house huntingYOUR GUIDE TO

01865 484770

su.advice@brookes.ac.uk

The Search

MONEYBe realistic and work out what you can afford before you start your search. Add up all the money you expect to have over the year and convert it to a monthly figure. In addition to rent you will probably have to pay for gas, electricity, water, phone, internet access and a TV licence. You also need to budget for food, toiletries and household items. Work out how much you are likely to need and then look for something that is within your means.

Research the agentHouses are usually rented through letting agents and it is a good idea to use one that has signed up to the National Approved Letting Scheme (NALS). It is also worth checking to find out whether an agent is a member of Oxford City Council’s Landlord Accreditation Scheme. The Scheme will not guarantee a trouble-free let but agents do have to sign up to a minimum set of standards, and if you find they fall short you can report issues to the Council. To find out more about the scheme search for ‘Landlord Accreditation Scheme’ on the Oxford City Council website www.oxford.gov.uk You may also find helpful reviews of agents by looking on line.

Get to know you housematesYou are going to be living with these people for the best part of a year and mis-matching of housemates can cause misery. Have a frank discussion. Who likes to have the heating on at 28 degrees and who would rather put a jumper on? Who thinks that you do the washing up after dinner and who thinks you do the washing up only after every piece of crockery in the house has been used? Does anyone smoke, like to play loud music late at night, languish in the bath for an hour etc?

WHAT DO I NEED TO CONSIDER?

Don’t be rushed into signing up Despite what you may be told there are more than enough houses to go round, and, because of this, agents are keen to sign tenants up early. They don’t want to have un-let properties. That’s their problem not yours so take your time when searching for a house.

Type of propertyHow many bedrooms do you need? How many bathrooms? Do you want a communal living room? Do you need parking spaces, room to store bikes, a garden?

You are probably not going to find a house that ticks every box but it would be worth deciding as a group what your priorities are.

Which area of OxfordAgain, you would be lucky to find the perfect location but give some thought to deciding where you want to be. Do you want to be close to the university, to shops and pubs, in a student area? Is there an easily accessible bus route? You can find bus routes by searching the Oxford City Council website www.oxford.gov.uk

Viewing properties Spend some time and look at as many properties as you can and if possible return at different times of the day.

Be thorough and look in every room. Decide whether the bedrooms are big enough for everyone. Check for signs of damp or mould by looking carefully at the walls and in and behind cupboards and doors. Check all the taps, showers, toilets and kitchen appliances to make sure they are working. Look at the curtains and floor coverings, beds, storage space etc. If there is a garden consider how you will maintain it. Ask current tenants how much the utility bills are.

Find out from the agent who manages the property; is it the landlord or the agent? Ask whether the property has an HMO licence. You can check this with the Tenancy Relations Team at Oxford City Council on 01865 252267.

If you identify any problems such as a broken shower or a non- working fridge don’t rely on verbal assurances that all will be fixed before you move in. Ask the agent to put it in writing. If it isn’t in writing you will not be able to prove it was ever agreed.

Golden rules Don’t even look at a house that isn’t within your budget.

Look around the property carefully – once you’ve signed you can’t change your mind

If the landlord or agent promises to do anything, get it in writing before you sign.

Don’t be rushed into making a decision, paying or signing anything!!!

Reserving the propertyOnce you have found a house you like and have decided to take it you will probably be asked to pay a holding fee. This is an amount of money that agents charge for reserving the property. You must be sure that you want it and that you have successfully negotiated any terms that were of concern (and you have written confirmation) as this fee is usually non-refundable should you change your mind. Agents often deduct the holding fee from the security deposit so ask whether this will happen.

Signing the contractDon’t sign a tenancy agreement without reading it carefully and being sure you agree to its terms. If you have any doubts or queries Brookes Union Advice will go over it with you. You can book an appointment for a contract check by calling us on 01865 484770 or sending an email to su.advice@brookes.ac.uk. Signing a joint tenancy is a serious undertaking. As joint tenants you are each legally responsible for ensuring that all of the rent and not just your share is paid.

Fees and chargesYou will be asked to pay various non-refundable fees and charges which may include fees for drawing up the contract, checking references and preparing an inventory and check out report. Agents must provide clear information about these charges.

Security deposit You will be asked to pay a security deposit of about the equivalent of 6 weeks rent. Your landlord is required by law to register this deposit, within 30 days of payment, in a Government approved Tenancy Deposit Protection Scheme. In addition your landlord must provide you with information about which company it has been registered with. If your landlord fails to do this you may take legal action. Security deposits are refundable in full as long as you have paid your rent and not damaged the property.

Rent in advanceYou will be asked to pay some rent in advance before you move in, usually one month.

GuarantorsAgents will usually ask each tenant to provide a guarantor. This will usually be a parent. The guarantor undertakes to pay the rent should you (or your housemates) fail to pay. If you are unable to provide a guarantor you may be asked to pay several months’ rent in advance.

Other housing optionsHalls You can rent a room in University halls. You have an individual contract so you are only responsible for your rent. The contracts term varies between 38 and 50 weeks, depending on where you chose to live. If you need to end the let early you must find another Brookes student who is not currently in Brookes accommodation to take your place. If you cannot find a replacement you will be liable for rent to the end of the let or until another tenant is found.

Brookes Shared Housing (or StuRental)Brookes shared houses are properties in Oxford close to Headington and Wheatley campuses that are let and managed by the University. Again, you have an individual contract for a room in a shared house so you are only responsible for the rent on your room not the house. Let periods are for between 46 and 50 weeks. As with hall accommodation you can only end the let early if you can find another Brookes student who is not currently in Brookes accommodation to take your place. You will not pay a deposit or rent in advance but you will pay a one off non- returnable booking fee of £226.

For more details of shared house availability contact the Accommodation Office by email on accomm@brookes.ac.uk, or telephone 01865 484660.

Renting a room in a private houseThis can be either in a family home or in a house that is occupied by tenants renting separate rooms in a single house. Rights and responsibilities vary depending on whether the landlord is resident. Brookes Union Advice can give you further information on your individual situation.

Brookes Union Advice Centresu.advice@brookes.ac.uk01865 484770

Oxford City Councilwww.oxford.gov.ukMain switchboard (for Environmental Health, Council Tax,)01865 252887

Oxford City Council Tenancy Relations Team 01865 252267

TV Licencing0300 5790 6138www.tvlicensing.co.uk/studentinfo

Citizens AdviceCitizens Advice produces lots of factsheets on housing and student housing www.adviceguide.org.uk

Contact details:

KEY DEFINITIONS

Admin Fee – this is payment to the agent at the start for processing the tenancy, drawing up a contract, carrying out reference checks etc. Allagents will charge this. Ensure you find out in writing exactly what the fee covers. Make sure you check whether or not it includes the cost ofchecking out of the property at the end as you don’t want to pay for this twice!

Deposit – this is a sum of money that you pay at the beginning of the contract. It is normally 6 weeks rent, do not agree to pay more than this. The deposit can only be used at the end of the tenancy for actual damages that have arisen during the tenancy have not been put right. These damages include outstanding rent, damage caused by the tenants and cleaning. It can not be used for compensating the Landlord or for items that are damaged naturally over time due to usage and age (fair wear and tear).

Holding Fee – this fee reserves the house for you however, it is normally non refundable and therefore you will not get it back if you change your mind. Try to avoid paying one of these and the best way to do that is to wait till later in the academic year to rent!

Tenancy Deposit Protection Scheme – your deposit should be registered with one of the government approved schemes by the agent/landlord. They have 30 days to do so from when you paid your deposit. If you have not had confirmation that your deposit is protected within this time, then write to your landlord/agent & request confirmation even if the information is in your contract.

Landlord – the person who owns the property. You can find out who this is and their address by doing a Land Registry search. There is a small charge for this service but it may be worth doing. Go to www.landregistry.gov.uk then click on ‘find a property’. You can also find out if the property has as a mortgage. You can then ask if the mortgage company know about the tenancy.

Joint and Several liability – this means that all the rights, obligations and costs that arise from the tenancy apply to everyone named, including in some cases your guarantors, until the tenancy ends. So if a window breaks, you are all responsible for paying for it. If one person falls behind in rent, then the others are liable for covering that short fall.

Tenancy Agreement – this is the contract you will be given to sign when you have found a property you want to move into. All landlords should provide you with time to read our tenancy agreement before you sign it. You should read it, ask questions and query any parts that you don’t understand. Remember once you have signed it you are agreeing to abide by the terms of the agreement until it ends, it can be very difficult to vary the terms once it has been signed.

Legally binding – this means that once the contract is signed, all parties agree to abide by its terms and these terms can only be changed if everyone agrees. If this does not happen then legal action may be taken against the party breaking the agreement. Many tenancy agreements are legally binding even if you stop being a student, so if you think this is going to happen or you change your mind, seek advice straight away.

Inventory – this is a record of the condition and contents of the property when you move in. Make sure you go through it in detail and that you all sign to agree it. Keep a copy, this will help when you go to move out!

Check out report – the same as the inventory but this time a record of what condition the property and contents are in when you leave it. It is very important that you are present when this is carried out as it can save time later if you need to negotiate deductions from your deposit!

Housing of Multiple Occupation (HMO) Licence – If you live with three or more friends then Oxford City Council requires the Landlord to have an HMO licence for the property you live in. This is done for a number of reasons but most importantly to protect your health and safety whilst you are living in the property.

Lead/Head Tenant – this is the person appointed to act on behalf of the other tenants when it comes to getting back your deposit. Make sure you are all aware who this is and that you are all happy with who is acting in this capacity, if not, request a change. This person will receive the deposit at the end of the tenancy and it will be their responsibility to share it out to the other tenants. Some agents will also only use this person to correspond.

Brookes Union Advice 01865 484770 su.advice@brookes.ac.uk