For many students, signing the lease on your university accommodation could be the first time dealing with such an important legal document.  Read on for our top tips on what to look for in a student house.  This will help avoid the pitfalls of costly mistakes and poor value for money.

The most important thing is to do your research.  Take the time to search, don’t do it in a hurry and make time to ask all the questions you can.  From lease length to deposits, the more research you do the more likely you are to find a house you love that won’t turn into a nightmare!

Our handy checklist of questions to ask includes:

Terms of the lease – what are the specific terms and how long is the lease i.e. 6 or 12 months, term time only? Will the lease be joint or individual? Student houses in Gloucester normally have joint leases be aware that you will have joint and several liability with anyone else named on the lease. So, for example, if one person doesn’t pay their rent then all other housemates will need to cover it.

Double check the address on the lease is the same address of the home you believe you are signing up to.  Confirm the monthly rent and deposit required so you know how much money you will need up front.

Calculating weekly rent into monthly rent is not just the weekly rent x 4. Often months have more or less than four weeks. You will need to times the number of weeks in the term and divide by the number of months in the term to get the monthly rent figure. 

Deposits – check how much the deposit is and where it will be held.  All deposits must be held in a Government approved scheme. This protects both parties and facilitates dispute resolution at the end of a tenancy.  Make sure you know how the deposit is to be paid and how you will get your deposit back at the end of the tenancy.  All the information you need can be found here.

Furnishings – sometimes you’re supplied with an inventory that details any furnishings / fittings / white goods included with the tenancy. Check this before signing.  Note anything missing or damaged as this will be used to ensure your deposit is returned at the end of the agreement.     

Landlord responsibilities – landlords have a list of things they need to do to be compliant, including meeting the requirements of a gas safety check and energy performance certificate. The gas check must be carried out on all gas appliances annually. EPC’s must be carried out every 10 years. 

Are bills included – some houses will include all or part bills in the rent.  Ask about gas, electric, broadband, TV licence, council tax and water rates.  If bills are included there can often be a spend cap so beware to check this out before signing on the dotted line.

Pets – are pets allowed in the house? You will need to seek written permission from the landlord for this. If bringing Tiddles the cat is important to you make sure to get this confirmed from the outset so as not to put the tenancy in jeopardy.

Contents insurance – this is very important and often overlooked.  The Landlord should have buildings insurance. But if you have a lot of belongings and expensive electrical equipment then individual contents insurance is highly recommended.

Finally make sure you read the terms and conditions and any small print before signing.  Be 100% happy with what you are agreeing to.  Then you are ready to make an offer, get finances in order and confirm a move in date.

For a list of available student houses in Gloucester then head over to our website. If you have any questions then call us on 07791 248744 or email enquiries@glsh.co.uk