First year life in halls is, for the most part, pretty simple. When it comes to living off campus in second year and beyond, all of a sudden it gets a bit scary. Choosing where to live and who to live with is a big decision, then you actually have to find somewhere, make sure it's ok, and do all the paperwork. It's no wonder that we get so many housing related enquiries at this point of the year.
Luckily, the SU is here to help and support you. You should definitely come along to our housing days (Wednesday weeks 1 and 4), to our informal drop in sessions, or to the advice centre for a chat. But there's also a lot of really useful and very important information below, so keep on reading! Like I said, housing is a big decision. Relax and make sure you're fully informed.
Drop-In Sessions
Contracts are confusing enough as it is – so if English is your second language the whole prospect of house hunting for next year is probably terrifying. Similarly if you don’t have a group to live with the thought of housing can be pretty anxiety-inducing and upsetting. So this year, we decided to run a few extra sessions for international students or for students without a group – and for groups who may want to find an extra person to fill out a house. Don’t worry if you can’t make any of the sessions listed below – you can always drop into the advice centre for a chat, or email advice@warwicksu.com or welfare@warwicksu.com with any worries or questions. Plus we have our second housing day in week 4 – so just Relax!
Drop-in sessions for International Students
- Tuesday 17th January, Central Meeting Room in SUHQ, 12-1
- Friday 27th January, location TBC (but will be in SUHQ), 12:30-1:30
Meet and mingle sessions for students without a group to live with, or a group looking for an extra person
- Friday 20th January, MR6 in SUHQ, 12-1
- Tuesday 7th February, MR6 in SUHQ, 6-7:30pm
General enquiries drop in
- Thursday 16th February, MR6 in SUHQ, 2-3
Housing FAQs
When should I start looking for somewhere to live?
There's no simple answer to this question. Every year, people start signing contracts for next academic year as early as November! I think this is way too early – take your time and make sure that you know who you want to live with and where before rushing into anything.
But aren't all the good houses gone by Christmas?
No, that's total rubbish! What happens quite often is that landlords will advertise a few houses as available, and panic students into thinking that if they don't sign on the dotted line immediately that there won't be anything left. In actual fact, they will often keep their best properties 'off the market' until February or even March – this means that they get rid of their lesser properties first and can then rent their nice ones later! Plus there are plenty of properties available all year round – there definitely isn't a shortage of student housing.
Who should I live with?
Well that's up to you! Most first years who are renting for the first time tend to form a group with their hall mates, but you should only do that if you want to. Don't forget that living in a house or flat is very different than living in halls – make sure that you definitely want to live with the group before you commit to anything – after all, you've only known each other since October so you have to be sure that you'll get on well!
What if I don't have someone to live with?
Don't worry, first of all – plenty of students find themselves in this situation for one reason or another. You have several options – 1) Check out our housemates wanted forum, 2) Come to our meet and mingle sessions to meet other people without a group, 3) Drop into our advice centre to have a chat – we may be able to find you somewhere that has a spare room to rent! But don't worry – everyone finds somewhere to live eventually!
Where should I live?
Warwick students don't just live in Leamington – almost as many live in Coventry! And then there's Canley and Kenilworth, although Kenilworth doesn't have a lot of students because it's slightly quieter. If you're not sure, go and have a look around the towns to get a feel for them. There are pros and cons to every location. Come along to the housing fair as well – you'll be able to chat to students who have lived off-campus and ask them questions about their experience.
How much should I be paying?
This entirely depends on where you're living and in what kind of accommodation – but it's likely that you'll be looking at paying between £3500-£3700 for the year – although you could be looking at more! Remember on top of that you will have to pay any bills that are not included plus transport costs if you're not within walking distance of campus. If in any doubt, pop into the advice centre for a chat.
Other important things to know about
Holding deposit
Some landlords will ask for a holding deposit. This means that if you want the house, but you don't want to sign straight away, you pay them a certain amount which essentially reserves the house for you. If you do this check whether or not it's refundable – if it isn't be absolutely sure that you want the house before paying it!
Administration fees
If you're renting through a letting agency, you will be charged administration fees – so make sure you ask how much they are so you can split the cost between everyone.
Joint liability
Tenancies will either be 'joint' or 'individual'. If the tenancy is a joint one, all your names will be on one contract. This means that all the tenants are jointly and severally responsible for the payment of the property and the condition of the property. For example, if your housemate doesn't pay all their rent, then it could be taken out of your collective deposit. Similarly any damage to communal areas is the responsibility of all the tenants. This is important to bear in mind when you're choosing housemates and signing contracts – make sure you're living with responsible people!
If you are signing a joint contract the landlord may be charging the same price for every room, which may not be fair if some rooms are significantly smaller than others. If you want to change the prices accordingly so that those in smaller rooms pay slightly less and those in larger rooms pay slightly more, discuss and agree it with your housemates, and then get the landlord to add it in to the contract.
References
You might be asked to provide references before a landlord or letting agent will rent a property to you. Because students rarely have a longstanding credit history, you may instead be asked for someone (usually your parents or other close relatives) to act as your rent guarantor – this means they will be responsible for payment of your rent if you don't. The guarantor needs to make sure that if they agree to act as guarantor that they limit their responsibility to only the person for whom they are the guarantor.
Sometimes, the landlord or letting agent will accept a letter from a previous agent, landlord, or employer, or a bank statement showing proof of funds, in lieu of a rent guarantor. If they ask you for proof that you are a student you can get an official letter at university house.
Energy Bills
It’s a good idea to ask your prospective landlord for an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). They are legally obliged to provide this document and it’s very useful in terms of seeing how energy efficient the property is – which will obviously affect how much you end up paying in energy bills!
Before you sign on the dotted line…
- Have your contract checked by the advice centre
- If you want to negotiate the length of contract, (eg. rent for 10 months instead of 12) do this before signing – once you have signed a contract it is often not possible to get out of it early.
- Check where your deposit is being protected
- Check that the landlord has a valid Gas Safety Certificate
- Check that the contract contains the following:
- Landlord's name, address and telephone number
- Property address
- How much the rent is, who it will be paid to and when
- Name of every tenant
- Details of services offered by the landlord (they are responsible for external maintenance, for instance)
- Who is responsible for the bills, and whether or not they are included in the rent.
- Terms and conditions
- Rules and regulations
- Contact details in case of a maintenance emergency
- Length of notice (if applicable)
- Landlord's right of access (should normally give at least 24 hours notice before visiting and should not enter the property without your permission except in case of emergency).
DOs and DON'Ts of house hunting
- DON'T sign for the first property you see. There could be better ones out there! If landlords are pressuring you to sign immediately, don't give in – they are out to make money first and foremost.
- DON'T rent a property over the internet. A lot of the time these will be scams designed to get your bank details and your money. Similarly DON'T sign for a property that you haven't physically seen – photos can be deceptive!
- DON'T sign until you have had your contract checked by the Student Union Advice Centre, your parents or a solicitor. If the landlord or agent won't let you take away the contract to get it checked first, think twice about signing it. Getting your contract checked could save you a lot of time, money and hassle later on – so get it done!
- DON'T panic. There's plenty of time, and we're here to help and support you.
- DO come along to the housing days, workshops or Student Union Advice Centre before you make any decisions.
- DO make sure that everyone knows what you're getting into – ie. that you've all seen the property, all read the contract, and all agreed on how you're going to split the deposit, rent, and so on.
- DO read the small print so that you are fully informed.
- DO check that your deposit is being protected in an approved Tenancy Deposit Protection Scheme.
- DO get receipts if you have to pay a deposit or any other monies to the landlord or letting agent.
- DO check whether or not your holding deposit (if you have to pay one) is refundable or not. If it isn't, make sure you are absolutely certain that the property is definitely what you want.
- DO ask whoever you put down to be your rent guarantor if they are ok with that first!