Accommodation Services - House hunting in the private sector 2018 Richard Wilkins Private Sector Liaison Officer - Falmouth Exeter Plus

Accommodation
Services
House hunting in the private
sector 2018

Richard Wilkins
Private Sector Liaison Officer

House hunting – 2018

Part 1   Different options

Part 2   Getting started and where to look

Part 3   The Accommodation Office – how we can help

Part 4   Issues to look out for & top tips!

1. Different options

1 Sharing a house or flat

2 Self-contained

3 Lodgings (live-in landlord)

4 Halls of Residences*

Sharing an house or flat (HMO)

                 Pros                                Cons
Widest choice (location, size etc)   Tied into a contract (up to 12 months)
Less expensive option                Usually means dealing with bills
Part of “student experience”         Neighbours not students
Greater freedom (than halls)         No 24 hour security/Porters’ Lodge
Choose your housemates               Messy/very tidy housemates?

Self-contained (studio apartment, 1 bed flat etc)

                 Pros                                  Cons
Own space                             More expensive (rent and bills)
Not disturbed by others’ lifestyles   Isolating
No in-house conflicts                 Less choice/availability
Control of own bills/usage

Lodgings (live-in landlord)

                   Pros                             Cons
 Quality often higher               Living by someone else’s rules
 Bills usually included (cheaper)   Limited security of tenure
 Flexible contract (licence)        Not necessarily with other students
 Quieter                            No deposit protection

Getting started and where to look #1
• What kind of accommodation
  do you want?

• Where do you want to live?

• What can you afford?

• Who do you want to live with?

Getting started and where to look #2

The Accommodation Office online data base (Student Pad)

Lettings Agents

Other web sites (Spare room, Right move, gum tree etc)

Word of mouth

Social network sites (Facebook)

The Accommodation Office #1

Online accommodation data base (Student Pad)

Accommodation Fairs (Spring/summer)

Website (www.fxplus.ac.uk/accommodation)

Online (via The Compass)
telephone/drop-in advice

Facebook group (“Find a
student housemate, Falmouth Cornwall”)

Flatmate finder event – Jan 2018 (“Meet, match, move”)

Cornwall Student Pad

Cornwall Student Pad (www.cornwallstudentpad.co.uk)

Data base of available properties

E mail alert facility for new properties

Message board facility (student-to-student )

Relevant Advice Pages

Extensive search functionality

Accommodation Fairs 2018

 Wednesday 14th March 2018

 Tuesday 1st May 2018

          In The Compass, Penryn Campus

Issues to watch out for……..

 1.Contracts and licence agreement

 2.Letting Agents

 3.Right To Rent

 4.Damp/mould

 5.Living in the community

 6.Viewing properties – top tips!

Issues to watch out for……..1. Contracts

 Assured shorthold tenancy agreement (e.g. shared
 house, self contained studio)

       Individual or joint?

       Fixed term (no break clause?)

       Up to 12 months including summer months

       Bills or no bills?

       (Not the same as halls contract)

Issues to watch out for……..1. Contracts

 Lodgings – accommodation with a “live-in” landlord

 1. More informal arrangement (not a tenancy)

 2. Little “security of tenure”

 3. No deposit protection covers lodgings arrangements

Issues to watch out for……..2. Lettings Agents

    Lettings Agents provide a lot of student accommodation in
    Falmouth & Penryn

    Check their fees (Admin)

    Landlord/agent responsibility

    Who is the landlord?

Issues to watch out for……..3. Right To Rent

 From February 2016 all landlords have a duty to ensure
 that anyone they offer a tenancy to has a right to rent.

 Only people with a right or permission to be in the UK
 have aright to rent property

 You may therefore be asked to provide some
 documentation before signing a tenancy:

 Passport or National ID card
 Biometric Immigration document

Issues to watch out for……..4. Mould/damp

 Cornwall is a “damp” county

 Many older student houses were not built/designed for
 communal living

 Is it damp (landlord) or is it mould growth caused by
 condensation (tenant)?

 Ask the landlord about the
 heating/ventilation system
 (On house hunting checklist)

 Talk to current occupants

Issues to watch out for……..5. Living in the
community
 1.Living in town is very different to living in halls on
 campus

 2.Neighbours not always students

 3.Noise

 4.Litter/waste/recycling
 (ask landlord)

 5.Parking

Top tips for viewing properties #1

 Always view properties together

 Don’t just take a friend’s word for how good/bad a property is!!

Top tips for viewing properties #2

 Take our house hunting checklist with you

Top tips for viewing properties #3

 If possible…………talk to the current house mates

Top tips for viewing properties #4

Have your deposit ready!

  Make sure you know what you’re handing over:

      Holding deposit (refundable or not?)
      Security Deposit (refundable or not?)
      Admin/reference checking fee (usually not refundable)

Top tips for viewing properties #5

         Take your passport/i.d with you

Top tips for viewing properties #6

 If in doubt…..don’t take it!!

Contact us

 The Accommodation Office

 Glasney Lodge
 Penryn Campus
 Treliever Road
 Penryn TR10 9FE

 Log enquiries via The Compass

 01326 253 741

 www.fxplus.ac.uk/accommodation

*Halls of Residence 2018/19
• Open to students with medical or welfare
  requirements

• Maritime Studios, Falmouth

• Other options update January 2018

Flatmate finder event…….18/1/18