If your reading this, chances are you are considering moving into a student house with your friends for the first time. During the last year, you have probably been in university halls, possibly with an en-suite bathroom, and all your bills have been taken care of before you even move in.
But sharing a house with a group of people, outside of the university can sometimes be a challenge.
Landlords are the people who own the houses you live in as a student. You will pay them rent monthly or termly, despite this some still try to exploit first time renters. As a renter you have housing and renting rights available to you, that I believe everyone should be aware of. In order to ensure your landlords do not exploit your rights I have compiled a list of things you must know before renting a student house.
1. READ YOUR CONTRACT
It goes without saying, you must read through your contract before you sign it. Once you sign the contract you are legally bound, unless you have signed it under duress or a few other circumstances. Make sure you understand everything in your contract before you sign it and ask questions if you don’t understand anything.
2. BE A GOOD TENANT
Being a good tenant does not ensure that your landlord will be good to you, but it does help the situation. You can be a good tenant by paying your rent on time, and abiding by the rules within the contract.
3. KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
As a private renter you have rights that are protected by law when you rent a property. As a tenant you have the right to:
Live in a property that is safe and in good condition. This means that your landlord must ensure that before you move in they have organised gas safety certificates, working appliances, and the property is in liveable condition. Take pictures when you first move in of everything, even if it is in good condition, it is good to have them for your records if anything goes wrong.
When you give your deposit (if you have one), to your landlord, they must put your deposit in a government safety scheme that secures your deposit until you move out.
You should as a tenant question any excessively high charges that have been placed in your agreement.
You must be allowed to live in the property undisturbed, and peacefully. This means that your landlord is not allowed to turn up to your property, while you are occupying it, without giving you 24-hour notice, this would be in breach of the Protection from Eviction Act 1997 which states that if your landlord interferes with the peace or comfort of the resident he cold be prosecuted for harassment.
I have included some links below to find out more.
https://www.gov.uk/private-renting
https://www.lawontheweb.co.uk/personal/tenancy
these things above are very important to know, and all student or first-time renters should ensure they know their rights before entering into any contract.
Teniola Opara
Aspiring Academic
Follow me on Twitter & Instagram: @blogundergrad
