It's time of the year again to find your off-campus accommodation!

Housing guide

1. Choosing your housemates.
1. Don’t rush into sharing a house with the people you don’t really know well.
2. Choosing your house.
1. Prioritise your needs.
1. How close to campus do you want?
2. How much the rent?
3. Is it inclusive or exclusive bill?
4. Can you afford to pay the additional bill face?
2. Letting agent
1. Don’t rush into signing an agreement or pay too much money upfront. Take time to find the right house.
3. Fees and deposit
1. Administrative fee  range from £50-£100
2. Holding deposit
3. Security deposit
3. References and guarantor.
1. A guarantor is someone who willing to be responsible for payment of your rent if you don’t pay it. (Usually close relative).
2. The guarantor needs to be sure that if they agree to do this.
3. Some letting agent accept University as your guarantor.
4. Tenancy agreement.
1. The agreement is likely to be ‘Assured Short hold Tenancy Agreement’ which last for six months.
2. It is important to try and negotiate the length of contract you require at the outset.
3. Get the tenancy agreement checked first by the student union advice service, your parents or a solicitor.
4. Do not pay any money to the landlord until the whole group happy with the contract.
5. Check whether the holding deposit is refundable if you decide not to take the property.
6. Get a receipt for any monies paid to the landlord.
7. Joint contract- all names on one contract. You are jointly and severally responsible for the condition of the property.
8. Landlord may be charging the same price for every room. This is not always fair if the rooms are different sizes. If you feel the room is too expensive for a smaller room, agree the price before you sign the contract and make sure you get it in writing. Your rental figure should feature on the tenancy agreement so check that it has been amended with the new rent when you finally sign.
5. What should be in your tenancy agreement?
1. Landlord’s name and address with telephone number.
2. Property address(house you are renting)
3. How much the rent is
4. Who the rent is paid (bank, building society, landlord)
5. When the rent is to be paid
6. Name of every tenant
7. Details of services offered by the landlord
8. Who is responsible for the bills?(included/excluded from rent)
9. Terms and conditions.
10. Rules and regulations
11. Contact details in the case of a maintenance emergency
12. Length of notice(is there notice period?)
13. Landlord’s right of access.
6. moving into your house.
1. When you first move into a house, it is a good idea to make a detailed inventoru (list) of content of the house and what condition they are in.
2. It is advisable to take photographs of the house on the day that you move in and on the day you move out.
7. living in a shared house.
1. Paying the bills.
1. It is advisable to inform the utility companies of the date you intend to move into your property and also the when you move out.
2. You should make a note of your meter readings on the day that you move in and on the day that you move out to avoid paying for the previous tenant’s bills.
3. Try to have each tenant’s name on all utility bills. However if this is not possible you will need to come to an agreement with a responsible person in your group.
2. Tv licenses
1. Colour TV licenses currently costs £145.50
2. For more information go to www.tvlicencing.co.uk
3. Council tax.
1. If you are full time student you can claim exemption from payment of council tax.
2. You will need to take an exemption certificate to the local council to prove your student status in order to gain this exemption.
3. Exemption certificates and instruction on what to do with them can be obtained from the University Student Records Office
4. Or simply go this website to apply for exemptions certificate and follow the instructions to share it with the local council.

https://securedocuments.kent.ac.uk

Mohammad Abdul Nahqim Abdulah
Religious and Welfare Officer