If Your Studying You SHOULD NOTE THIS Before Living in Student Accommodation
student accommodation
Before you move into any student accommodation landlords have a legal liability to supply the Gas Safety document for the property.
Landlords are also obliged due to law to secure their tenants deposits by employing a third party, this is acknowledged as the Tenancy Deposit Scheme. A landlord must brief their tenants of the holding company they are using within 2 weeks of obtaining the deposit – failure for them to do so can bring repercussion in the form of a fine.
Should a landlord revoke their student accommodation from being rented before the Tenancy Agreement is signed all they are required to do is return the holding deposit to the tenant (this remains true up until the day the tenancy is due to start). Future tenants should get the final tenancy agreement signed by the Landlord as soon as the terms are agreed.
Tenants will be in a much stronger position to disagree on any charges docked from their deposit if an inventory check is administered before completely moving in. If a Landlord or Letting Agent doesn’t forward the inventory the tenant really should consider constructing one. In this event it is also important for the document to be counter signed by either the Landlord or Letting Agent incase of future disagreements. Even just a couple of quick photographs that are sent by special delivery to the Landlord, or their agent, on the very first day of the Tenancy will suffice.
The price of rent for each tenant tends to decline as the number of people sharing expands, up to a max of 4. If a student flat is able to house five or more tenants, it is classified as a ‘House in Multiple Occupation’. This makes it more costly for the landlord to run – hence the increased rent per tenant.
It is a everyday misunderstanding that one television license is needed for each property. This is only true if student property is let on a shared basis, where there is split liability for the rent. If tenants sharing a address have individual tenancy agreements a license will be required for each tenant that has a television in their room. A prime example of such an event would be a house of 5 students in private or university halls of residence.
Landlords are also obliged due to law to secure their tenants deposits by employing a third party, this is acknowledged as the Tenancy Deposit Scheme. A landlord must brief their tenants of the holding company they are using within 2 weeks of obtaining the deposit – failure for them to do so can bring repercussion in the form of a fine.
Should a landlord revoke their student accommodation from being rented before the Tenancy Agreement is signed all they are required to do is return the holding deposit to the tenant (this remains true up until the day the tenancy is due to start). Future tenants should get the final tenancy agreement signed by the Landlord as soon as the terms are agreed.
Tenants will be in a much stronger position to disagree on any charges docked from their deposit if an inventory check is administered before completely moving in. If a Landlord or Letting Agent doesn’t forward the inventory the tenant really should consider constructing one. In this event it is also important for the document to be counter signed by either the Landlord or Letting Agent incase of future disagreements. Even just a couple of quick photographs that are sent by special delivery to the Landlord, or their agent, on the very first day of the Tenancy will suffice.
The price of rent for each tenant tends to decline as the number of people sharing expands, up to a max of 4. If a student flat is able to house five or more tenants, it is classified as a ‘House in Multiple Occupation’. This makes it more costly for the landlord to run – hence the increased rent per tenant.
It is a everyday misunderstanding that one television license is needed for each property. This is only true if student property is let on a shared basis, where there is split liability for the rent. If tenants sharing a address have individual tenancy agreements a license will be required for each tenant that has a television in their room. A prime example of such an event would be a house of 5 students in private or university halls of residence.
Full time students are exempt from paying council tax however, this is not true for part time students.
student accommodation
Full time students should consider sharing with part time students incase the house as a joint entity determine that it is biased for the part time student to fork out the full council tax bill.
If you are looking for student houses through a letting agent they will bill a referencing fee ranging between twenty to one hundred pounds per tenant. In the Birmingham area a £50 referencing charge is considered average. Tenants should try to negotiate this figure down as each basic referral will only cost the letting agency in the region of twenty pounds per tenant. Letting Agents charge considerably greater fees from the Landlord, accordingly they are unlikely to want to lose out on these potential charges for the sake of billing prospective tenants a somewhat lesser fee. Agents can’t charge you for simply looking at a flat.
Most housing contracts are valid for 12 months. Students renting in non-student regions should consider asking for a break clause to be contained into the agreement. This gives the tenants the freedom to give notice at any point during the 2nd half of the agreement.
Student areas have always been a hotspot for burglars, as a large proportion students have never lived in a house by themselves and security can sometimes be overlooked. Students should ask their landlord for windows and doors to be secured by key controlled locks, and bolts respectively. It is also advisable to view accommodation with maintained intruder alarms as this provides a key hinderance and can be activated at any time of day when the property is vacant.
If you are looking for student houses through a letting agent they will bill a referencing fee ranging between twenty to one hundred pounds per tenant. In the Birmingham area a £50 referencing charge is considered average. Tenants should try to negotiate this figure down as each basic referral will only cost the letting agency in the region of twenty pounds per tenant. Letting Agents charge considerably greater fees from the Landlord, accordingly they are unlikely to want to lose out on these potential charges for the sake of billing prospective tenants a somewhat lesser fee. Agents can’t charge you for simply looking at a flat.
Most housing contracts are valid for 12 months. Students renting in non-student regions should consider asking for a break clause to be contained into the agreement. This gives the tenants the freedom to give notice at any point during the 2nd half of the agreement.
Student areas have always been a hotspot for burglars, as a large proportion students have never lived in a house by themselves and security can sometimes be overlooked. Students should ask their landlord for windows and doors to be secured by key controlled locks, and bolts respectively. It is also advisable to view accommodation with maintained intruder alarms as this provides a key hinderance and can be activated at any time of day when the property is vacant.
