SUBU Private Renting Guide

PRIVATE

subu

RENTING

GUIDE

Advice

A handy 10 step guide to everything you need to know about private renting WWW.SUBU.ORG.UK/ADVICE

SUBU Advice: Supporting You

Contents Your 10 step guide to finding and moving in to your next student property.

Start your housing journey when you’re Ready to Rent.

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10

Rights and responsibilities

9

Moving in

8

Deposit protection

7

Reading the fine print: understanding your contract

6

Securing your accommodation: Fees and costs

5

Viewing checklist

4

Your property search

3

What can you afford?

2

Who would you like to live with?

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Where would you like to live and what type of accommodation would you like?

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STEP Where would you like to live and what

01 type of accommodation would you like?

Accomodation types

Requirements

Before you pick who to live with you may wish to consider what type of accommodation you would prefer.

Start looking around the area and see what you need or want to be near?

House

Flat Hotel

Studio

- Supermarket Do you wish to live alone or with others?

How many people are you going to live with? This will definitely affect where you choose to live

Accommodation size

- Doctors

Bungalow Halls

- Close to campus

Homestay

- Close to other friends - Close to work

On your own: studio flat, flat on your own or studio in halls

- On a bus route

Partner or 1 or 2 friends: small flat/house

- Out of the way

With friends 3-8 people: large house

- Near your child’s school/nursery

Lodging

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SUBU Advice: Supporting You

STEP WHO WOULD YOU

02 LIKE TO LIVE WITH?

May already live with people you get on with

Your mutual friends

Deciding who to move in with can feel daunting. The best approach is to spend time with and get to know you your potential housemates before agreeing to move in with them.

The key to success:

Do you prefer to live in a quiet house with few distractions, or would you prefer an active house that does everything together?

www.buzzfeed.com/floperry/ what-kind-of-housemate-are-you

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A relationship, pre or post starting university.

How do I find my housemates?

Living together involves an element of trust and respect– trust each other to follow the ‘house rules’, trust each other with paying bills and rent, respect each other’s personal space, belongings and way of life.

Find out what type of housemate you want to be:

Your course friends

SPEND TIME WITH PEOPLE Or use the “BU Find a housemate“ facebook page: www.facebook.com BUfindahousemate/

YOU MAY BE FRIENDS, BUT CAN YOU LIVE WITH THEM? THESE RELATIONSHIPS DON’T BLOOM OVERNIGHT, SO DON’T FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE TO RUSH!

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STEP WHAT ACCOMmODATION

03 CAN YOU AFFORD?

Budgeting with your current loan so you can forecast what you can afford next year is a great way to get started

What is affordable for you?

Budget Sheet

Don’t feel pressured to live with someone who has a larger budget just because you want to live with them, you need to ascertain your own budget before matching it up and deciding how it will work with future housemates.

Some houses will have different prices per room size or you could make a mutual decision as housemates to pay certain amount.

We have a helpful budget sheet in SUBU Advice. Come and collect one or we can email it to you!

Guarantor This will also be a good time to think about who is going to be your guarantor. All students are usually required to provide a UK based guarantor - someone who agrees to be legally responsible to pay the rent of the tenancy if you are unable to.

International and EU students may struggle to find a UK based guarantor and as such there are a couple of options available:

1 Pay rent in advance, this could be six months or the rent for the full term of the contract

2 Pay for a guarantor scheme such as housinghand.co.uk, ukguarantor.com and yourguarantor.com. Charges apply – check out each one to see which is best value for you.

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SUBU Advice: Supporting You

STEP Looking for your

04 next student property

So you know what type of property you want to live in, the area you wish to live in, who you want to live with and how much you can afford.

Time to start looking for your next student property!

SUBU Annual Housing Fair We have an annual housing fair to help you answer the question whether you are Ready To Rent and to help you with your property search. Check out the back page of this guide for details.

SUBU Advice also has a list of agents so you can quickly check out their website and contact them to book viewings.

Viewing accommodation

Have you heard of a landlord that’s good?

Do you know of a letting agent you’re keen to rent through?

Do you know any final year students moving out that have a property you like?

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Try to see a house more than once or at least view the area at two different times in the day. It will help you in deciding if the area is good for you. You can potentially meet neighbours to the property as well and where possible, speak to the current tenants to find out what it’s like living in the property.

We advise you view at least three properties as this will give you a good overview of what is available and what you may be able to compromise on.

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STEP house Viewing

05 checklist

What to look for:

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2

3

Rent (Month, week) Cost of bills (included/separate) Fees and deposits Location Central or Electric heating

Take this list to compare the houses you see – it will help to decide which one is best.

If you don’t know the answer to these questions you can ask the letting agent /landlord and they should provide you with this information. Alternatively, the current tenants may be able to help.

Bedroom size Utilities (Microwave, etc) Communal area with TV Gas safety certificate Smells of damp or mould present Garden Shower or bath Does it feel secure?

Taps work (Hot and cold) Boiler in good condition Enough storage

If you don’t know the answer to these questions you can ask the letting agent/landlord and they should provide you with this information. Alternatively, the current tenants may also be able to help.

Double beds Neighbours: students, family, older people Double glazing Does it feel right?

Parking

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SUBU Advice: Supporting You

What happens when?

STEP SECURING ACCOMmODATION:

06 FEES AND COSTS

Once you have decided on the accommodation you like, things may seem like they are moving quickly or a lot of money is being asked for. You can ask for a full list of fees (plus due dates) to ensure you can plan for this.

If the fees are going to put you in a bit of financial difficulty you may want to consider getting some money advice to ensure you have all the funding you are eligible for and budget your money.

Avoid taking out payday loans to cover costs, there are other ways to pay!

If there is a fee you are unsure about come and ask us and we can check what it is for and if it is reasonable and legal.

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1 Holding fee: This fee is paid to

£ £

show your commitment to renting the property and as such the letting agent/landlord will no longer advertise it. You’re unlikely to get your money back if you later decide you don’t want to take up the property. Maximum one week rent per property.

2 Security deposit and first month’s

£ £

rent: A security deposit is taken in case you cause any damages that you fail to repair. It can also be kept by the landlord or agent if you have outstanding rent. Maximum five weeks’ rent per property.

3 No deposit option is permitted as long as the tenant can choose between the no deposit option and paying a security deposit.

It’s important you understand the options available so get in touch with SUBU Advice before deciding which route you wish to take.

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STEP READING THE FINE PRINT:

07 UNDERSTANDING YOUR CONTRACT

Read your contract

Joint contracts

You may read your contract and it reads as if it might as well be in ancient Egyptian. Don’t worry, SUBU Advice is here to help!

If you all sign one contract and the rent is stated as a lump sum, then you are likely to have a joint and several contract.

We can help you understand every phrase and saying before you need to sign so you know exactly what you are signing up to. You can email your contract or drop it in to SUBU Advice for an Advice Worker to read and provide you with feedback.

We may need some time to read through the contract, but we will get back to you as quickly as possible, and usually within 24 hours. Don’t sign unless you absolutely understand every phrase. You may be signing up to something you really did not want to agree to.

This means that you are jointly and individually responsible for complying with the terms of the contract, including paying the whole rent.

If one of your housemates fails to pay their rent, you are liable to pay and if you don’t pay you are responsible for the rent arears.

You could get money deducted from your deposit, be evicted or your guarantor be contacted for someone else’s outstanding rent.

If one housemate wishes to move out they may be permitted to find a replacement tenant at the landlord’s discretion, or they can continue to pay rent, or you can make up the shortfall in the rent.

Contracts are binding so once you have signed, getting released is not often easy, unless there is a break clause in the contract.

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SUBU Advice: Supporting You

STEP SECURITY DEPOSIT

08 PROTECTION

The security deposit can be a maximum of five weeks rent. This will need to be paid before you move in. The deposit is used for any damages you may cause that are not rectified during your tenancy. If any rent remains unpaid at the end of your tenancy the deposit can also be used to cover this cost, however this should be avoided where possible.

If you have an assured shorthold tenancy, which most student lets are, your deposit has to be protect within a scheme and you are legally required to have the details of this scheme and your reference number within 30 days of you paying the deposit.

There are three schemes available for your agent/landlord: mydeposits, Tenancy Deposit Scheme and Deposit protection Service.

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If you have a dispute regarding the amount of deposit being returned you can utilise the schemes alternative dispute resolution service rather than going to court.

mydeposits.co.uk England & Wales

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STEP MOVING IN TO YOUR

09 STUDENT ACCOMmODATION

Inventory

Damages & Marks

Meter Readings

An inventory is a list of everything in the property and the condition of those items and the property. It’s a record you will use to evidence the state of the property when you moved in and a great way to identify any issues or repairs.

Include a list of furniture in each room, and note any damages, marks, worn furniture, mould, scuffs and scraps and items missing.

On the first day you move in ensure you take meter readings of all utilities to the property: water (usually Bournemouth Water), sewage (usually Wessex Water), gas, electricity.

Pictures

Your landlord or agent may provide you with an inventory to complete, if not you can do one yourself and send this via email to the agent or landlord within a week of moving in. Template inventory can be found at:

Take pictures of everything you note on the inventory as these will be key in helping you get your deposit back.

Send these along with your inventory to the landlord or agent (keep copies for your records).

Make a record of the readings (taking a picture is usually the easiest way) and make a note of them on your inventory.

If you are unable to find the meters contact your landlord or agent.

england.shelter.org.uk/__data/ assets/pdf_file/0004/23359/ Inventory.pdf

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SUBU Advice: Supporting You

General Utilities and Bills Call each utility provider and let them know you have just moved in, including the start date of your tenancy. If you do not know who the bill provider is, ask your landlord or agent or check on: findmysupplier.energy/webapp/ index.html.

When adding names to the bill add as many of the tenants as possible and change who is named first as the person named first will be responsible for paying the bill.

We advise you share the responsibility of bills and house chores. Save the Student has some very practical advice and guidance on setting up, comparing and splitting your bills www.savethestudent.org/ accommodation/guide-to-studentenergy-bills.html

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Other bills You may also need to set up the internet in your property and be sure you send Council Tax Exemption Certificates for all tenants to the local Council to avoid any unnecessary bills.

Ensure you know what day your bin is collected and only put your bin out for this time, ensuring you bring it in once emptied.

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SUBU Advice: Supporting You

Damp and Mould Mould is a common issue found in student properties due to the volume of moisture in the air from cooking, drying clothes indoors and showering which causes condensation.

Confirming the cause of the mould is the first step to resolving it.

We advise you: • Increase ventilation by keeping windows slightly open or using extractor fans provided • Close the kitchen and bathroom doors when in use

• Cover boiling pans with a lid • Dry clothes and laundry outside or at a laundrette • Keeping the heating on a low constant temperature during the winter as this reduces condensation as isn’t as costly as heating a house from cold each time.

• Don’t forget about things stored under your bed or in a wardrobe – get the out from time to time to ensure mould isn’t damaging your belongings. Store in air tight bags where possible.

• Clean any mould that appears using mould killer or bleach to avoid it spreading and causing permanent damage.

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If you follow all these tips for a month and there is still an issue it may be worth having Environmental Health come to inspect the property as it could be a structural issue with the property, which is the responsibility of the landlord to repair.

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Health and Safety

Noise Abatement Notice

Test your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide monitor is working, If these do not work, inform your landlord or agent by making a note on the inventory. Ensure you have an up-to date gas safety certificate as this will evidence that you boiler is has been fitted safely and it is in good working order.

You can receive a NAN for making consistent nuisance noise at ANY time of day. The local council issues the NAN and BU can then take disciplinary action under the University Disciplinary Procedure. Failure to comply with a NAN can result in a fine and court action against you.

If you wish to appeal the notice ensure you follow the local council guidance.

Contact SUBU Advice if you would like some help.

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SUBU Advice: Supporting You

STEP RIGHTS AND

10 RESPONSIBILITIES

i

Whilst living in Bournemouth or Poole you can register to vote. You can register to vote via www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

Your responsibilities • Pay the bills and rent on time. If you are unable to pay seek advice immediately from SUBU Advice, Money Advice Service or Stepchange.

• Take care of the property ensuring it remains clean, damage free and in the same condition as when you moved in • Give the landlord/agent access to the property if they have provided 24 hours’ notice, especially if repairs are required. You don’t have to permit them access if their visit isn’t prearranged.

• If something is broken or damaged ensure you inform your landlord or agent in writing immediately.

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• If there is a water or gas leak turn off the supply immediately and contact the landlord/agent • Comply with all requirements of the tenancy agreement, including not subletting. Contact SUBU Advice if you would like your contract checked.

• Test your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors at least once a month • Seek help and advice if you need it and don’t wait for the issue to get worse

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Your landlord’s responsibilities • Give 24 hours’ notice before entering the property, unless its it’s an emergency such as a leak, flood, fire.

• Carry out repairs in a reasonable period of time • Comply with health and safety regulations by providing smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detector (where required), up-to-date gas safety certificate • Ensure the furniture they provide meets safety standards • Ensure electrical equipment they provide meets safety standards

• Protect your deposit, if you have an assured short-hold tenancy • To not change the terms and conditions of your tenancy without all parties agreeing • To repair the structure and exterior of the property such as drains, gutters, roof, walls and chimney, where required • To ensure the supply of water, gas and electricity are in a safe working order • Ensure the property has an EPC energy efficiency rating of at least band E 15

SUBU SUBU Advice: Advice: Supporting Supporting You You

Useful INFORMATION & ADVICE LINKS

Money information & Advice

Money Advice Service www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk Step Change www.stepchange.org National Debtline www.nationaldebtline.org.uk Money Saving Expert www.moneysavingexpert.com 1 www.subu.org.uk/advice www.subu.org.uk/advice 16

Housing information & Advice

SUBU Advice www.subu.org.uk/advice

Shelter england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice

Ready to Rent readytorent.nus.org.uk

Association of Residential Letting Agents www.arla.co.uk

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SUBU ADVICE: SUPPORTING YOU Our Advice Workers are trained in housing law to ensure we provide accurate Advice on a variety of housing issues including: Tenant disputes Damp and Mould

SUBU Advice provides free, independent, non-judgemental and confidential advice and information to all BU students.

Utility bills Deposit Guarantors Where to look for accommodation

There’s no such thing as a silly question.

SUBU Advice can also help with issues related to:

Contact checking

Money

Ensure you know your rights and responsibilities in your accommodation

Employment

Negotiating with landlords on your behalf, where appropriate

Academic issues Personal

FIND OUT MORE:

u.org.uk

www.sub

/advice

Consumer 17

The SUBU Advice ‘Am I Ready to Rent?’ guide is available if you’re not sure on signing a contract yet.

subu

Advice

A guide about the issues of renting too early so you can make an informed decision as to whether you are ready to rent

WWW.SUBU.ORG.UK/ADVICE