Student guide to private accommodation

When moving into a private place (i.e. owned by a landlord), you need to take certain things into consideration.

1. Estate agents
If an estate agent promises you something then make sure you get it in writing and I would recommend speaking to the landlord directly.

When I rented my first flat the estate agent informed me that before our moving in date all the carpets in the flat would be renewed and that we would have a private car parking space available.

Now on moving into the flat we found both of these claims to of been outright lies and there was nothing we could do about it because the landlord had no responsibility for the estate agents claims and we had nothing in writing.

2. A 6 week deposit is not unusual
When renting a flat or house so be prepared to pay this and have the money ready. Read your contract thoroughly and be aware of anything that can make your estate agent take deductions from your deposit.

You should also be aware of any clauses in your contract and if you are not happy with them make sure you bring this to the attention of your landlord. A friend of mine had a contract with their landlord that said upon inspection of the flat any light bulb found to be not in working order would incur a £100 fine.

3. Landlords
Different landlords will leave different responsibilities to the renters of their property. Some landlords may consider the care of drains and garden the tenants responsibility, others may not. You need to check these things out before you sign your tenancy agreement.

If you find that there is damage to the property on the date of your moving in then you need to make your landlord aware of this so that they cannot hold you responsible. It is a good idea to take photographs of anything particularly bad. If you cause any damage yourself then the sooner you bring it to your landlord’s attention the better. Many landlords will fix minor defects caused by tenants without charge, for example broken light switches or anything that you can claim wasn’t directly your fault, even though it probably was.

When renting a flat be sure to check whether it comes furnished or unfurnished. It will come as quite a surprise if you arrive on your move in date to find that you mattress is made out of floor and in fact is a floor.

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