Housing Exterminate bad houses WINTER EDITION 2018
house hunt with Unipol
www.unipol.org/BradfordHH Agony Amy Your housing questions answered See page 04-05
Where to live in Bradford See page 03
www.facebook.com/ unipolbradford
@Unipol_Students
The Unipol Codes Are at the heart of everything we do. See page 11.
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WINTER 2018
Contents FEATURES
03
Areas to live in Bradford
04-05 Agony Amy 10
Unipol Code Landlords
11
What the Code means
The Housing Hub Here to Help
03
The Housing Hub team holds a wealth of experience; most are current students in Bradford like you. Help is at hand in all areas from how to choose the right property and finding other people to live with. A friendly bunch who have your best interest at heart and will always try to help but if we can’t we will put you in touch with someone who can. Find us at: Unipol Housing Hub, The Richmond Building, University of Bradford, BD7 1DP
This magazine is produced by Unipol Student Homes. It is for guidance only and is no substitute for the diverse legislation covers. Unipol Student Homes is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales, No. 3401440, Registered Charity number No. 1063492. VAT Registration No. 698 8456 49. Unipol Student Homes accepts no liability whatsoever in respect of the advertisements prepared by Unipol Student Homes based on the contents on Accommodation Details Forms and in no circumstances (whether caused by negligence or otherwise) will Unipol Student Homes be liable for any consequential or indirect damage or loss of rent or loss of profit suffered or incurred by you or any third party howsoever caused. Š Copyright 2018 Unipol Student Homes
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CONTENTS
WINTER 2018
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LOCATION
Where to live in Bradford Deciding which area to live in is likely to be one of your top priorities. Below is a list of popular student locations City Centre accommodation comprises of a variety of flats and if you are looking for shared housing the neighboring university area would give you more choice. There are some larger developments however that may offer options for students wishing to live together in groups so you will still get a shared living experience.
Bradford City Centre has increased in popularity with students in recent years and there has been an expansion in housing provision, largely in converted warehouses and offices. All of the accommodation available is within walking distance of the facilities, entertainment and amenities and the university and college. The convenience of living in the city centre appeals to many students with the array of local amenities just outside your front door and none of those pricey taxis home after a night out. However, much of the
Local amenities and places of interest The city centre boasts a wide range of shops, pubs, restaurants, museums and public spaces. Travel to university and college
The university and college are just a short walk away and the city bus runs regularly linking the city centre and the educational establishments. There are two railway stations in Bradford, The Interchange and Bradford Forster Square. Trains run regularly from both stations to Bradford and beyond.
University Area A popular area with students. There is a wide variety of accommodation available, including halls of residences, flats, terraced houses, back to backs, semi detached and detached properties. Local amenities and places of interest There is not a shopping centre but there are numerous shops, restaurants, pubs, take outs and much more.
Great Horton
Frizinghall Close to the University of Bradford School of Management,Frizinghall is an area mixed with familes and students. Local amenities and places of interest Various shops can be found in Frizinghall, mostly along Keighley Road. As with neighbouring Heaton, Frizinghall is next to the award Lister Park, home to an art gallery, boating lake, Mughal Gardens and more.
Travel The city centre is between 5 and 15 minutes walk and a city bus links some of the area with the city centre. There are also regular bus routes from most of the university area to the city centre.
Travel There are frequent bus services to the city centre run by a number of different operators. The journey takes approximately 15 minutes and services run every 7 minutes during weekdays. There is also a free bus which runs directly between the School of Management (a few minutes walk away) and main university campus during term time.
Great Horton area of Bradford is popular with students due to its proximity to the University and the College. There are many take-away outlets, shops and restaurants throughout the area mostly situated on Great Horton Road. Local amenities and places of interest There is also a large Tesco Extra in Great Horton though this is a little further away than the main student area. Horton
Park is a popular park in Great Horton benefiting from leafy gardens, a duck pond and play area. Travel There are frequent buses to the city centre with the journey taking between 5 and 15 minutes. Buses run every 10 minutes during weekdays and many of the services pass the university and college. The main student area is close to the university and college and is around a 10 minute walk.
For detailed information on the areas of Bradford from local amenities to transport information and rental costs please visit our online guide at: living-in-bradford/where-to-live-in-bradford
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WINTER 2018
ADVICE
A GO N Y A M Y Hi!
Student life can be really difficult at times; balancing workloads, making new friends and budgeting. Most of what you are experiencing is brand new and takes time to get your head around. Unipol Hub officer Amy Lloyd answers questions and offers advice to help students with any housing related issues.
D EAR AM Y Concealed Contract
Q
:Me and my friends found a property a few weeks ago that we really like but I feel like the landlord is rushing us. The landlord has asked for a deposit and rent before we have even seen the agreement. Is this normal and what should I do? We really like the house and are scared that we won't find another as good as this one.
Are we compatible?
Q
: I have a small group of friends at university who I know through classes. I am looking for places to live next year but to be honest I don't know if we are compatible. I really enjoy their company as friends but it's hard to know if we will have the same standards of living. I'm quite stuck really because I don't want to sign a contract without thinking.
Amy Says: This is definitely not normal and the landlord should always send you an agreement before asking for any monies for rent and deposit. If you would like to go for the house then ask the landlord to provide you with an agreement. Once you are comfortable, sign the agreement and then pay monies. If this is a Code landlord then this would be in breach of the Unipol Code and you can raise a complaint to us about this.
Amy Says: You are right to think about these things! You need to make sure you will be comfortable with the people you live with. You can take a look at our recent blog with some great advice on thinking about flat mates: blog.unipol.org.uk/choosingyour-housemates If you still don't know if you want to live with your friends, you can always look for a one bedroom property on our website.
Amy’s Advice for a quiet life Bradford is made up of thousands of students but it is important to remember that when you rent your property you will be living in a residential community with other full time workers and families. Some noise is unavoidable but there are lots of simple ways to avoid disturbing others and keep the neighbours on your side: n n
If you can hear your music from outside the room, so can everyone else Move your TV and stereo away from neighbour's walls and keep them off the floor
n n
n
Use headphones during late night and early morning hours Don't play music too late. This is legislation which stipulates what time noise can be made- after 11pm you should not make any noise that can be heard from outside the room it is being made in. If you play a musical instrument, practice at reasonable times and not early in the morning or during the late evening or night. Agree practice times with neighbours.
To learn more about keeping the peace withing the community visit www.unipol.org.uk/documents/unipolhousing/keepthepeace
WINTER 2018
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ADVICE
Amy’s House Hunting Help
House Hunting has started and it's time to find the perfect home for your next academic year! Unipol has the largest selection of properties for you to choose from in Bradford. We even have a dedicated website to help you easily search for the property that is right for you. With our detailed filters you are able to select important property features such as location and number of bedrooms.
Step 1
Step 3
Visit www.unipol.org.uk/bradford /accommodation
Choose from thousands of adverts and properties which will show up in the left hand colum. Take a look at the key at the bottom of the page which will show you what the different coloured pins/markers mean. To view an advert, click on the image or text.
Step 2 Select from the filters what features are important to you. Handy tips: If you don't know where to live, take a look at our handy guide on page 3 You can pick a Code Landlord in the section that says "who do you want to rent from"
Step 4 Once you decide on a property you like, go to contact details then call or email to make a booking.
Happy House Hunting x
Come home to The Green Live with your friends
Book by 31 March* at www.bradford.ac.uk/ green-offer
*Offer not available to new students
Less than £93 a week (incl. bills)
Free
gym membership and personal belongings insurance UOB
A C C O M M O D AT I O N
THE GREEN
100 MB Wi-Fi
WWW.BRADFORD.AC.UK/GREEN-OFFER
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WINTER 2018
THE CODE
Unipol Codes - is your landlord on the list? All of the landlords and providers on this list are accredited with Unipol, either as part of the Unipol Code for Shared Houses in Leeds, or under the terms of the National Code. National Code Providers are in a separate section at the end of the list.
Individual Members of the Unipol Code for Bradford A n n
Sharaz Ahmed Jawed AKHTAR
K Derek Coe
H n n
B n n n
C n
Names in gold indicate a Unipol Golden Owner: landlords who have been a member of the Unipol Code for at least four consecutive years and haven’t had a sustained complaint being brought against them. Names in green are National Code Providers of Larger Developments.
n n
P Kexgill (Bradford) Ltd AZHAR KHAN
L Jean HUSSAIN Shahid HUSSAIN
n
Mr Steve LAYCOCK
n
n n
Prodigy Living (IQS)
R n n
U n
Lucy ROY Mr Ghulum RUBANI
n
M Richard JORDAN
n n
S Mezzino Mr Chandu Mistry
n n n n
University of Bradford
W n
John Baruch Shaun BIELBY (Mosaic Properties) Shabana Bibi
J
Gemma & Josie SMITH Mohammed SODAGAR
Woodlands Properties (Tessa ANDREWS)
Z Sanctuary Students Sijad Housing (M.S.Bahadur) Mohammed SHABIR Mr Kumaranaygam SHANMUGABAVAN
n
Mr Ghulam ZAFAR
WINTER 2018
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THE CODES
The Unipol Codes Are at the heart of everything we do. They are a set of standards, and ensure that your student home is safe and comfortable and your landlord will play fair.
Safe and comfortable Your Code Home: 3 Will conform to security and fire safety standards higher than legally required 3 Will be ready and any refurbishment or building work finished before your tenancy starts, unless agreed with you 3 Will be clean at the start of your tenancy
Any landlord who lets to students can choose to sign up to the Unipol Codes, and in doing so they agree to keep to the high standards set. Landlords who sign up to the Codes show they are committed to improving student housing, starting with your home.
Fair Play
Tip for House Hunting Find out if your landlord or agent is a member of the Code at: www.unipol.org.uk/landlord s/landlord-directory
All Code homes and landlords should meet Code standards -if they don’t, we can provide help and advice, and you can use the Code complaints process to help you resolve the matter.
Your Code landlord: 3 Will act professionally and courteously at all times 3 Will advertise properties without misrepresentation, and make all fees, including rent and bills, clear to you 3 Will give you at least 24 hours to check over your contract before signing, and won’t let to anyone else during this time 3 Will protect your deposit in a protection scheme and manage it fairly
And there’s lots more! For more info, look online at: www.unipol.org.uk/the-code
Doris Birdsall ÂŁ84.50 pppw fully inclusive with Personal Possessions Insurance and Wifi Tenancies from 10th September 2018
01274 436 400 / 01274 235 899
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lettings@unipol.org.uk
www.unipolhousing.org.uk Visit: Unipol Housing Hub, Richmond Building, University of Bradford, BD7 1DP