Successful House-hunting The aim of this presentation is to give you the information you need to make good choices about accommodation for next year, a bad decision now may cause you to have a bad year next year. The key thing to remember is that if you are unsure about anything please make sure you get advice. The slides will be available on line for you to refer to.

Don’t Panic There are plenty of houses Most people find suitable accommodation Take your time don’t get rushed into something you later regret Don’t Panic

Planning is Vital Who with and how many? Where? Type of Accommodation? How much can I afford? Planning is Vital Decide who you want to live with, think about how the group will work, do you all want the same things – spotless kitchen & bathroom or dirty and untidy? What can you all afford What sort of accommodation do you want – private halls or shared house? Coventry or Leamington Spa – add in a bit about both, details of buses etc

Larger Properties are more Expensive Our research indicates that larger properties work out more expensive per person than smaller properties E.G: An 8 bedroom property in Leamington Spa costs on average 19% more per person per week than a 4 bedroomed property Some larger properties are expensive and not of a good standard and represent very poor value for money Larger Properties are more Expensive

Warwick Accommodation or Private? High Standards and Quality Large Groups Locations: All usual student areas No Deposits and Insurance is included Try Warwick Accommodation First Warwick Accommodation or Private?

Most private contracts are for joint tenancies, with everyone having joint and several liability for the rent. If someone leaves the house before the contract ends, all of the tenants can be held responsible for the missing portion of the rent, but everyone has the right to recover the missing rent from the person who leaves Joint Tenancies

Is it possible to give notice and leave the property early? Most contracts do not allow this, but you may be able to assign the contract i.e. find someone to take your place Can You Give Notice? Most student contracts are for a fixed term, with no break clause, so once you have signed it the only way you can usually be released is if you can find someone else to take your place. If you do find you want to leave and can’t find someone to take your place, talk to the SU Advice Team

How much will it cost? Agents fees and set up costs Deposits Rent Water Charges How much will it cost? There are a lot of different charges that can be charged – make sure you know the charges you will be asked to pay before you pay anything. The total cost of charges per person can range from £0.00 – up to £300+ and often the people that charge the most won’t make it obvious what their charges are.

Deposits Tenancy Deposit Scheme Prescribed Information If renting privately make sure your deposit is properly protected in an authorised scheme Deposits A deposit paid as part of an assured shorthold tenancy must be protected within 30 days of you paying it Beware – Unscrupulous landlords/agents may try to call it something else to avoid protecting it – if you are unsure whether your deposit should be protected get advice from the SU Advice Team. As part of the deposit protection rules there is certain information that must be provided within 30 days of paying it – a failure to do this, gives the tenant a claim against the landlord. See the SU Advice Housing Web pages for full details. The benefit of making sure your deposit is protected means it will still be there to be repaid to you – the landlord cannot spend it – and if you can’t agree the deductions at the end of the tenancy then the deposit protection schemes have an alternate dispute resolution service to help resolve the dispute.

Right to Rent Checks From 1st February 2016 Landlords must carry out identity checks and satisfy themselves that a tenant is living in the country legally Safeguard your identity Right to Rent Checks These checks are coming in and anyone signing a contract after 1st February 2016 will be subject to them. Landlords will have a legal duty to check that anyone they rent accommodation to is in the UK legally, Generally you will need to provide: your UK or EU passport Or A document showing permanent or time limited residence in the UK or EU The landlord will need to check the documents and keep copies for the period of the tenancy and for 12mths afterwards. So think about who you are handing these identity documents to: Does the landlord seem reputable Do you trust them to hold copies of your ID documents Does the landlord/agent have a clear complaints procedure and belong to a redress scheme? ( Redress schemed are independent organisations that will investigate complaints)

Some agents and landlords ask your parents to act as your guarantor in case you don’t pay! Try to avoid this - it is a bad idea and parents could end up being responsible for not just their son/daughter’s rent and other liabilities, but everyone else too! Guarantors Usually need a guarantor – if you don’t have one you may be asked to pay all or part of the rent for the whole contract in advance.

Make a thorough inspection of any place you intend to rent Use the Advice Centre Check List Don’t sign a contract for a place you have not seen Inspecting the House

Our research shows that 50% of students are disappointed with the quality and condition of their accommodation when they move in Disappointed Do the checks, look carefully at the property. Visit it before the end of the Summer term and provide the landlord/agent with a list of the works that you will need to be done. Be proactive in making sure the accommodation will be ready for you to move into, make any requests in writing – ideally by email.

The SU Advice Centre will give you free independent advice on your contract Always read the contract and understand it yourself Get advice about anything you don’t understand before signing Contracts

We are an experienced team who can give you advice on: House-hunting Housing Problems All aspects of University Life Anything else you can think of! SU Advice Centre

SU Advice Centre How to contact SU Advice Team: In Person: SUHQ building Email: advice@warwicksu.com Tel: 024 76 572824 (internal Tel: 72824) Web Site: www.warwicksu.com SU Advice Centre