Housing Advice: What to consider before signing a contract
Wherever you choose to live, your accommodation is a big part of your life as a student and you should feel happy and safe living there. Looking for a place to rent can be daunting, we’ve shared our top tips to help you find somewhere you'll be happy to call home.
When it comes to house hunting, don’t be rushed into signing a contract too early. Despite what you may have heard, there are plenty of houses to go around. Because of this, agents are keen to sign tenants up early so they don’t have un-let properties. That’s their problem, not yours.
There are four key things to consider before starting your property search:
- Who you are going to live with.
- Where you'd like to live.
- What type of property you are looking for.
- How much you can afford.
Make sure you get to know your potential housemates, you are going to be living with these people for the best part of a year so choose wisely. Have a frank discussion about your priorities and what you are willing to compromise on. Who likes to have the heating on full blast and who would rather put a jumper on?
Once you’ve decided who you are going to live with, we recommend looking into average rental prices and weighing up the pros and cons of living in different parts of the city.
Before a house viewing plan some questions you’d like to ask the landlord/letting agent. For example, is the property furnished, are utility bills included, what is the holding deposit, are there signs of damp/mould, who is responsible for maintaining the garden? Check with the landlord/agent what to do if something goes wrong in the property. Is there an emergency number or do you have to wait until office hours?
You then need to read the contract carefully, once you have agreed to live in the property, you are pretty much locked in for the duration. Check that all the correct names are present on the contract, all of the amounts (rent, deposits) are as you agreed, when you can move in and who manages the property – the letting agent or landlord.
Most students who rent privately are assured shorthold tenants. You have the same rights as non-students in this type of tenancy.
You’ll usually be asked to provide a guarantor. This is often a parent or family member who guarantees to pay your rent if you don't. They'll have to sign a guarantor agreement and may want to get their own advice before signing.
You should be given a copy of the 'how to rent guide', energy performance certificates, a gas safety certificate and a certificate for your deposit along with information about the deposit protection scheme (this is called prescribed information).
If there is anything you’re still unsure about, you can get in touch by completing our advice enquiry form.
We also advise that you are alert to rental scams. Students can be targeted by fraudsters who advertise properties that don't exist or have already been rented out.
If you would like to rate and review your landlord, letting agent, rental property and neighbourhood, you can do so on Marks Out Of Tenancy.
