Advice before you find a property or move in

Maintenance:

Make sure you find out who is in charge of responding to problems at the property (landlord or agent) and get their phone number. Ask if they have a number for outside of office hours, in the case of emergency. You should still have someone to contact for help if the landlord is on holiday or unwell.

Gas Safety:

• Your landlord has to ensure that gas-powered appliances such as the boiler and cooker are safe to use
• Gas appliances must be checked for safety every 12 months by a Gas Safe registered engineer
• Check that you have been given a Gas Safety Certificate that has been issued within the last 12 months
• Check that the ID number of the engineer is valid
• If the landlord does not give you a certificate after you have asked, you should report this to Guildford Borough Council immediately.

Electrical Safety:

Landlords are required by law to ensure:

• The electrical installations are safe when you move in and maintained in a safe condition throughout the tenancy
• That fixed electrical installations are tested for safety every 12 months
• That any appliance provided is safe to use and carries the “CE” kite-mark

Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors

Your landlord should legally provide:

• One smoke detector on every floor
• One carbon monoxide detector in any room where solid fuel is used

It is your responsibility as a tenant to test smoke alarms regularly and replace the batteries as needed. Any safety concerns should be reported to the landlord. If your landlord is not dealing with your safety concerns, then approach Guildford Borough Council for help.

You can also ask the Fire and Rescue Service to visit your home and carry out a Home Fire Risk Assessment, if you are concerned.

Before you move in to your property

Your landlord or agent cannot ask for you to pay a deposit more than 5x one weeks rent. So, if your tenancy agreement says your room is £150 per week you cannot be charged more than £750 for your deposit. There should be no hidden costs when you sign up to the property and landlords cannot charge you for credit checks or referencing checks. Landlords can charge you a holding fee, but this is usually then taken out of your first months rent. If you think that your landlord or agent is overcharging you, then get in touch and we can work through this with you. Do not pass over money unless you are sure that they are a legitimate landlord.

Your landlord cannot charge you for anything other than rent and your deposit. They can charge up to £50 for any changes to a contract or tenancy agreement once it is signed by both parties, such as a change of name if someone else takes over your room.

Whilst living in the property

It is your responsibility to maintain and upkeep the house, and keep it in order whilst you are living there. It is really important to check the inventory before you move in carefully as anything not recorded on the inventory, could come out of your deposit at the end of your tenancy.

If your landlord/agent asks you to pay for anything during your tenancy, tell them that you’d like to obtain some advice before accepting any charges. You can either get in touch with us or CItizens Advice. You’ll want to check what your contract says, and you will want to check your inventory also before you pass over any money. Every appliance in your household has a “life expectancy” and if your landlord is claiming you broke something that is past its expectancy or they cannot prove when it was purchased, then they cannot claim from you.

If you are liable for any costs during your tenancy (e.g. stains on the wall), then you will always have the option of asking the landlord to take the fee out of the deposit at the end of the tenancy.

Landlords are required to protect your deposit in a Deposit Protection Scheme (DPS) by law, within 30 days of you handing the money over. When you move into your property, they should provide you with a certificate indicating which scheme your deposit is protected under. There are three main schemes in the UK:

1. Deposit Protection Service
2. MyDeposits 
3. Tenancy Deposit Scheme

All three schemes are there to protect tenants from rouge landlords or landlords who will try and unfairly take money from tenants at the end of their tenancy. If at the end of your tenancy, you dispute any moneys that the landlord try’s to take out of your deposit then you should get in touch with your scheme.

If your deposit is not protected then your landlord is breaking the law. You can get in touch with us if you need more support with this.

Unfortunately, students’ houses can be vulnerable to burglaries and it’s always wise to protect your stuff! We would advise that you obtain “gadget insurance” or general contents insurance. It’s always a good idea to compare prices as there are some money saving deals and they can be life-savers if your stuff gets damaged, lost or stolen.

Do I need insurance?

By having insurance, then you could be protected from this expense in the event of accidental damage, a burglary, fire, flood or other serious incident.

You don’t have to buy insurance – this is your choice. You should also check to see if you are already covered by a policy in your family home or if the one your family home has can be extended to you. Sometimes insurance is packaged with bank accounts or credit cards, so check to see if this is the case for you.

Student contracts are usually joint Assured Shorthold Tenancies (see these top tips here to follow as a tenant)

This means that all tenants’ names appear on one contract, instead of on individual contracts, naming individual tenants. Everyone is legally obligated to split the rent and utilities equally, even if they have been away. You are most likely to have financial obligations before your student loan comes in.

Before signing anything, it is worth having a written agreement with your other housemates about who pay’s what and what share of the rent each will pay (you may want to consider different rent per different sized room). Having a written agreement can help if there are disputes further down the line.

If you feel the need for additional protection, OnlyMyShare offers a guarantee (for a fee) that you will never be held responsible for someone else not paying rent. Their guarantee means that if your housemate doesn’t pay and your landlord pursues you for rent, they can step in.

If you are in financial difficulty then we would suggest that you reach out to moneysupport@surrey.ac.uk who may be able to help. If you need further support then please email ussu.advice@surrey.ac.uk and one of our advisors will get in touch.

The Union is unable to provide Right to Rent letters to students who need it but thankfully the Home Office guidance has changed so students will no longer be required to provide a tailored letter.

If you are a British or Irish National, then you can provide your passport as part of the check. If you don’t have this, then you will need to provide two documents as part of the check (for example, this could be a course confirmation letter and a birth certificate).

If you are an international student, then you need to show proof of your immigration status, i.e. your share code or BRP.

You can find specific guidance from the Home Office here and pages 45 – 47 shows the variety of supporting documents you can provide.

If you have any further questions about this or are still unsure, please don’t hesitate to visit MySurrey Hive who can help.

Setting up your internet

We are sure that having your internet set up in advance is essential for you as a studious and social student! You can set up the majority of your utilities when you move in, but we strongly recommend you try to set up your internet account in advance at the start of your tenancy, so that you don’t miss out!

In some cases, it can take several weeks to book in someone to install your internet, so booking early for the week you move in will ensure no delays.

You can research broadband providers to find the best deals and select your contract start date as the first day of your tenancy; that way, if an appointment needs to be booked in for the installation, you won’t have to wait weeks for an appointment. Remember to include all tenants’ names on the account and not just your own!

Paying Rent

We would advise that once you have your house sorted, that you set up a standing order for your rent to come out at the same time each month which can usually be set up easily though your internet banking. This way, it is unlikely that you will miss a payment.

Missing payments for your bills, rent or any other standing order, can have an impact on your credit rating and score so make sure you are paying on time.

Bills and Utilities

There will probably already be energy and water connected when you arrive, but you should set up the accounts for utilities as soon as you move in. If your agent/landlord offers to set up utilities for you, we would advise that you tell them you’d like to handle them yourself to get the best deal. To change your energy or gas supplier:

1. Ask your landlord/agent to confirm who the current suppliers for gas, water and electricity are. If they do not know, you can find out here.
2. Take meter readings on the day you move in (or check the inventory to see if they’re recorded there). Water is not always metered, so you might instead be charged a fixed amount depending on the size of the household.
3. Research your local suppliers to find the best deals and sign up. Include ALL tenants’ names on ALL accounts and share the account details with all tenants.
4. Diarise your payment dates and amounts, set up standing orders if necessary.

TV Licence

If you watch or record TV as it is being broadcast live, then you will need a TV licence. You can be fined up to £1000 if you get caught without one so don’t delay!

Council Tax

Most students are exempt from council tax, but you should make sure that it is set up properly. Click here for more advice and to check your eligibility.