Student House Hunting

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And so it begins. Seasonal festivities aside, this time of year heralds the arrival of those all-important decisions: who do I want to live with and where do I want to live? Just like Christmas present queries, the questions get asked earlier and earlier each year and the queues outside the Estate Agents get longer and longer. As a result of this, it is becoming even more important that the first-time renting student knows what they can expect from their property and their landlord.

But panic in week 8 of Term One does seem a little premature. With the University's recent announcement that the deadline for applying for on-campus rooms is this term, and whilst the University might be attempting to will students back into the bubble, those wishing to escape should take on board these wise words: DON'T PANIC. They won't run out of houses.

Consider wisely your choice of housemates and houses. Like anything else, it's worth taking time to think over both decisions. Rushing into either could mean you end up with irritating housemates or a house that falls apart. As far as housemates are concerned, in the end, it's about striking a balance, not something easy to do when you've only been living together for nine weeks.

Too many of us move into poor quality housing and most of us don't even realise. From Fat Cats moving into their penthouse apartments in Mayfair to poverty ridden students putting up with rat infested hovels, we are all private renters and all have the same rights. Most of us tolerate bad housing because we assume we have to. The national housing charity Shelter, in partnership with Bradford & Bingley, have recently published Home from Home, their new guide to renting and letting aimed at renters and landlords. The guide aims to demystify what can be a complex and daunting experience. It contains top tips for tenants and landlords and aims to steer people through the potential pitfalls that private renting can bring.

As a tenant, we have certain rights and responsibilities. We should expect to have a clear written tenancy agreement, which we should make sure we read, not just sign. Remember the Union's Welfare Services are there to help overcome difficulties with understanding the rental contract. They will look through rental agreements and can offer advice on what we should and shouldn't expect. They are also a point of reference if you have difficulties during the year. We should expect the house to be fit for occupancy, meaning it should comply with environmental health standards to protect your wellbeing and safety. Electrical and gas fittings should be of an acceptable standard and furnishings should all be fire resistant. That old student digs favourite, damp, is also something that we need to address. Making the landlord aware of the problem is one way of ensuring that such problems can be dealt with.

Making an inventory when you move into your new digs is a good idea. It makes things a lot easier when you move out and your landlord is refusing to give back the full deposit. Remember what you are responsible for and what the landlord is responsible for. If a wild party ends with a smashed window, that's your responsibility and you can expect to pay for it, but if you're charged for replacing carpets that would otherwise be replaced then query it. It is not the responsibility of the previous tenant to pay for the upkeep of the property.

Check out what you have to do with the garden if you have one. My second-year house had a vegetable patch for a garden - a godsend you may think for an organic conscious student - but in reality, the patch belonged to our neighbours, who just happened to be related to the landlord. At least it wasn't a patch of nettles, but an unknown man wandering around the garden at any time didn't do much to ensure a sense of privacy. It's unlikely that you'll have turf wars with the neighbours, but finding out if you have to cut the grass or sweep the concrete is always a good idea. Find out how and when you pay rent. Sometimes it can be monthly, other landlords ask for three months rent in advance. Check how your landlord prefers to do things and speak to them if you don't think you can pay the rent on time. Keeping on good terms with the landlord makes everything run a lot more smoothly. Find out what bills you're responsible for. Some landlords pay the bills for you and will then ask for the money, others expect you to organise it yourself. It's always a shock when that first bill comes through, sometime between Christmas and the New Year, but knowing whether to expect it or not is always handy.

What many of us don't realise is that our landlord cannot visit the property without an appointment once we've moved in. The landlord needs to make an appointment. Some landlords don't respect this, and horror stories abound of landlords turning up unannounced and laying into the tenants who are dressed in little more than a dressing gown.

Another incident involves some prospective tenants entering the property while the current tenants weren't there - they were let in by the landlord's spare key. For security and for good relations, the landlord should not enter the house without prior permission while you're living in it, Whilst demanding our own rights, remember that whilst it's your home, it's the landlord's property. Treating the house with respect will probably mean more respect from your landlord and also increase the chances of you getting that deposit back. In the end, it's all about building up a positive relationship so that if things do go wrong you can try and resolve them easily. As students, we suffer because of our ignorance. Dodgy landlords believe they can get away with all sorts of tricks because we have no real experience with renting and think we have little power to make any difference. Yet, informing yourself of the basics of renting is easy. Wherever you decide to move, take your time and consider all the options. Choosing the wrong housemate is going to put you in a bad mood for a few weeks, but signing the contract on the first house you see is going to ruin your year. Don't buy into the panic and start looking for a house, take your time and you never know that dream house may be just around the corner.

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