Students

House/ Flat Share

This is the most common type of private rented accommodation for students and the main focus of this guide is to find good quality accommodation to share.

Room in a Private House

It's no longer just eccentric old ladies that take in lodgers these days; the "Rent a Room" scheme has made it a tax efficient way for all sorts of property owners struggling with a mortgage to bring in some extra cash.

Eccentric Landlord

This may not be the type of accommodation that you had in mind when you imagined your wild student days ahead but if you have left it late it may be preferable to some of the more squalid shared houses. At least with this type of accommodation you are generally guaranteed a well maintained property at a reasonable rent and no additional bills.

Private Flat

Having spent several months living with housemates that would make Kim and Aggie raise the white flag you may begin to dream of your own place. The trouble is that it's expensive and therefore out of reach for most students. Faced with a probable 100% increase in your accommodation costs it's easier to see the positives in sharing a house; the camaraderie, the solidarity, the thrill of never knowing if your food is still in the fridge

Holding Deposit

A holding deposit is paid by a prospective tenant so that a property can be removed from the market while references are taken up. A holding deposit is generally non-refundable if you change your mind about taking a property or if your references fall short. It will be refunded if the Landlord changes their mind about letting the property.

Security deposit

The dilapidation deposit is not the same as a holding deposit although the holding deposit that you have already paid will normally go towards making up the dilapidation deposit

At the end of the tenancy the Landlord must return the deposit to the tenant promptly or pass it over to the authorised scheme and register a dispute. The scheme will provide a free alternative dispute resolution service. If either the Landlord or the tenant do not agree to alternative dispute resolution the dispute will be resolved by DPS.

Inventories

An inventory is a record of the contents and condition of a property at a certain date. Your Landlord should provide you with an inventory at the commencement of your tenancy. Ideally it will contain a set of photographs. It is important that you take the time to go through the inventory in detail and point out any inaccuracies. The sooner that you do this the better. Many inventories will contain a clause stating that if you do not request amendments with seven days you are deemed to have accepted the contents of the document.

TV And Broadband Services

We are affiliates of Virgin Media Services and are able to offer you great entertainment which is exclusive to students only, pre-register now for Virgin Media and get a discount off your first bill when your services are installed at your new digs!