You may have only moved into your university halls 12 weeks ago, but it’s already time to start thinking about accommodation for next year. Many people choose to move into off-campus rented accommodation after their first year, but it can be a bit daunting.
Here’s a list of the top nine things to think about when moving out of halls…
1. Who do you want to live with?
Your best friend might seem like an obvious choice, but you need to think carefully about your compatibility as housemates. Whilst you may get on really well as friends, they might be lazy when it comes to washing up or always pay their rent late. Often it’s more difficult to tell someone you’re close to if something is bothering you, so it may be better to live separately.
Try not to make any decisions about who you’re going to live with until the second semester – you’ve only known them for 12 weeks after all. If you can, try and get a mix of personalities in the house, the best houses have people who are good at different things, for example someone might be a natural cleaner while someone else might be careful with money. Getting the right mix of personalities will ensure you stay on good terms throughout the academic year.
2. Location
Students like to live among other students; therefore your university city or town probably has a ‘student area’. It’s likely that this area is quite close to the university, but these houses are also likely to come with a premium price. If you think you can put up with a 30-minute bus ride from the other side of the city every day you’ll probably save yourself a bit of money.
3. Types of contract
If you’re planning on moving into a shared property, you need to be aware of the different types of contract available. Joint liability contracts are the most common and mean that everyone is equally responsible and accountable to the landlord in events such as rent arrears and damage to the property.
The other type of contract is an individual liability contract. This in an individual contract between you and your landlord. You will be liable for any damage to your room but if one of your housemates moves out you will not have to pay their rent for them. Your landlord will still be able to charge you for damage to communal areas such as the kitchen or living room, but they have to try and find out who was responsible first.
As with all contracts, it’s always a good idea to get someone else (perhaps a parent or member of university staff) to read over the contract before you sign anything.
4. Deposits and agency fees
Before you move into rented accommodation, most landlords or letting agents will ask you for a deposit. The amount you will have to pay varies but the deposit is typically one month’s rent.
Many students don’t take agency fees into account. Agency fees can cover a variety of things such as the check-in fee, an inventory fee and drawing up the contract; whilst these seem like basic tasks, letting agents can charge up to £400 for it. Always ask for a breakdown of any agency fees and if they seem extortionate get advice from your university.
You need to think carefully about whether you can afford these fees and how you are going to come up with the money (even if it means asking your parents).
5. Don’t rush
It’s easy to get caught up in the rush of people looking for accommodation. Most cities have an abundance of student houses so don’t panic if you don’t find somewhere immediately. It’s important that you are happy with the people you are living with, but also that you’re happy with where you’re staying. You’ll most likely have to sign a contract for a 12-month lease, so don’t sign anything unless you’re sure you want to commit.
6. Where to store your belongings
There’s often a period of a few weeks between moving out of halls and moving into your new place. If you live a long way away from university or your parents don’t want to move all of your belongings around consider renting a storage locker. Most universities will be able to offer you a short-term deal with a partner company, providing you a low-cost solution to your storage problem.
7. How to move everything to the new place
You’ve found a new place, great! But how are you going to move all of your belongings there? You’ll be surprised how much stuff you collect in one year, so you could find yourself moving a lot more out of halls than you moved in. If your family doesn’t have a big car then consider using a removals company. Not only can it offer quick and cheap movement of all your belongings it also means you’ll have an extra pair of hands to help carry everything into the new house.
8. The inventory
When you move in you’ll probably be given an inventory by the landlord. You need to make sure that you check this thoroughly and make detailed notes about any damage you see. It’s also a good idea to take pictures of the house when you move in; these are essential evidence in the event of a dispute over the return of your deposit.
9. Bills
Establish early on how you’re going to split the bills. Companies such as dividabill offer a quick and stress-free solution to bills by doing it all for you – all you have to do is set up a standing order. Another option is to make one person responsible for all the bills and just pay them back when the bills come in. Don’t forget that if you want to watch live TV you’ll need a TV licence, it might be tempting to try and avoid paying but if you’re caught you could be fined up to £1,000.
Rebecca D’Souza is a freelance writer for Abels Moving Services.