YOUR GUIDE TO
house hunting 01865 484770 su.advice@brookes.ac.uk brookesunion.org.uk
STEP ONE
The Search
WHAT DO I NEED TO CONSIDER? Brookes Shared Housing (or StuRental) In a Brookes shared house your house is let and managed by the University. You don’t have a joint and several contract because rooms are let on an individual basis. For more details of shared house availability contact the Accommodation Office by email on accomm@brookes.ac.uk, or telephone 01865 484660. Money Look at your expected finances for the year and also what you have now. You will be making a financial commitment to pay for rent+utility bills+food & living costs on a monthly basis. You will also need to pay initial costs when you initially rent the property such as deposit, administration fees, holding fee and first month’s rent. Work out what you can realistically afford and stick to this. You can use our budget sheet from our Brookes Studentpad site to help you work this out. Do your research Look up agents online to see if they have had negative reviews. Look for a green agent or landlord using www.brookesstudentpad.co.uk. Agents and landlords that are registered with not only an accredited national body but also members of the Oxford City Council Accreditation scheme policy, advertise their properies at www.brookesstudentpad.co.uk What type of property How many rooms do you need? Do you need parking? Do you want a communal social space such as a living room? Do you want a garden? Do you need a shed to store bikes? How many bathrooms do you need? How many fridges do you need? Which area of Oxford Do you want to be close to University, close to the shops and pubs or both? Is there an easily accessible bus route? (see Brookes StudentPad to help you identify this). Is there a school? How noisy is the area? Are there other students living in the area? Do you want there to be?
Visiting a property Look in wardrobes, cupboards and behind doors. Is there enough space for you? Is the room in good condition? Is there any mould or damp? Is the garden tidy? Is there gas and electricity? Is it cold? Do all the taps work? Do the toilets flush? Does the oven work? Are there curtains or blinds in each room? What are the up front costs? How much are the utility bills? Can the landlord supply tools to do the garden? Does the agent manage the property? Does the property have an HMO licence? Does the property have an Energy Performance Certificate?
four of the golden rules when hunting are: 1. Visit a property more than once and at different times of the day to get a feel for the area and the security - trust your instincts, don’t be ‘talked into’ renting. 2. Visit more than one property. 3. If the agent or landlord promises anything to you get it in writing before you sign the contract. 4. DON’T BE RUSHED INTO MAKING A DECISION PAYING OR SIGNING ANYTHING!!!
STEP two
Reserving & Signing on the Dotted Line STOP! Contract Check Before you sign on the dotted line (or pay any fee whatsoever) come to the Advice Centre and get your contract checked. We can go through your contract, your rights and your responsibilities with you to make sure you understand what you are entering into. We can help you identify anything you are not sure of and which then leads you onto...
Negotiate Terms If there are terms that you are not happy with and that can be negotiated you need to do it now before you sign the contract. This can include asking the landlord to supply garden equipment so you can maintain the garden or getting new furniture in rooms. Agreements in writing Once you have completed the negotiations get them confirmed in writing along with any agreements about when you can move in and when renovation work will be complete. It is important that you make sure all tenants are aware of agreements as the contract is joint and several so it will apply to them as well. Deposit Registration You must have had confirmation that your deposit is protected within 30 days of you paying it. It is not enough that the information may be in the contract, this only tells you who it is registered with, it doesn’t confirm it has actually been done. And remember do not hassle other housemates to sign at your convenience, they need to be sure of what they are agreeing to and that they can afford it!
contact details Oxford Brookes student advice centre Email: suadvice@brookes.ac.uk Tel: 01865 484770 Oxford City Council www.oxford.gov.uk HMO Licence Officer 01865 252307 Environmental Health 01865 252 887 Council Tax 01865 252 267 TV Licence 0300 5790 6138 www.tvlicensing.co.uk/studentinfo
KEY DEFINITIONS Admin Fee - this is payment to the agent at the start for processing the tenancy, drawing up a contract, carrying out reference checks etc. All agents will charge this. Ensure you find out in writing exactly what the fee covers. Make sure you check whether or not it includes the cost of checking out of the property at the end as you don’t want to pay for this twice! Deposit - this is a sum of money that you pay at the beginning of the contract. It is normally 6 weeks rent, do not agree to pay more than this. The deposit can only be used at the end of the tenancy for actual damages that have arisen during the tenancy have not been put right. These damages include outstanding rent, damage caused by the tenants and cleaning. It can not be used for compensating the Landlord or for items that are damaged naturally over time due to usage and age (fair wear and tear). Holding Fee - this fee reserves the house for you however, it is normally non refundable and therefore you will not get it back if you change your mind. Try to avoid paying one of these and the best way to do that is to wait till later in the academic year to rent! Tenancy Deposit Scheme - your deposit should be registered with one of the three government approved schemes by the agent/landlord. They have 30 days to do so from when you paid your deposit. If you have not had confirmation that your deposit is protected within this time, then write to your landlord/agent & request confirmation even if the information is in your contract. Landlord - the person who owns the property. You can find out who this is and their address by doing a Land Registry search. It costs £4 but is well worth the money. Go to www.landregistry.gov.uk then click on ‘find a property’. You can also find out if the property has as a mortgage. You can then ask if the mortgage company know about the tenancy. Joint and Several - this means that all the rights, obligations and costs that arise from the tenancy apply to everyone named, including in some cases your guarantors, until the tenancy ends. So if a window breaks, you are all responsible for paying for it. If one person falls behind in rent, then the others are liable for covering that short fall. Tenancy Agreement - this is the contract you will be given to sign when you have found a property you want to move into. All landlords should provide you with time to read our tenancy agreement before you sign it. You should read it, ask questions and query any parts that you don’t understand. Remember once you have signed it you are agreeing to abide by the terms of the agreement until it ends, it can be very difficult to vary the terms once it has been signed. Legally binding - this means that once the contract is signed, all parties agree to abide by its terms and these terms can only be changed if everyone agrees. If this does not happen then legal action may be taken against the party breaking the agreement. Many tenancy agreements are legally binding even if you stop being a student, so if you think this is going to happen or you change your mind, seek advice straight away. Inventory- this is a record of the condition and contents of the property when you move in. Make sure you go through it in detail and that you all sign to agree it. Keep a copy, this will help when you go to move out! Check out report - the same as the inventory but this time a record of what condition the property and contents are in when you leave it. It is very important that you are present when this is carried out as it can save time later if you need to negotiate deductions from your deposit! Housing of Multiple Occupation (HMO) Licence - If you live with three or more friends then Oxford City Council requires the Landlord to have an HMO licence for the property you live in. This is done for a number of reasons but most importantly to protect your health and safety whilst you are living in the property. Lead/Head Tenant - this is the person appointed to act on behalf of the other tenants when it comes to getting back your deposit. Make sure you are all aware who this is and that you are all happy with who is acting in this capacity, if not, request a change. This person will receive the deposit at the end of the tenancy and it will be their responsibility to share it out to the other tenants. Some agents will also only use this person to correspond.