Firstly you need to find who you are living with, do this sooner rather than later as you need to be ready to pounce when properties start coming on the market. There is often a great rush either at the end of one year or a month before the start of the next so make sure your ready for the scramble.
Deposit
A 6 week deposit is not unusual when renting a flat or house so be prepared to pay this and have the money ready. Also remember that you will most likely have to pay a month in advance with this deposit so your looking at needing around 10 weeks rent in one go, which is no small change. Read your contract thoroughly and be aware of anything that can make your estate agent take deductions from your deposit.
When claiming back your deposit you will need to have all you bills fully paid, for more info about closing utility bill accounts click here…
Contract
You should also be aware of any clauses in your contract and if you are not happy with them make sure you bring this to the attention of your landlord. A friend of mine had a contract with their landlord that said upon inspection of the flat any light bulb found to be not in working order would incur a £100 fine.
Different landlords will leave different responsibilities to the renters of their property. Some landlords may consider the care of drains and garden the tenants responsibility, others may not. You need to check these things out before you sign your tenancy agreement.
Lease Length
Depending on where you are living landlords may expect a minimum lease length. This may be 12 months, 10 months or whatever the landlord asks for really. As the average student only spends 9 months at university you can often be paying for months when you will be at home. This of course means your student loan is being stretched even further but there isn’t much you can do about it.
Again, depending on where you are living, landlords may want you to move in straight away or they may be prepared to keep a property empty for a while until your term starts. This will usually depend on the market in the area you are living in. For example, as a London student, I can tell you that in London properties come on and off the market very quickly so the landlord can be very strict on what he wants because if you don’t take the place then someone else will tomorrow. I have recently rented a flat and had to pay for a month before I really need the place, but due to its excellent location I took it.
If you agree with your landlord that you only wish for a 9 month lease then they will most likely put in the contract that the lease can be terminated with 2 months notice after 7 months. Make sure you don’t forget about this after 7 months as the landlord will expect this notice and you will be paying for extra months if you don’t give it.
Thorough Check
If you find that there is damage to the property on the date of your moving in then you need to make your landlord aware of this so that they cannot hold you responsible. It is a good idea to take photographs of anything particularly bad. If you cause any damage yourself then the sooner you bring it to your landlord’s attention the better. Many landlords will fix minor defects caused by tenants without charge, for example broken light switches or anything that you can claim wasn’t directly your fault, even though it probably was.
Furniture
When renting a flat be sure to check whether it comes furnished or unfurnished. It will come as quite a surprise if you arrive on your move in date to find that you mattress is made out of floor and in fact is a floor.
When moving into your flat its best to request an itinerary of everything that is in the flat, such as kettle, toaster, cutlery etc… This way you know exactly what the landlord will be expecting to be in place and in tact when you hand the keys back over at the end of your lease.
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