RENTING MADE SIMPLE A STUDENT'S GUIDE TO LIVING OFF CAMPUS - THIS IS MYSURREY - UNIVERSITY OF SURREY
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
This is MySurrey. Renting made simple A student’s guide to living off campus
Moving off campus can seem daunting. Selecting housemates, finding a suitable
10 Steps to securing your property and managing your rent and utilities. However, this is a process that
everyone must undertake at some point and we hope that by providing you with
accommodation off campus
the skills, knowledge and support you will be prepared to approach the rental
market confidently and successfully.
Review your tenancy agreement, have it checked
by USL and sign it. p8
March – Arrange
viewings with the agent
or landlord. p6
January –
Consider how
much you can
Collect your keys on the
afford, who you
day your contract starts.
want to live with
Make sure to get a copy
and where.p4 Pay the remainder of of the inventory and ask
your deposit and your to be present when this
first month’s rent. is being done.
Mid-February
– You can
apply for USL
accommodation.
Outcomes are
communicated at
April – Once you Gather the documents
the beginning of
find a suitable you need for the
March. p10
property, make an reference checks and
Once you have moved in
February – Start by offer and pay a ensure you have a
remember to send your
looking online for holding deposit. p7 guarantor in place. p7
Council Tax exemption
available properties that certificate to the council and
suit your needs. p5 check your waste collection
schedule.
2 UN I V E R S I T Y OF S U R R E Y 3Where do I look?
Online search engines are the way to go. Don’t be too trusting of
property adverts, ask plenty of questions and ensure you do some
research on the property history, the letting agent or landlord and
whether the rent is competitive. You can view our preferred agents
on the USL page on MySurrey. If you are only looking for a room or
have a room to advertise, you can do this via our StudentPad page or
Facebook group.
Where to start
University of Surrey Let
oup tings (USL)
Facebook gr
live w ith?
WHO do you want to
t to live?
WHERE do you wan
£ WHAT is your budget?
living in
e best chance at
To give yourself th ho us em ates,
th the right
a happy home wi e three
you consider thes
it is essential that always
aspects carefully
. Your friends don’t
want to
You can also use
u m ay
usemates. Yo
make the best ho wh o ha ve similar these popular websites:
th people
consider living wi fo ra
or who are looking
STOP
course schedules ng e as you. • rightmove.co.uk
e same price ra
property within th de pe nd ing • zoopla.co.uk
be important
The location may ur
tra ve l to University or yo • surreystudentpad.com
on how you
placement.
4 UN I V E R S I T Y OF S U R R E Y 5£ £
Viewings Paying a holding
£
We would always recommend that you view the property in person and that all tenants
see the property before making a decision. It is a good idea to arrange a second viewing
to give you time to look around properly. You don’t want to let the excitement of a nice
deposit
When making an offer on the property
property taint your view of warning signs and make a rushed decision. ASK, ASK, ASK!
you have selected, you will be asked for a
This is your chance to find out as much as possible about a property. If the landlord
holding deposit. This is equivalent to one
or agent are unsure of the answer, don’t rely on their assumption. If they agree to
week’s rent and must be paid before the
improvements or changes these must be written into the contract. If it’s not, it is likely the
landlord or agent will take the property off
landlord won’t get it done.
the market. The cost should be deducted
from your overall invoice.
Checklisngtsystem is in the housbee?hind
The referencing process
ti y
What hea
r signs of damp
especiall
wall.
Look fo
pushed up ag
ainst the tor
furniture CO detec Your agent or landlord has an obligation to carry out references, some of which are a
rms and a
th e re s moke ala legal requirement. You will complete an application form and can expect to be asked for
Are
e boiler? erly?
near th shut prop any of these documents. Make sure to get them ready before you even start looking.
d o w s o pen and rd e r?
in corative o
Do the w
ouse in good de u re ? Passport (you will need to show this in person), visa or biometrics residence permit
Is the h
re fire labels on
the furnit
th e ab o u t th eir University enrolment letter
Are
current tenants Landlord reference, email hive@surrey.ac.uk to get a reference if you have
Ask the
nce. and
experie roperties lived on campus
e n e ig h bouring p
Look at th UK based guarantor.
lighting. r?
outside bike or ca Ensure your group has this ready as a delay in completing these checks could cause
il l y o u keep your o u se?
Where w
rage is availab
le in the h you to lose out on the property. Ask USL if you are unsure about the information being
What sto requested.
6 UN I V E R S I T Y OF S U R R E Y 7Contracts
Review your contract thoroughly and ask
Guarantors
questions. Be vigilant if you are being
pressured to sign quickly. Make sure
anything you agreed on while viewing A guarantor is a third party, such as a parent or a relative, who agrees to pay
the property has been written into the your rent if you fail to do so. As a student you need a guarantor who is employed
contract. Once you have read through it, and able to prove their income in order to pay your share of the rent. Most
highlight the clauses you are uncertain contracts make you jointly and severally liable for rent meaning guarantors are
about and email USL to double check liable for the rent if any tenant fails to pay.
the contract for you.
Without a guarantor, you can expect to pay your rent in advance.
There are many external companies who offer guarantor services, but make sure
you confirm the fees first.
Fees are banned
Your landlord or agent can no longer charge
fees before or during your tenancy. They may
charge you for the below, but these costs
should be clearly written into your contract.
Lost keys or security fobs
Late rent payments
Changing a tenant (capped at £50 or
reasonably incurred costs if higher)
If you decide to end your tenancy early.
TO TO
LET LET
Not all agents and landlords accept guarantor services
! so check before making an offer.
8 UN I V E R S I T Y OF S U R R E Y 9Applying for a USL property USL Support Services
Not only do USL offer accommodation, but we also provide expert advice and
There are many benefits of living in a USL managed property. Your rent includes your gas, support on any issues you may encounter. Our services can be accessed by any
electricity and water charges as well as gardening. You won’t be responsible for the rent of student whether you are a USL resident or not.
your housemates, only your own and the finance team can help if you are having trouble
with your rent payments. You do not need a guarantor or reference checks and won’t even
need to pay a deposit. This is a nice way to ease yourself into living off campus.
USL properties are limited, however, Once the ballot has been run you will
we always encourage students to apply! be notified of your application outcome,
Applying for a USL house is simple. usually at the beginning of March.
Log into your accommodation account Where accommodation is offered, details
ams.surrey.ac.uk to apply. of the property will be sent to you and
include a floorplan, photos and virtual tour. Property search
Applications open around mid-February
for two weeks. You will not be able to view the property
in person.
Each member of the group
must complete an application for If you want to accept your offer, each
accommodation before the deadline. student will pay £250 prepayment which
will offset against the first month’s rent.
You will be able to apply by banding and
location preference although this is not You will be given full details of the rent
guaranteed. payment plan and due dates with your
offer. University managed Mediation Letting process
Accommodation is allocated at random accommodation service
through a ballot system.
Contract checking Legal advice Deposit disputes
10 UN I V E R S I T Y OF S U R R E Y 11Top tips
Money EPC Council Tax Support Legal
Council Tax Carry out
USL are here
You can Check the exemption USL are here a £3 Land
to provide
speak to EPC rating only applies to provide Registry, Title
support and
the Student to see how until the support andon any Deed check
advice
Money energy end of your adviceproblems
on any you to ensure
team efficient the course so problems you the landlord
encounter
about the property final year encounter named on
during your
hardship is as this students are during your the contract
tenancy.
fund if you indicates required to tenancy. matches that
are having how much pay Council of the legal
financial you will Tax from their owned as
difficulties. spend on graduation shown in the
utilities. date until Deed. bit.
their contract ly/37H8nIw
end date.
Testimonials “After arriving at a house on move in day which was completely different to what we
saw during the original viewing, we didn’t know what to do. The house was messy,
furniture broken and appliances unchecked for safety. The estate agents refused to
“USL were a great help when my friends and I got into legal difficulties with a landlady come and inspect the property so we contacted USL. They arrived in just under half
who was trying to take advantage of us. They supported us throughout the process of an hour to inspect the house and agreed that the property was in a bad state. They
getting our deposits back, which lead to a court case that we won. On top of this they gave us great advice on how to deal with the issue and arranged for an emergency
helped us find last minute accommodation when we thought we would have nowhere to place to stay until the issue was solved. Through constant communication over
go and they also ensured we could take out a hardship loan to repay once we won the the following weeks, USL were able to help us get out of the original contract, get
court case.The staff are all super supportive and doing it because they obviously care a refund on the deposit and arrange for the emergency property to become our
about students; it’s great to know someone’s looking out for us.” permanent place of residence. The assistance that USL provided us was exceptional
Josh and we will without a doubt use them for our final year of study”
Ben Waites
12 UN I V E R S I T Y OF S U R R E Y 13Stoughton
• Cheaper rent
• High number of student residents
MAP OF £425 - £575
GUILDFORD
Town Centre
Park Barn • Walking distance lots of amenities
£550 - £700
Great location for:
• Surrey Sports Park
12
• Tesco
10 Things to do/visit
• Vet School 17
• Hospital 1 The Boileroom 10 Guildford Lido
6 18 13 Stoke Fields, Lido Rd, Stoke Park, 11.
Guildford, GU1 4LS Guildford, GU1 1HB
£450 - £575
London Road Station 2 Electric Theatre 11 ODEON cinema
Onslow St, Guildford, Bedford Rd, Guildford,
9 Guildford Main
GU1 4SZ GU1 4SJ
4 Station
3 Guildford Castle 12 Guildford Spectrum
Guildford Park 1 13 Castle St, Guildford,
GU1 3SX
Parkway, Guildford,
GU1 1UP
14
11 4 Guildford Cathedral 13 G Live
• Closest proximity to University 8 GU2 7UP London Rd, Guildford,
GU1 2AA
5 Watts Gallery
£525 - £650 2 Watts Gallery Down 14 The Friary Centre
7 3 Lane, Guildford, GU3 GU1 4YT
1DQ
15 River Wey
16 6 AirHop Trampoline GU1 4RR
Park
12 Midleton Industrial 16 Yvonne Arnaud
Estate Rd, Guildford, Theatre
15 GU2 8XW Millbrook, Guildford,
Tesco GU1 3UX
supermarket
Bus stops 7 Komo Cocktail Bar
Mill St, Weymead 17 Wild Wood
House, Millbrook, Adventure
Taxi Rank Gym/fitness Peacock Wood,
Guildford, GU1 3YA
5 Lido Road, Guildford,
Hospital Ideal for walking/cycling 8 Casino Nightclub GU1 1HB
GU1 4SQ
18 Stoke Park
Train station Trend launderette 9 Rubix Nightclub Nightingale Rd,
(on campus) Guildford, GU1 1ER
GU2 7XHThis is MySurrey.
University of Surrey Lettings (USL)
Senate House, Guildford, GU2 7XH
www.surrey.ac.uk/lettings
usl@surrey.ac.uk
01483 68 1111
University of Surrey Lettings (USL)
@UoSLettingsYou can also read
