good student house

READY TO RENT

YOUR GUIDE

TO FINDING

A GOOD STUDENT

HOUSE

WHEN TO START LOOKING FOR HOUSES Estate agents in Bournemouth will start pressuring you to start renting a house for next year after you have been here for a week or two. Don’t feel pressured into renting straight away, only rent when you feel ready to do so.

Before you decide to rent a house and sign a contract (a legally binding agreement) make sure you are comfortable about the house you have chosen, make sure you actually like the people you live with, and make sure you can afford the rent and bills that you will be expected to pay.

Make sure that the people you are planning to live with will still be here and you’ll still be friends, if you are in 1st year you have probably known each other a matter of weeks, think, do you think you will still be friends in August 2017? People unfortunately don’t always stay past 1st year, it’s important that the people you want to live with will still be at BU next academic year. If they are considering dropping out then it might be worth not signing anything right now until you know for definite.

Make sure the house is fit for you to live in; there will always be houses out there that are not good quality. There are plenty of good houses out there so don’t settle for bad quality accommodation.

We have included a checklist in this guide which outlines what you should look out for when viewing a property.

You should never believe the myth that all student houses are bad quality and it’s simply part of being a student. Look around, there are plenty of nice houses in Bournemouth and they don’t all go before Christmas.

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HOUSE HUNTING CHECKLIST Overall

Outside

Who is the property managed by?

Landlord Letting Agent

Sufficient external lights & alarms?

Rent per tenant ÂŁ

per

Is there central heating, and is it throughout the property?

If there is a garden, are you responsible for maintenance?

If so check tools are provided.

Ask your landlord Does the property appear well maintained?

Look out or signs of damp or mould, check furniture and decor in good condition.

Bathroom

Can they tell you which deposit protection scheme your deposit will be placed in?

Can they show you a gas safety certificate provided within the past 12 months?

Shower Pressure score (1-10)

Running hot water

Kitchen

Can they show you an energy performance certificate for the property?

Are you required to pay a holding deposit?

Don’t hand over any money unless you are very sure you want to rent!

Adequate cooking & storage facilities

Working smoke alarm

Bedrooms Adequate size

Sufficient storage

Doors & Windows Secure locks on doors & windows

Will all furniture & appliances remain in the property for when you move in?

Ask current tenants How much do they pay in bills?

Have they had any issues with the landlord?

What are the neighbours like?

Is anything currently in need of repair?

Any cracks in window panes or frames?

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CONTRACTS & CONTRACT CHECKING A contract / tenancy agreement is a legally binding document and you should never sign one without reading it first!

Check what type of tenancy you are entering into, it will usually be an Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) but it might be worth checking.

You should always make sure you are happy with all the terms of the agreement before you sign it. SUBU Advice will happily check your contract before you sign it and explain any information to you if you do not understand any of the terms.

If you have been told that there will be repairs/refurbishments made to the property before you move in then ask for these to be included within the contract so you have proof of the agreement.

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Your landlord must carry out basic repairs, for example, keeping the installations for the supply of water, gas, electricity, sanitation, space heating and heating water in good working order You have the right to live peacefully in the accommodation without nuisance from your landlord.

You have an obligation to use your home in a ‘tenant-like’ way, for example, by not causing damage and by using any fixtures and fittings properly.

You have an obligation to provide access for any repair work that needs to be done.

REMEMBER- If there is anything you are not sure on get in contact with SUBU Advice.

DEPOSIT & FEES It is standard practice to pay a deposit for your property before you move in, this varies from agent to agent and landlord to landlord, it will typically be between 1-2 months’ rent. This is used as security in case you cause damage to the property or in case you do not pay your rent.

This deposit has to be protected in 1 of 3 Government backed tenancy deposit schemes: •

Deposit Protection Service

•

Tenancy Deposit Scheme

•

MyDeposits

Your landlord must protect your deposit within 30 days of them receiving your

deposit, and inform you which deposit scheme it has been registered with. This is a legal requirement of your landlord and you should speak to SUBU Advice if this does not happen.

Most estate agents will charge admin and holding fees, make sure you know how much these are for and how much it will cost. Agents should be very upfront about their fees and can usually be found on their website. Different agents charge different fees so make sure you look around before agreeing to anything. We have put together the graph below with some agents in Bournemouth and their fees, so you can compare.

250 200

Quoted Price

Slades

Orange

Enfields

Ellis & Partners

Connells

Cliftons

Burns

BU Lettings

0

Bournecoast

50

Adams

100

Allan & Bath

150

VAT

*Accurate at time of publication (December 2015). Non-exhaustive list of letting agents.

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TOP 10 MYTHS ABOUT RENTING A HOUSE

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If someone drops out it’s not a problem as I only have to cover my rent.

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It’s typical to rent a private house 11 months before you intend to move in.

Student houses are cheap.

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There is no way I could fall out with the guys I have signed a contract with.

I can easily walk away from the contract at any time.

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All estate agent fees are over £100.

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It is accepted that landlords with student tenants may take longer to fix problems.

You can’t expect houses rented to students to be maintained to a high standard.

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All the best houses go by Christmas.

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CONTACT INFO HOUSING ADVICE:

PREVIOUS REVIEWS:

SUBU Advice www.subu.org.uk/advice, Main Office: 01202 965779, Bournemouth House office: 01202 967369, E-mail: subuadvice@bournemouth.ac.uk

Move’m- www.movem.co.uk

HOUSING INSURANCE: Ensleigh Insurance www.endsleigh.co.uk/

Shelter www.shelter.org.uk Citizens Advice www.citizensadvice.org.uk

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