Leaving Guide

LEAVING GUIDE Your guide to moving out at the end of your tenancy.

WELCOME FROM YOUR CO-PRESIDENT (WELFARE & DIVERSITY)

At the end of your tenancy, there can be a lot to deal with so we’ve put together this handy Leaving Guide to make sure you don’t miss out on anything important!

Cleaning is a big task. Make sure you understand your contract regarding end of tenancy cleaning, and if a professional cleaner is required make sure that they do a thorough job and that you keep receipts as proof.

When you leave the property, all rubbish – inside and outside the property – must be correctly disposed of, or you will be charged for anything that the council or your landlord has to dispose of. Remember that you can donate items to local charity shops and food banks too.

In order to avoid being charged for broken or missing items, compare your inventory with everything in the property and replace any missing items if possible. Remember to return furniture to its original location.

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JACK KILKER

The next step is to sort out the bills. You will need to contact the relevant bill companies to let them know you’re moving out and provide meter readings.

Make sure that before you leave, everyone is in agreement on how any remaining bills are going to be split and paid.

There are many reasons why you may not get all of your deposit back, but you should not be charged for damage that is ‘fair wear and tear’ or anything that was damaged when you moved in. Ask your landlord to clarify and explain any deductions.

You will also find that you have accumulated a lot of stuff during your tenancy, especially if you stayed in the same house for two years, so it’s worth thinking about how you’re going to move all your belongings out. You may need to hire a van or use storage companies.

Finally, don’t forget to let your bank, doctors and other companies and contacts know you’re moving so your post goes to the right address.

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CLEANING You will be expected to clean your house when you leave, and your contract should contain specific details about what is expected of you at the end of the tenancy which may include professional cleaning, oven cleaning or carpet steam cleaning.

It is important that you do this as otherwise your landlord/ estate agent determines the price and will deduct this from your deposit. As a general rule, you should leave the property in the condition you found it. Make sure you clear all rubbish out of the property and avoid over-filling bins so you’re not charged to have it removed.

If your agreement states you need to have a professional clean, make sure the company do a really good job (don’t let them go until they do!) and keep the receipts or invoice to prove that you’ve had professionals in. You will usually need to hire an external professional cleaner to do this. Shop around and ask friends if they’ve used a particular company in the area; you don’t have to stick to the one your landlord/estate agent recommends. If you find a really amazing one, please do recommend them to the Advice and Support Centre so we can help guide others in their direction as well!

Check contract for moving out cleaning requirements (i.e. professional cleaning).

Thoroughly clean the kitchen appliances, especially oven and fridge!

Clear all rubbish, but don’t overfill the bins to avoid being charged.

Keep receipts from any professional cleaning.

If you find a particularly good quality/value-for-money professional cleaner, let us know so we can recommend them to other students!

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RUBBISH AND RECYCLING Ensuring that the property is left clean and tidy is a vital part of getting your deposit back. It has been found that inadequate cleaning accounts for 32% of all deductions from student tenancy deposits, making it the most common cause of deduction. Below are the key refuse and recycling collection dates for Egham and Englefield Green, to help you plan ahead with emptying your property.

EGHAM Recycling: Tuesday 14 June, Tuesday 28 June and Tuesday 12 July General waste: Tuesday 7 June, Tuesday 21 June and Tuesday 5 July Food waste: every Tuesday

ENGLEFIELD GREEN Recycling: Monday 13 June, Monday 27 June and Monday 11 July General waste: Monday 6 June, Monday 20 June and Monday 4 July Food waste: every Monday

Visit Runnymede Borough Council’s website for more information on bin collection dates for your postcode, or follow the link below.

BIT.LY/RH-BINCOLLECTION

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Over-filling bins and fly tipping are likely to leave you and your housemates with fines from the council and/or your landlord. It is easy to underestimate the amount of rubbish and unwanted items you have accumulated during your tenancy, so we’ve come up with some handy tips to avoid being charged for your rubbish!

Charity shops – there are plenty of these on Egham High Street, including Oxfam, Age UK and Blue Cross, who will happily take your unwanted items (in good condition) off of you.

Look out for charity bags that may be posted through your letterbox too!

Food banks – if you have unopened, non-perishable food, then why not donate it to a local food bank? Food banks can be found in Egham Waitrose, or nationally through the Trussell Trust Local recycling centres – there are plenty of local recycling centres, below are the locations of a few and what they accept: Egham Tesco Car Park – paper, toys, textiles and glass Egham District Social Club, High Street – glass Egham Social Club, Spring Rise – glass Sainsbury’s Car Park, The Causeway – paper, tetra pack, toys, textiles, books, glass, plastics, batteries, light bulbs Bulky waste – arrange for Runnymede Borough Council to collect items such as household electrical items, wooden furniture, upholstered furniture and mattresses. Note that charges do apply and collection must be arranged in advance.

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INVENTORY At the start of your tenancy an inventory of everything in the house should’ve been done. Now you’re moving out, you will need to find your inventory (or ask for a copy from your landlord/estate agent) to check that nothing has gone missing or been broken. Remember that fair wear and tear are acceptable, so small marks and scuffs are ok. If anything is missing or broken, then look into the cost of getting it replaced or repaired, or be prepared to lose it from your deposit.

If you can, try to be there when the check-out inventory is done. If you can’t be there, make sure you take lots of photographs before you leave (preferably include something with the date on), in case you’re challenged.

Find your inventory or ask landlord/estate agent for a copy Compare everything in the house to the inventory – bear in mind fair wear and tear are acceptable If anything is broken or missing, consider the cost of repair or replacement Return the furniture to its original location Try and be present for the inventory check or at least make sure you have dated photos of the condition you left it in

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BILLS Make sure you’ve paid all existing outstanding bills. Contact the company and let them know you’re leaving, as well as remembering to provide final meter readings on the day you leave. They’ll then make arrangements to issue you with a final bill, which you and your housemates should agree a way of settling together. Your landlord might deduct any unpaid bills from your deposit, but this means you won’t be able to split them the way you need to; everyone will just pay an equal share. The bill company may find that your account is in credit, in which case you should be refunded.

It’s really important to settle all the bills as it can have a serious impact on your credit score later on - utility companies can and do pursue outstanding debts, sometimes using bailiff companies. If you have any problems with the bill then contact your provider, but contact the SU Advice and Support Centre if you have any problems paying the bill.

Contact all bill companies to tell them you’re leaving Provide meter readings on the day you move out Make sure everyone settles their fair share of the bills

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DEPOSIT Assuming there is nothing wrong with the property or its contents, and it’s been cleaned to the terms of the contract, then you should get your deposit back within the timeframe stated in your contract. Your deposit should have been protected in a Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) and your landlord should contact you shortly after you move out to arrange the return of the deposit.

If you disagree with any deduction, start by writing to your landlord to explain why you think this is unfair. If you can’t negotiate an acceptable compromise and if your deposit was protected, you can approach the scheme to make a neutral decision and return the money accordingly.

You should do this as soon as possible as there may be a deadline.

If your deposit wasn’t protected and you encounter any issues, then more information can be found here: http://bit.ly/1n6OsdX or you can visit the SU Advice and Support Centre for more assistance.

If you were living with a resident landlord, unfortunately TDS can’t assist you and you will need to negotiate with the landlord, providing proof and explaining why you think the deductions shouldn’t be made. If you can’t reach an agreement, the SU Advice and Support Centre can discuss possible options with you.

The landlord/estate agent will let you know about any deductions to your deposit If there are any problems, these can be settled through the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) if your deposit was protected.

If the deposit was not protected in a TDS then you’ll need to provide evidence to your landlord/estate agent if you disagree with any deductions Contact the Student Union’s Advice and Support Centre if you have any difficulties or questions

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DEPOSITS AND ADMIN FEES Charges for outstanding rent or missing keys can be deducted from your deposit, but fair wear and tear from everyday life can’t be. Make sure you know what to expect to lose from your deposit and have a record of the condition of the whole house because you won’t be able to go back and check.

Below are contact details for some of the major Tenancy Deposit Protection Schemes. You can find out if your deposit was protected too.

DEPOSIT PROTECTION SERVICE (CUSTODIAL AND INSURED) 0330 303 0030 depositprotection.com

MYDEPOSITS 0844 980 0290 mydeposits.co.uk

TENANCY DEPOSIT SCHEME deposits@tds.gb.com 0845 226 7837 tds.gb.com

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MOVING YOUR BELONGINGS Make sure you’ve planned well in advance how you’re going to get all of your things to your new property or back home. If your next house contract doesn’t start for a while make sure you know where you can store your things.

Even if you found it easy to move all your stuff in one go before, a year has passed and you’ve probably accumulated more stuff. Try to start moving out things you don’t need all the time a few weeks beforehand to save you stress on the last day. If your parents are helping you move make sure you tell them the dates well in advance so they are definitely available to help, especially if they might need to hire a van.

Work out how you’re going to transport all your possessions: will they fit in a car or do you need to hire a van?

Check out local storage solutions or make sure there’s space at home to store your stuff

Remember you will probably be charged by your landlord or estate agent for the removal or disposal of any items left in or outside the property after your tenancy agreement has ended.

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STORAGE COMPANIES There are plenty of local storage companies who will store your items for you, and some will even collect and return them to you too. Whether you have a gap in between one tenancy ending and your new one starting, or you just need somewhere to temporarily store your items, storage companies can be a great option. Below are the contact details of a few local ones, you will need to contact them directly to find out about prices.

BAGGAGE BOYS sales@baggageboys.co.uk 01784 488519

LOK ‘N’ STORE staines@loknstore.co.uk 01874 818644

STORAGE GEEKS info@storagegeeks.co.uk 01932 568660

FINAL THINGS TO DO! Contact your bank and doctors, to redirect any post to your new, or home, address.

Change the delivery address for your online shopping.

Update your new address details with Royal Holloway and the voting register.

Let your family and friends know too!

Let us, the SU, know your experiences (good and bad!). If you came across a really good professional cleaner, or you felt you had a great landlord, why not recommend them to us so we can guide other students?

Use Move’m (www.movem.co.uk) to review your property and landlord/estate agent – it’s basically the TripAdvisor for student houses!

Get up-to-date contact details of your housemates (if you don’t already have them).

You may want to leave a forwarding address at the property or with your landlord/estate agent, so your post can be redirected.

However they are not under any obligation to redirect your post, so it’s best to update the relevant companies and contacts yourself.

USEFUL CONTACTS ADVICE AND SUPPORT CENTRE Based on the first floor of the Students’ Union, we offer you the opportunity to discuss any concerns you may have and receive advice from our team of experienced and professional advisers. advice@su.rhul.ac.uk 01784 246700 su.rhul.ac.uk/advice

HOUSESEARCH HouseSearch lets you search for shared houses, one-bedroom properties, flats and lodgings in Egham, Englefield Green and the local area. housesearch.rhul.ac.uk